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Your toddler is constantly on the move now, walking, exploring and even climbing. Give your toddler a safe space at home so he or she can freely test out these newfound skills.
Milestones This Month
Most toddlers can
- Have a favourite toy or object
- Turn pages of a book
- Throw a tantrum when frustrated
- Walk well
Half of the toddlers can
- Climb
- Learn the proper way to use common objects
- Stack three blocks
- Say at least three words
A few toddlers can
- Become picky eaters
- Switch to one daytime nap
- Take off one piece of clothing alone
Toddler Development at 16 Months
Your toddler is starting to realize that he or she is an individual. If you put him or her in front of the mirror, they will no longer reach out to the mirror to touch the other baby. In one study, researchers found that if you put a red dot on the nose of a toddler and place them in front of a mirror, they touch their own noses. Developing independence is one of the main milestones associated with this age.
This newfound realization of he or she is a separate person from you is also associated with a bit of a power struggle. Your toddler now has an opinion, which means diaper changes, baths and even mealtimes can become more difficult. We recommend using distractions to get what is necessary done and saving your energy to deal with behaviours that needs addressing (e.g. hitting or biting).
You will need to be creative with your disciplining right now. Since “no” is now your toddlers favourite word, try not to use it too often. Give your toddler a childproof and safe space at home, so he or she can explore freely. This way you don’t need to say “no” constantly or discipline your toddler.
Toddler Tip
Bring in a few cups or bottles into the bathtub to distract your toddler. Distraction is the best way to deal with your toddlers’ newfound independence.
Supporting Your Toddler
Feeding
Some toddlers become picky eaters at this stage. Try to introduce your toddler to a variety of food sources to find something he or she would eat. Just make sure he or she is eating a mixed diet with all four food groups. It is not necessary to incorporate all four food groups at every meal, just make sure your toddler is getting a mix of carbohydrates (bread, cereal or pasta), proteins (egg, fish, meat) and plenty of fruits and vegetables throughout the day. Remember, it is ok if your toddler prefers to eat pasta for breakfast and cereal for dinner.
Don’t be frustrated if your toddlers’ tastes change from one day to another. It is perfectly normal for a toddler to refuse something they loved today the next day.
Several reasons may be behind picky eating from trying to assert independence to an instinct for self-preservation. Humans have evolved to avoid certain leafy green vegetables and plants that taste bitter because they tend to be poisonous. Whatever the reason may be, just keep offering your toddler nutritious food to establish healthy eating habits.
Sleep
If your toddler hasn’t already, he or she will be transitioning from two to one nap soon. So, you may need to shift around some activities around your toddlers’ new schedule. Usually toddler’s drop their morning nap first. This will give you more time in the morning to incorporate a new activity to your routine (may be a mom and me fitness class).
For the first days while your toddler is getting using to his or her new routine, you may want to have lunch a little bit earlier than usual to make sure your toddler isn’t too tired for eating. A typical 16-month-old toddler should still be getting 11 to 14 hours of sleep in total.
