Child's 1st year crisis

Why does the One Year Crisis occur?

Your baby is growing and learning something new every day. By one year he is already so old that you are surprised to remember how small and defenseless he was when he was born. Now he walks, or at least tries, understands what adults say and tries to speak on his own.

Every day the world opens up to him more and more. Along with new knowledge about the world, his emotional perception becomes more complex, he needs more movement and impressions. The child persistently demands communication and becomes very emotional. The main thing is to be patient and remain calm. No harmful fly has bitten your baby. He just grew up, and he began to have a one-year crisis - the transition period between infancy and early childhood. However, this period can be lived without obvious crisis manifestations if you provide the baby with enough attention and opportunities for movement and development. In the context of this topic, we recommend that you familiarize yourself with the material on development and toys

Let us list the main processes that occur with the baby by 12 months:

Becoming a walk. At approximately 8–14 months, children begin to walk independently, which in itself greatly influences the child’s development, because this new skill gives him the opportunity to explore the world around him even more deeply.
Speech development. During this same period, speech actively develops. But the language of a one-year-old child is not similar to the language of adults. The words he utters are different from those we are used to, and the baby puts into each one a special meaning, and sometimes several. The meaning of a word depends on the situation in which it is pronounced. A child’s thinking at this age is not independent. If adults can use words to describe their thoughts, experiences or memories, then a child needs them in order to describe what he sees at a given moment in time. He cannot yet talk about missing objects. This phenomenon is called “autonomous speech”. With its help, the child makes statements, but does not make conclusions. At the same time, the baby already understands the words of “adult speech”.
Confronting adults. At this stage, separation from the mother occurs. The child begins to oppose himself to others. The baby refuses to fulfill the parents’ requests (primarily if he feels a lack of their attention), sometimes seeming to return to an earlier period in behavior.

Some skills acquired by a child before one year of age may disappear for a while. For example, having already learned to walk, the baby begins to crawl again. This happens because the ability to walk has not yet fully developed, and at the moment the emphasis in development has shifted to something else, for example, to logical thinking.

The child experiences a contradiction between his own needs and capabilities: he strives to do everything himself, but he does not always succeed. He wants to say something, but he can’t find the words, he wants to reach it, but he can’t reach it. These contradictions are not only the driving force of his mental and general development, but also the cause of aggression and emotional outbursts.

The one-year crisis can last from one week to several months until the child’s period of autonomous speech ends.

Duration

Moms and dads who are faced with changes in their baby’s behavior are interested in how long the 1-year crisis lasts. Starting between 9 and 18 months, it can last from a week to a year. Read more about the schedule of age-related crises in a child→

It is not necessary that the child will exhibit all crisis phenomena. Sometimes a new stage of growing up passes almost unnoticed. It depends on the temperament and character of the baby, as well as the attitude of the parents. If the wishes and opinion of the child are taken into account in the family, the crisis proceeds more mildly.

What happens to the child during this period

Characteristic signs of a crisis of one year:

Independence;
Uncontrollability;
Stubbornness;
Disobedience;
Demanding attention to oneself;
Sensitivity to comments;
Grievances;
Aggression;
Moodiness;
Conflicting behavior.

Now the child is able to act under the influence not only of events that are happening now, but also of ideas and images emerging in memory.

At this time, the child experiences a certain leap in development. Deep psychological transformations take place within him. He begins to feel like an individual and wants to be independent. The little person develops his own desires, which no longer depend on adults. He strives to explore the world on his own - to touch everything, taste it, see what's inside. And any prohibitions cause a wave of disobedience in him.

Should we be afraid of the 1st year crisis?

If you notice signs of the 1st year crisis, there is no need to worry. What is happening is a natural and inevitable process. It accompanies the moment of a child's transition from infancy to early childhood.

Even a pronounced course of a crisis is an absolute norm, but the external absence of its signs is a more alarming symptom. It indicates that the child’s psyche has not yet received proper development.

All children go through a crisis in the first year, and changes in their behavior are not permanent. After the end of this stage of development, stubbornness, disobedience and whims disappear, provided that the parents have chosen the right tactics of behavior.

The crisis of a child's first year can be a difficult test for moms and dads. But there is also a place for positivity in it - your baby is developing correctly, and it is possible to smooth out the baby’s unwanted behavior by showing patience and understanding.

