Your toddler from 12 to 18 months

What tends to change

• Many toddlers take a few steps on their own by around 15 months and walk without holding on by about 18 months.[1][2]
• Early words are often incomplete, like "ba" for ball.[1]
• Many toddlers feed themselves with their fingers and start to try a spoon.[2]
• Growth slows compared with the first year, and appetite often does too.[3]
• Steady routines and a calm, quiet bedtime help.[1]

What is useful to track

• Handoffs. Daycare, a nanny or a grandparent: whoever has her logs it, and you see it. More: Caregiver handoffs.
• Sleep. "She's down." at nap time, wherever she is.
• Meds and temperature. One record of doses and readings, so two people never guess.

Sharing the care

With childcare in the mix, the day is split across more people. A shared log keeps the whole day in one place.

Ask "When did she last nap?" at pickup and get the answer from the log.

Questions for the next checkup

Well-child visits are a good time to talk about growth, development, sleep and eating. It helps to bring your top questions, and anything your baby does or does not do that concerns you.[4][5]

• How is she doing with walking and new words?
• What should meals look like now?
• How much sleep, naps included, is typical at this age?