One Year

Happy birthday, baby! This year your baby will start to walk and talk. Soon your little baby will be a busy toddler.

Keeping Baby Healthy

A big part of staying healthy is regular visits with the doctor and dentist.

Your child will need a one-year checkup with the doctor. The doctor will weigh and measure your child and look in your child’s eyes and mouth. Your child may need shots.
It is time for your child’s first visit to the dentist.
Brush your child’s teeth two times a day with a soft-bristle toothbrush and a pea-sized amount of children’s toothpaste.
If you don’t have health insurance, contact the Children’s Health Insurance Program at 1-877-543-7669 (1-877-KIDS-NOW) to find out about low-cost programs.

Playing Together

Your baby is becoming more curious. Playing together helps your baby learn about the world.

Make a book using cardboard and magazine pictures. Let your child turn the pages.
Show your child pictures of friends and family. Say peoples’ names as you look at the pictures.
Hide a small object in one hand. Let your child try to find the object.
Let your child put blocks or toys into a box and dump them out.
Turn off the TV and dance and sing with your child. Children under 2 should not watch TV, movies, or DVDs.

Sleepy Time

Getting enough rest helps children (and all of us) feel better.

Keep the crib mattress at the lowest level. Make sure the sides are up so your baby cannot crawl out.
Your baby should sleep 12-14 hours each day.
Keep bedtime and naptime at the same time each day.
Try reading, singing, or rocking to relax your child.
Put your child to bed when he is sleepy but not asleep so that he can learn to fall asleep on his own.

Keeping Safe

Your baby may seem bigger, but she still needs your protection from dangers.

Watch out for foods that could make your baby choke, like popcorn, nuts, raisins, tortilla chips, and grapes. Don’t give hotdogs, even if they are cut into small pieces.
As your baby learns to walk, watch out for hot dangers such as the oven or space heaters.
Make sure televisions and other heavy things can’t fall on your baby.
Keep your baby in a rear-facing car seat in the back seat until age 2. If your child outgrows the infant seat, get a convertible seat that can be rear-facing.

Watch Baby Grow

Watch for your child to: