1 Year old

How your baby's growing
Happy birthday, baby! Your first year is over and babyhood is behind you. Hold on for the toddler years... In the coming months, your little one will seek more independence, discover the world from an upright position, find his sense of humour, and best of all, learn to say he loves you.

Your life: easing separations
Though your baby is beginning to discover his independence, he probably still has bouts of separation anxiety. This is natural. To ease departures, allow plenty of time. Getting to the nursery early or getting him settled with the babysitter early gives him a chance to adjust. It's best to be matter-of-fact when you leave.

Don't sneak away or prolong the agony with extended good-byes; make it quick, with just one kiss. If you listen outside, you'll usually find that your baby's tears subside soon after you're out of sight. It's hard not to feel guilty, but you can help your child feel more independent by not hovering over him all the time.

Read more about helping your baby make a smooth transition between your home and his carer's home.

Keeping toys fresh
It's a good idea to put away some of those new toys and bring them out a few at a time, so your baby doesn't get overwhelmed. You'll need to sort out toy storage now, to keep all the pieces of that jigsaw or shape sorter together. Keep hold of shoe boxes, biscuit tins and gift boxes, which all make useful storage boxes. If your baby has some birthday money to spend, you'll notice that a frustratingly large number of toys are labelled unsuitable for under-threes – find out why.

Baby signing
In the second year, many toddlers become frustrated by their inability to communicate their needs – they know what they want but they don't have the language skills to say it. Baby signing is becoming an established technique to get over this stage. You and your toddler can quickly learn a handful of signs to help her let you know when she wants more food or needs a drink, for example. While some people worry that using sign language will delay talking, the opposite has been found to be true.

Parent tip: baby book club
"I started reading to my baby when she was two months old. I kept to a small group of three books with rhyming words and colourful pictures. Now she'll leaf through any book or magazine in her path! When she's in the mood, she'll babble as she turns the pages herself." – Gloria
Share your tips.

Community
Tell us about your baby's birthday party. You'll find plenty of mums to share the joy in our community forums.

Things to consider
Your baby's MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) immunisation is due in the next few weeks. You can find out more details in our immunisation chart .

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