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From weaning to walking to talking, your baby will reach a number of different milestones during the first two years after their birth. While there are some major milestones you should be looking out for (like the age that they learn to walk unaided, or eat solid foods), it's important to remember that not all children will follow the same developmental timeframe. All toddlers develop at their own pace, which is why we've enlisted the help of four real mums to share when their baby hit key milestones.
6 months
At six months old, you might notice that your baby is becoming physically stronger, and can do things like roll over and imitate sounds.
It's also around this age that most parents start to introduce their little ones to their first food. Mum-of-one Julie Demetri said: "I was quite nervous about introducing new food into my baby's diet, so I waited until he had good head and neck control before starting the weaning process. I wanted to make sure he would be able to swallow effectively."
Ideal first foods should melt in the mouth or be very soft, like the Kiddylicious Little Bistro Garden Pea & Kale meal, which is a pureed mixture of vegetables and mashed potato, making it the perfect first food for a six month old!
7 to 10 months
From around seven to ten months old, your baby will start to experiment with more hand movements, and will attempt to reach for things and pick up objects. Tessa Roszkowski, mum-of-one, said: "As soon as my baby hit the eight month mark, I noticed that she was experimenting with her pincer grip. So, I started to give her light objects to pick up and play with - it was fun for her but also entertaining for me to watch, too! Around this time, I also introduced finger foods into her diet. They were just easy-to-eat things like melt-in-the-mouth wafers, which she loved.'
Some parents worry about giving their toddlers solid foods if their teeth are yet to come through, but at this age their gums and jaw movements are hard enough to break up soft food. However, as teething begins and the teeth begin to appear, firmer foods and lumpier textures can be introduced.
12 to 16 months
At 12 months old, your little one will have almost tripled their birth weight, and will be rapidly developing! Mum-of-one Emma Rouch told us that she noticed her son was becoming much more active once he hit the one year mark. "Jamie couldn't yet walk unaided, but he could stand up by himself, and he kept on deliberately dropping his toys and then picking them up. He was also crawling non-stop - I had to keep my eyes on him at all times!"
Growing babies will require a lot more energy while they're being active, and this can be provided through their diet. The best way to ensure that they get enough energy is by offering them a variety of healthy meals and snacks. Per day, you should offer your baby around three main meals (like the Kiddylicious Little Bistro Mini Beef Meatballs with Spaghetti Hoops meal) and two healthy snacks, to ensure that they have a constant release of energy.
During this growing stage, your little one will also be starting to self-feed. Chunks in meals (especially the Kiddylicious Little Bistro range) are perfect for encouraging your baby to practice using cutlery.
18 to 24 months
At around 18 months, your baby may be standing up unaided or starting to walk. There are lots of general developmental milestones during the 18-24 month period, like speech development, a craving for independence, and the ability to be toilet-trained.
But, this is also the period when your little one's personality will come to life. Closer reader Fou Anastasiou told us: "I really started to see my daughter's personality shine through once she was around 18 months old. She started to say short words and phrases, do cheeky things and interact with people a lot more. It was really lovely to see her become so confident and inquisitive."
You can buy the Kiddylicious Little Bistro range from all major supermarkets.
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