Well Check-Up / 15 Months
FEEDING
Your child should be consuming 2-3 servings of dairy products or 16-24 ounces of milk each day for optimal calcium intake. Whole or 2% milk, a high-fat form of non-dairy milk, or breastmilk is best. More than 24 ounces of milk can cause children to eat poorly if their stomachs are too full of milk and can put them at risk for anemia (low iron). At this age, children should be taking all their liquids in a cup and not a bottle. If your child likes to carry around a cup to drink during the day between meals, fill the cup with water instead of milk or juice. Toddlers do not need any fruit juice and should not have more than 4-6 ounces of 100% fruit juice each day.
Children at this age should be eating mostly table foods, but be careful with foods they can choke on, including foods that are hard or in large pieces. Cut meat and raw fruits and vegetables into small pieces and be especially careful with the most-commonly choked-on foods—whole grapes, carrots, hard candy, nuts, and hot dogs.
Just like adults, toddlers should not eat a lot of fried or processed foods. Offer your child mostly healthy foods.
A drop in appetite after 12 months is normal, and many toddlers become pickier and may have some days when they seem to eat very little. Try for at least one good meal each day with several healthy snacks. Parents should provide enough healthy food and then allow toddlers to feed themselves. It is not necessary to force toddlers to clean their plates after they stop eating.
DEVELOPMENT
Common milestones at 15 months include walking alone, stacking 2-4 blocks, and drinking well from a cup. Most 15 month olds can say 3-10 words, although they usually understand much more than this. In the next few months, your child will likely learn to use a spoon and to point to body parts, and his vocabulary will grow quickly. Continue to talk and sing with your child often and read books together. Avoid tablet or screen time if possible before age 2. Reading remains the most important activity to stimulate language development and build the foundation for good school performance later!
BEHAVIOR/DISCIPLINE
At this age, some toddlers may begin to have temper tantrums, which are usually a sign of frustration or a cry for attention. Whenever possible try to ignore bad behavior and praise good behavior. If your child has a tantrum at your house, try to leave the room and return only when he or she is quiet. If this happens in public, it can be difficult to follow this plan, but picking up your child and leaving together is often the best remedy. Make the rules very simple. Time-outs are often not very effective until children are a little older.
DENTAL CARE
Brush your child’s teeth at bedtime using a very small amount (the size of a grain of rice) of toothpaste with fluoride. Even if your child wants to help brush, it is important for you to go over all the teeth, especially the back teeth, to make sure all are cleaned. Avoid chewy gummy foods such as fruit snacks if possible. This is a good age to visit the dentist for the first time if you have not already been there.
SAFETY
Your baby should continue to ride in a rear-facing car seat until she is at least 2 years old or she reaches the maximum weight for your carseat. Children at this age are becoming more mobile and more curious, so be careful not to leave chairs or other furniture in a place where you child could climb up and get onto counters or into cabinets. Never leave your child alone in a bath or near any water, and do not leave cups or containers of hot liquids where he could reach them. Check smoke detectors regularly and change the batteries twice a year. Lock all cabinets and drawers and keep medicines, cleaners, and chemicals away. If your child ever accidentally swallows anything that might be dangerous (such as cleaning supplies, chemicals, or medications) do not give anything else by mouth and call Poison Control immediately.
POISON CONTROL 1-800-222-1222