15 Month Care Instructions

Your Child’s Development

At 15 months, your child is actively exploring their environment and experiencing many emotions. When parents respond to these emotional needs in a loving and consistent way, children develop confidence and feel more secure.

Separation anxiety is common at this age. It may intensify until around 18 months and gradually decrease by 2 years old. Many toddlers cling to their primary caregiver during separations, such as daycare drop-off. To ease transitions, try to keep drop-offs quick and, whenever possible, leave your child with someone they already know.

Between 14 and 15 months, your child may:

• Say a few words
• Understand simple commands
• Communicate wants by pulling, pointing, or grunting
• Drink from a cup
• Point to parts of their body
• Walk well and climb stairs with help

Discipline

• Choose your battles wisely; for example, tooth brushing is important!
• Teach your child to use words to ask for things.
• Set a good example by remaining calm—avoid yelling or showing anger in front of your child.
• If your child is being demanding, try redirecting their attention or moving to a different room so they can calm down.
• If your child refuses to do something (like going to daycare), gently pick them up and proceed calmly.
• Be loving, understanding, and consistent during this developmental stage.

Problem behaviors such as tantrums, biting (especially caregivers on the shoulder), hitting, and screaming without clear reason are common at this age. These behaviors are not intentional attempts to upset others but should be managed with gentle yet firm discipline to prevent continuation.

If your toddler bites caregivers, the behavior may extend to biting other children if not corrected.

Using the Pak-N-Play as a Time-Out Area:

• Keep an empty Pak-N-Play available at home.
• When your toddler exhibits problematic behavior, calmly and firmly say, for example, "No biting." Use as few words as possible and avoid showing strong emotion.
• Place your toddler in the Pak-N-Play and leave the room.
• Wait 1–2 minutes without speaking; take deep breaths if frustrated.
• When your toddler calms or after 2 minutes, return cheerfully and pick them up.
• Immediately model an alternative positive behavior, e.g., "Mouth is for kissing," and give your child a kiss.
• Then transition to another activity.

Toddlers test boundaries to see if you will respond consistently. Be patient and consistent. Expect the behavior to worsen temporarily (an "extinction burst") before it improves. Avoid excessive emotional reactions, as these can unintentionally reinforce the behavior.

How to Care for Your Child at Home

Safety

• Prevent burns by keeping hot pots, curling irons, irons, and coffee cups out of reach.
• Use plastic plugs for electrical outlets.
• Install smoke detectors and check batteries regularly.
• Always secure your child in a properly installed car seat that meets current safety standards. For assistance, contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration at 1-888-327-4236.
• Supervise your child at all times near water, including pools, bathtubs, buckets, toilets, and hot tubs.
• Store cleaning products and medicines in locked cabinets out of reach. Keep the Poison Control number near your phone: 1-800-222-1222.
• Inform your doctor if your child spends significant time in a home built before 1978, as old paint may contain harmful lead.

Feeding

• Offer a variety of healthy foods daily, including fruits, well-cooked vegetables, low-sugar cereal, yogurt, whole-grain breads and crackers, meat, and fish.
• Feed your child every 3 to 4 hours.
• Avoid foods that pose choking hazards such as nuts, whole grapes, hard or sticky candy, and popcorn.
• Offer healthy snacks regularly—even if your child initially rejects them, keep trying. Good snack options include products made from wheat, corn, rice, oats, or other grains, such as breads, cereals, tortillas, noodles, crackers, and muffins.