Ok, so “what should a 14-month-old be doing?!” You wonder as you stare at your 14-month-old happily playing with old plastic bottles out of the recycling bin instead of the selection of carefully curated, age-appropriate, and overpriced toys you bought just for them.
14-month milestones and development are weird and wonderful as your little peanut gets more adventurous.
Now that they’re more mobile – either on their feet, hands and knees, or bum – discovering new things is seriously exciting.
In this article 📝
- 14-month-old milestones
- 14-month-old development
- 14-month-old baby food
- 14-month-old baby weight
- What else is going on at 14 months?
14-month-old milestones
Running rings around you
If your baby is happy on their feet now, they’ll probably start growing in confidence and experimenting with the accelerator. Yikes!
Trips and falls are par for the course, so try to stay chill when they inevitably do take a tumble, as your relaxed demeanor can help avoid those big teary meltdowns.
What big teeth you have…
If your 14-month-old has started resembling the Cheshire Cat, you might be wondering how many teeth should a 14-month-old have?
Well, most 14-month-olds will have 8-10 teeth. Also, you’ll probably notice those big molars erupting soon, if they haven’t already.
Yay… said no parent of a teething child, ever.
The first, but not last, “no”!
Maybe not a milestone every parent is excited for (but a big moment nonetheless) is the first time your little one says a big “no”. And it might be any day now!
Although tantrums can be tricky to handle as a parent, this is your baby’s way of becoming more independent and having their own identity, so stick to your guns and remember who’s boss! (Yep, that’s you!)
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14-month-old development
Learning through play
Shape sorters and building blocks are great toys for 14-month-olds.
Stacking 2 or 3 blocks is a big development for them, as it requires shape recognition, hand-eye coordination, and fine motor skills.
Yes, no, maybe. Can you repeat the question?
If you’re wondering, what do 14-month-olds understand? the answer is – surprise! – pretty much everything!
Their brain development is on overtime at the moment, so they might stop an action when you say “no,” come to you when you call their name, pass you a toy you ask for, and begin to use their own spoon or drink from a cup.
Your baby is growing up fast!
Chatterbox
What words should baby say at 14 months?
Well, as with everything, each baby’s speech development will be different.
But your 14-month-old baby might have up to 5 words in their vocabulary now.
A couple will be properly formed, like “mama” and “no,” and a few might be more like recognizable sounds rather than full words, like “do” for dog, “mo” for more, or “baba” for bye-bye. Cute!
Separation anxiety
Separation is a bit tricky for your toddler.
Although they might happily move away from you to play, they will still look to you for cuddles and reassurance, too, and can be very clingy.
Daycare drop-off, or just popping to the bathroom on your own, can be cause for a serious meltdown if your little one is going through separation anxiety.
If you do need to leave them, it can help to explain that you’ll be back and encourage them to play with a toy while you’re gone.
When you return, give them plenty of praise and affection.
14-month-old baby food
Keep feeding your baby a variety of healthy foods, and try not to worry about exactly how much they do — or don’t — eat at each sitting.
Offering 3 meals and 2 snacks every day, as well as breast milk or cow’s milk, is plenty.
Remember, your toddler is still susceptible to choking, so avoid foods that are too hard, like raw carrot or whole nuts, and continue to chop up foods like grapes or sausages into safe-sized pieces.
Offering plenty of foods rich in vitamins, protein, and healthy fats is super important to feed their brain development.
14-month-old baby weight
The average weight of 14-month-old girls is 20.7 pounds and 22.3 pounds for boys.
Although the rapid growth and weight gain you saw when they were younger will probably have slowed down, you should expect them to gain around half a pound per month at this age.
What else is going on at 14 months?
Ahhh sleep. We love you, sleep. Whatever age your little one is, healthy sleep habits are a big deal. So here’s a couple of answers to common questions about 14-month-old sleep…
How much sleep does a 14-month-old baby need?
Most children between 1 and 2 years old need 11-14 hours of sleep across 24 hours.
At 14 months, your toddler still probably needs 2 naps during the day, but you might start transitioning them down to one nap soon.
As always, follow your baby’s lead and trust your mama-instinct as the timing will be individual for everyone.
What is the 14-month sleep regression?
Uh-oh. The words every mama shudders to hear: “sleep regression.”
It’s true: around now, even the best of overnight sleepers can wake.
The reasons will differ, but it can be due to teething pain, vivid dreams, or separation anxiety.
If they’re new to daycare and aren’t having great day naps, this overtiredness can affect their overnight sleep too.
So how to deal with it? Stick to a predictable bedtime routine, give your child the comfort they need (use your judgment about offering pain relief if it is teething waking them up), and stay strong, mama!
You’re doing a great job, and this too shall pass.
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