Appointments and activities – What's coming up in the 13th month?
Vaccination: Between the 11th and 14th month the first vaccination against measles, mumps and rubella can be given. Vaccinations against chickenpox and meningococci are also now possible. In addition, if necessary the primary immunization against tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis and other diseases can now be completed.
Outings to the playground: Regular visits to the playground have many advantages: you are out in the fresh air, your baby has contact with other children and can learn a lot from them. And swinging and sliding is also fun for the parents!
Important developmental milestones in the 13th month
From baby to toddler: With the start of the 2nd year of life your infant is officially no longer a baby, but a toddler. In the first year the little one has already learned a lot – and there is still much to explore now. Physical development now proceeds a bit more slowly.
Language and comprehension: Your child steadily expands its vocabulary and learns new words that it understands. It may already try to say its first one-word sentences. Often it uses the same word for different things that have similar properties. For example, a stone is sometimes perceived as a 'ball' because both are round.
Perception: The baby develops a sense of spatial relationships and understands that smaller objects can be placed into larger containers. It enjoys taking boxes, drawers, bins and more in and out and thereby trains its spatial understanding.
Independence: Toddlers become increasingly interested in how everyday things work – and they also want to try many things independently and become more self-reliant. You can encourage this by, for example, showing them how to comb their own hair or how to dress and undress themselves independently.
Social interaction: Contact with other babies is enormously important for your child – most of the little ones are also very fascinated by other boys and girls. Playing together and contact with peers help them learn more about social interaction with one another. However, it will take some time before your child really plays actively with others, because babies in the 13th month of life still mainly play more by themselves.
