The 15th month
Your child has been surprising you again and again for more than a year – and probably frequently with words at the moment. Their vocabulary is constantly expanding and they can already form one-word sentences. For example, they can emphasise a word as a question or use a strong intonation to make a clear demand. And they will also reveal more and more of their character to you. There are children who are already real entertainers at this age and love a large audience. Others, on the other hand, are shy, prefer to hide behind their parents and take a while to warm up to people. Some make friends quickly and effortlessly, while others prefer to play on their own. Just like adults, children are all unique!
The 15th month in brief
- Your child learns new words almost every day – and will also make you laugh with their own, often very amusing word creations.
- Write these words down, because sometimes you forget them in the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
- The autonomy phase may already be making itself felt and can be really challenging. Remember this: it is part of personality development and says nothing about you as a parent.
- If this phase becomes too stressful, don’t hesitate to get help from a professional.
- At this point you will be able to tell with great certainty what colour your child’s eyes will be.
Strong emotions are par for the course
Episodes with big, overwhelming emotions are not equally prevalent in all children. But almost all of them show certain “defiant reactions” in the autonomy phase. This is part of their personal development. And there are often outbursts of anger to relieve stress and other emotions. Often the situation in which the outburst occurs has little to do with it. It is important to allow and support these feelings – admittedly not always easy – instead of suppressing them. In this way, the child learns that they are a part of life and over time will be able to deal with them. It helps some children to find an outlet for their anger: for example, punching a pillow or shouting. Or you can define a corner in the room where the child can safely throw soft toys around. During the defiant phase, many parents also encounter unsolicited advice or critical opinions from family and friends, but also from complete strangers, for example when shopping. It’s easier said than done, but it’s best to just let such comments roll off your back. You do your best and every child has these outbursts. They are completely normal and say nothing about your parenting skills. However, if you feel very challenged or overwhelmed, don’t hesitate to seek advice from a professional.
Discovery moment of the month: “the eye colour”
While many babies have very light-coloured eyes, not all of them stay that way. It is only during the second year of life that you can tell what colour your child’s eyes will be. Although colour can still change slightly, the basic colour is now fixed. Incidentally, around 90 per cent of all people in the world have brown eyes. The remaining 10 percent is divided between blue, grey and green. The latter is considered the rarest eye colour of all and only occurs in around two percent of the world’s population.
