You don’t need to break out a ton of toys or even spend a ton of cash on fancy ones. Sometimes just playing with simple blocks or banging on pots with spoons will be enough to delight and stimulate your little one. If you do give them toys, make sure they’re age-appropriate and safe for 1-year-olds.

Encourage them to play with other children as well.

In fact, studies indicate that the more words a baby hears, the more they respond with sounds of their own, suggesting that talking to your baby actually does encourage speech development.

For instance, if your baby is looking at your coffee, you can say, “You see my coffee? It’s coffee, mmm. I’m just drinking my coffee. ”

You can read along and say things like, “Ok, now what’s that? That’s right! It’s A!” If they guess incorrectly, no problem. Keep it fun and gently correct them with something like, “Close! That’s F!”

Singing is a great way to keep things light and fun.

Don’t worry so much about whether or not they count in order correctly. That’ll come a little later.

Some parents can worry that if their child isn’t speaking they may have autism. However, children with autism also exhibit other behaviors such as poor social skills and limited or restricted patterns of behavior. Talk to your child’s doctor if you have concerns.

If your child isn’t able to do any of these things, it doesn’t necessarily mean that something is wrong. Every child is different. Talk to their pediatrician if you have concerns.

For instance, instead of saying, “No! You can’t have dessert until you eat your dinner,” you could say something like, “We’ve got some delicious pie we can have as soon as you’re finished. ” If your 1-year-old is struggling with something and getting frustrated, try calmly showing them how it’s done. They’ll appreciate your help and they’ll learn that they don’t need to throw a tantrum.

For instance, if your 1-year-old is refusing to eat their food, you could try the classic “airplane” maneuver where you make plane engine noises and “fly” the food into their mouth. A little silliness can go a long way. If your toddler is refusing to stop throwing their toys, you can put one of them on top of your head and make a funny face. They may start laughing and forget all about being upset.