Info about Infants
How a 12-Month-Old Baby Learns
• Social and emotional skills
As the person or people closest to him, you are still your baby's first love and the most important focus in his life, but at this age he also enjoys being with other people, especially other children and his siblings.
• Mixing with other babies
Now is a good time to introduce him to other babies and children, particularly if he doesn't have sisters and brothers at home. He'll still want to stay close to you, but he will be fascinated to watch and imitate the other babies and toddlers around him. At this age, however, don't expect him to mix actively, join in or share with the others. Your baby still thinks the world revolves around him and, while he'll be very happy playing alongside other children, he'll naturally assume that every toy is there just for him. He won't be able to understand the reasons for sharing for another year or more.
• Copying good manners
Although at this age your baby doesn't understand how, or why, he needs to have good manners, he loves imitating you and his siblings. Learning the way you behave will help him get on with other people as he gets older. Even before he can talk, your baby can learn social rituals like how to wave bye-bye. And if he hears you using polite words, he is more likely to use those words himself once he can talk.
• Language and intellectual skills
Your baby has been preparing for talking in lots of different ways, and his increased ability to concentrate will help him with his first words. His memory is also getting much better.
• Preparing to talk
Most babies are still experimenting with sounds as they get ready to lalk. By now they can use most vowels and many consonants. If your baby has slopped dribbling, this could be a sign that he's getting better at controlling his tongue, mouth, and lips. He may also be trying to imitate the last thing he heard you or someone else say. You may catch the odd recognizable word in amongst the gibberish!
• First words
Some babies may be able to say two or three- words by their first birthday, although usually only you and the rest of his family who are in tune with his routine may understand them. There may then be some weeks before your baby uses more words, which is quite normal.
• Concentration and memory
You may notice your baby can listen to very short stories right through. This is partly because he can now understand you, and because he can give you all his attention for longer.
Your baby's developing memory and pasl experiences now affect a lot of his actions and behaviour. You may notice this in the way he loves to cause chaos to his routine - for example, crawling away at top speed when you are trying to get him ready for a bath or put his coal on. Knowing what's going to happen next gives him a great opportunity to play a joke - at your expense!