Hooray! Your little baby is now 1 year old and baby time is officially over. Most likely, your little one will always be your little baby. The first year has passed and you now have a little baby who can do, and is capable of, a lot. Imagine the development since you first met!

Development when baby is 1 year old

There is still a lot of exploration in the form of repetition, such as throwing something to the floor, knocking over a tower or hitting two objects together. Putting things in their mouth and tasting them is still exciting. Your little one understands more and more what is right and wrong, and can begin to understand the difference between a question, a statement or a request. They probably enjoy learning new things and like to explore the world, often with a supportive parent close by. 

Your child is now in a developmental phase where the feeling of 'I can do it myself' starts to creep in, which can cause extra strong feelings if something doesn't quite go as planned. Be sensitive to your child's needs and dare to let go of the reins in safe environments, allowing your child to try things on their own. 

Food from the age of 1

From the age of 1, many children can eat on their own (although there is a lot of mess and spillage). Let your little one try spoon and fork and drinking from a cup as much as possible, it is developmental to eat on their own as much as possible. Some children prefer their hands and like to have pieces of food served to them. Try it out and see what works best!

There is now more freedom to choose from previously restricted foods, such as honey and green leafy vegetables. However, it is good to continue to restrict sugar and other sweets. Just like adults, it's important to vary your diet and have regular meals! And since children rarely have the energy to eat much at each meal, it is good to have stable snacks. 

BVC visits when baby is 1 year old

At the 1-year check-up at the child health center, you will talk about how you are doing at home, screen and sleep habits, how things are going with food and, of course, growth in the usual way. At this visit, your child will receive their third dose of the vaccines they received at three and five months of age. If you run out of D-drops, it's a good time to ask for a new one at the BVC. This is 5 drops per day, every day, up to the age of 2 years.

Preparing for kindergarten

Is the start of pre-school approaching? It's a big step for everyone in the family and one that often raises many thoughts and feelings for parents. Is your little one really ready for kindergarten? And are we ready to leave our baby behind and start a new era of family life? The most important thing is that you as a parent feel okay about taking this big and exciting step, and that you remember that it's not at all strange to feel that what's coming feels hard. It's a whole new everyday life that awaits the whole family, but which will most likely be great!

Before starting pre-school, it's good to prepare your child for what to expect, as well as the clothes and things needed on site. Many preschools give out lists of what they want to have on site, such as rainwear, extra changes of clothes and more. Once your baby has been admitted to the preschool, it is both good and fun to visit the preschool's yard and play one day when the preschool is closed. They will probably recognize themselves at the start of preschool and can hopefully feel a little more confident that the place is not completely unfamiliar. 

Soon you can experience VAB

Starting pre-school exposes your child to different bacteria and viruses than at home. Children under the age of four are more likely to get infections, with around six to eight per year. This can mean more time with colds, which is perfectly normal (but not much fun!).

If a cold is creeping up on you at home, it can be good to be prepared. Good things to have at home and to think about are:

• Saline solution to help rinse the nose. This is available both as pipettes and as a spray in pharmacies. 
• Offer food that your child likes and is easy to eat. It might be pancakes or meatballs and macaroni a few days in a row, but that's okay. The most important thing is that they get something! Maybe they eat less than usual, so offer them something to eat more often. 
• Also offer plenty of water and often. Especially if your baby has a fever, as young children can easily become dehydrated at that time. Signs of dehydration in babies can be that the baby does not urinate as often, drinks more than usual or does not want to drink at all, has a headache, becomes pale, gets dry lips and the inside of the cheeks can become a little dull or dry. 
• If your child suffers from a lot of nasal congestion or coughing, it can be helpful to sleep with their head elevated. You can either stuff pillows under the mattress to keep them in place, or try putting books under the legs of the bed next to the head to raise the head. 
• Bathing or showering in warm water can help loosen any tough mucus or snot. 
• A fever is a way for the body to fight an infection. If your child does not seem particularly affected by the fever, you do not need to give any antipyretics, but if your child is affected, it may be helpful to have painkillers at home. 
• Young children from the age of 1 can suddenly have a very high fever which then drops quickly again. This is because the temperature center in the brain is immature. However, if your child has a fever for more than 4 days, you should seek medical help. If your child has a temperature above 41 degrees, you should seek emergency medical help. 
• Take care, rest and cozy up! These times too will pass, even if right now it feels far away. 

Remember. If you are concerned about your child's general condition, breathing or anything else, you can contact 1177 around the clock. It's always better to ask once too often than to go around worrying.