63 Week Old Baby: Your Baby's Development and Your Recovery This Week

Your toddler is figuring out problems in small, satisfying ways this week.

At around 14 months, your toddler can crouch down to pick up something and straighten back up without toppling. They can stack 2–3 blocks, engage with a simple puzzle, and follow single-step requests like "sit down" or "give it to mama". They'll also run into your arms when you crouch down, and that's a feeling worth bottling.

• Simple puzzles with big wooden knobs. Start with 2–3 pieces.
• Stacking cups, endless entertainment, and great for hand-eye coordination.
• Short, clear instructions. "Put the ball in the box" lands better than a long sentence.

• Three meals plus one or two small snacks a day is roughly right. Try to include something from each of these across the day: grains, fruit, vegetables, a protein (dal, egg, paneer, chicken), and a dairy serving. Portions are small, a toddler's stomach is about the size of their fist.

Affection flows freely at this age. A hug or a kiss for the pediatrician, the watchman and the dog is all part of the phase, and yes, they'll also hug the broom.

• A steady squint, a white reflection in flash photos, or frequent bumping into things, worth getting a vision check.

That little run into your arms says more than any chart of 15 month old baby milestones ever could. You are the safe place all this new learning circles back to, and no checklist can measure that.

Around 14.5 months. Frustration with toddler refusal is common, and how you handle it matters for both of you.

Toddler "no"s and your response

• Around 14–15 months, many toddlers discover the power of "no". Hair brushing? No. Shoes? No. Eating? No. The toddler is testing autonomy, not personal targeting.

Things that often help

• Offer two acceptable options. "Red shoes or blue shoes?" Don't ask "do you want to" if it's not optional ("we are putting on shoes now")
• Sing through routine tasks, toddlers cooperate more for songs than for instructions
• Pause and breathe before reacting

The Indian-mum patience reservoir

It's small, it gets refilled in specific ways:

• Real food at meal times
• A 5-minute window of silence each day (literally hide if needed)
• A walk or any movement
• A short evening call to a friend or sibling
• Sleep, where possible

Eating well

• Iron, calcium, B12, the basics. Bajra, ragi, palak, methi, paneer, dal, curd, soaked almonds. Boring works.

Indian-tradition note

• A cup of herbal tea (tulsi, ginger, ajwain, jeera) in the afternoon is genuinely calming. Many Indian grandmothers swear by 4 pm chai with biscuit; some warm milk with haldi works similarly.

Worth flagging

• If you are losing your temper at your toddler in ways that feel out of character, hitting yourself or yelling repeatedly, or fantasising about leaving, you are stretched too thin. Talk to a doctor or therapist. None of those are character flaws; all of them are signs the system needs more support.

Some evenings the endless no's will leave you drained, and that is the honest, unglamorous side of parenting a toddler. Every calm breath you take before responding is quietly teaching your child what patience looks like. Be as gentle with yourself as you are learning to be with them.