Development isn’t a race. It’s a flow. 

Every child—and parent—is figuring it out at their own pace.

Instead of milestones, we encourage you to focus on this amazing moment.

Your child’s brain makes more than one million neural connections per second in these first three years. Simple, consistent interactions with them today can have profound, lifelong benefits.

Here’s how little one’s brain is developing this month, and how you can support their progress.

Developmental Highlight 

Little one's world rapidly expands as they transition from infant to toddler. It’s exhilarating and sometimes overwhelming. Walking and talking awaken little one’s desire for greater independence, as well as separation anxiety and stranger danger. 

This may seem contradictory, but it makes evolutionary sense. Being cautious with strangers is one of the ways little humans didn’t walk off with wild animals a million years ago. Little one’s curious about this big world, but you’re still their safe place.

Routines help ground and comfort little one as they find their footing. A transitional object—a stuffy, blanket, or other cherished item—can give them a sense of security as they navigate the challenges of growing independence. 

Brain-Building Activities

Bring A Friend

Routine: Anytime

Don't worry about little one becoming too attached to a transitional object. It represents the security of home and will nourish later cognitive skills, like symbolic representation, metaphor, and analogy. As little one gets older, their imagination, instead of a physical object, will keep them connected to the security of your love. 

Here’s how to encourage adoption of a transitional object:

• Notice an object that brings comfort to little one.
  
  

• Bring it along on visits to the doctor, on trips, or when little one is getting ready for sleep (one of the big daily separations they face).
  
  

• If little one hurts themself, grab the object when you comfort them. This associates the object with your love.
  
  

Give And Take

Routine: Anytime

Stranger danger can occur with new people or even with family members, who aren’t strangers at all. You can help little one work through this with simple interactions with strangers (or “strangers”) that model turn-taking, a skill that will come in handy during playtime with others.

• If little one shows signs of stranger danger, start by recognizing their emotion. “Are you feeling scared? This is Nana. She came over to play with you.” This understanding may make little one more open to taking on the challenge of meeting someone new.
  
  

• Have the stranger offer little one something—one of their toys, for example. Once little one accepts the object, the ice has been broken.
  
  

• Have the stranger put their hand out and ask if they can see the object. This simple back-and-forth breaks down barriers, allowing for a new shared connection.
  
  

• If little one won’t take the object, don’t force it. Have the stranger give it to you instead, so you can model the give-and-take.
  
  

You’ve Got This 

Think back to the family rituals you loved as a child. Some, like recipes or music, may have been passed down from generation to generation. Others, like Spaghetti Sundays or annual camping trips, may have been unique to your household.

Now’s an excellent time to start thinking about what rituals you’d like to share with little one. Children love making important memories and repeating activities. They enjoy hearing how it was done before, or how you’re going to do it again next week, month, or year. Through rituals, children learn about family values, gain safety and security, and feel connected to you and others.

Rituals can be spiritually or religiously oriented, designed for silliness, or come from nowhere in particular. And they don’t have to be complicated! Try a few new rituals in the coming months and see what sticks. 

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