Author: Yana Semich, especially for Mama66.ru

What parents shouldn't do

Many parents worry, not understanding how best to behave with a capricious baby. There is no need to worry - you just need to get through this difficult period, trying to make it as painless as possible for you and for the child. It is important to understand that everything that happens to him is normal. What not to do:

Blame yourself if the child cries or is naughty;
Listen to relatives saying that you spoiled him;
Yell at the baby, show him your negative reaction and spank him - he still won’t understand why;
Scolding him for broken toys and painted walls is how he learns about the world;
Ban him from everything. Remember that every prohibition is stress for a child, and all his disobedient behavior and throwing toys away is a way to learn about the world. In a dangerous situation, calmly explain to him why he should not do this;
Use the word “cannot” too often. Save it for when your child actually does something wrong (like spilling sugar on the table). And in critical situations, use the word “dangerous”;
To prevent your child from being independent - support him if he strives to do everything himself;
Go to extremes, reacting to all his whims and fulfilling all his desires - look for ways to distract or persuade the child;
Behave unworthily or incorrectly in the presence of a baby - children at this age copy everything;
Showing your child that you are dominant because you are an adult should help him see you as his friend;
Ignore the baby.

Child development leaps after one year

Week 65 - the world of principles

At 14-15 months, the baby learns to think about different ways to achieve his goals and about the consequences of his decisions. To get what he wants, he begins to repeat after others, be capricious and whine. You may notice that your baby sometimes becomes aggressive when he tries to persuade adults to do what he wants.

Signs of a growth spurt will be similar to last time:

Frequent mood swings, hysterics
It is difficult for a child to switch from negative emotions
Jealousy of mom, won't let her go
Changeable appetite
Anxious dream

Dream

During this period, sleep may suffer due to the emergence of discipline problems. The child tries to behave in relation to sleep in such a way as to get what he wants: “I want to stay awake longer - I will protest while going to bed,” “I want my mother to be nearby at night - I will scream, get out of the crib or cry.”

Please note: as soon as the baby sees that adults reinforce this behavior, it will become a habit. So your goal now is to set clear rules around sleep.

Week 75 - the world of systems

During this growth spurt, which occurs around 17 months, your baby learns the concept of "system." For example, that his family is different from his friend’s family, his cars are not the same as the other boy’s on the playground. The baby begins to understand the differences and is interested in exploring everything around him.

He also learns to understand that he himself chooses how to behave: to help, be patient, honest, take care of someone, or vice versa. From this age, the child begins to develop values and norms of behavior.

By the end of the jump, you will notice that the child has become calmer, more confident, has begun to play more independently and is easier to let go of you. He realizes that mom will always come back when she leaves.

Dream

What your baby comes to expect from sleep at this age will influence how he approaches rest in the future. At this age, he tests the boundaries of what is permitted. And first of all, in relation to sleep. Therefore, now it is important to remain consistent in your actions and show your child what is possible and what is not. So far, he himself has no idea about this. This is the task of parents.

Which growth spurt is your baby going through right now? What difficulties did you encounter?

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What parents need to do

Try to maintain your usual daily routine.
Create the richest possible developmental environment in the home. Train him. Let him touch different surfaces, smell smells, listen to sounds. Show how to use different objects.
Support your baby in everything.
Set only a good example for your child.
Give him simple instructions so that the baby feels responsible and independent.
Coordinate the upbringing model with other relatives so that there is no conflicting behavior between different family members, when one prohibits and the other allows.

To avoid unnecessary conflicts, put away items that the child should not touch.

Organize your child’s personal space where he will feel in charge.
Try to understand all the baby’s requests; if you understand, voice them. For example: “Oh, do you want to get a toy?” - and even: “Do you want to touch the fire?” Then you can explain why this should not be done. It is important that unresolved situations do not arise.
Do not be afraid that the child will bump, hurt or burn himself, of course, if we are not talking about a serious wound. A little person mastering the surrounding reality must necessarily go through some tests in order to learn to act safely in our difficult world.
Respect the child's personality and demonstrate your respect. This will help him grow up to be a strong and confident person.
Show unconditional love for your baby. Hug and kiss him often.
If you need to leave the house, talk about it. Explain that you will be back soon.
If a child does not listen to you and continues to commit some unacceptable actions, it is important to clearly build a system of rules and prohibitions. Don't force anything. Figure out how to distract or engage him. For example, if your baby refuses a certain food, offer to eat it with toys.
Before going to the toilet, get your child interested in something, otherwise he will definitely be upset because of your absence. In this case, talk to him from behind the door, explain that you will be leaving soon.
If a child asks for help, help, but do not overdo it. Let the baby try to cope on his own, and you will “insure” him in that part of the matter that he is not yet able to do.
If your baby requires attention, give him time. And if you don't have one at all, distract him with something interesting.

We hope these tips will help you establish constructive communication with your baby. Let this period not be a crisis for you, but an exciting “quest” that will teach you endurance and wisdom, and help your child become more mature.