Raising Children Network: the Australian parenting website
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At fifteen months

 

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Health professionals talk about a child’s age in terms of months, for example the 13th month or the 16th month. The way to make sense of this is to begin counting from the beginning of the previous month. For example, the 13th month begins when a child is 12 months old and ends when she is 13 months old. Or the 16th month begins when a child is 15 months old and ends when she is 16 months old.

 

The 15th month

By the end of this month, your toddler:

 … should be able to:

  • walk well
  • bend over and pick up an object
  • use at least one word

… will probably be able to:

  • use two words
  • drink from a cup
  • scribble
  • point to a desired object

… may possibly be able to:

  • point to one body part when asked
  • use a spoon or fork (but not exclusively)
  • build a tower of two cubes

… may even be able to:

  • ‘feed’ a doll

Emotional development

At 15 months, toddlers can be expected to communicate pleasure, warmth, interest in new experiences; to play games with parents; to protest; to begin to accept limits. 

 

Children grow and develop at different rates. The information above is offered as a guide. There is no need to expect your child's development to fit with all the above descriptions. If you are in any way worried about your child's development, it's best to speak with your doctor or child health nurse.