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

Your toddler's social radar is sharpening, and their little legs are getting faster.

At around 15–16 months, your toddler recognises familiar people from across the room and points them out, and can now run in short bursts (before toppling into the sofa). Their scribbles are starting to look more deliberate.

• Toddlers often touch their own genitals during nappy changes or bath time. This is completely normal and non-sexual, they're just discovering parts of themselves. No need to scold. If you'd rather redirect, hand them a toy and move on.

• Teach the right grip for a crayon or chalk, thumb and first two fingers, not a fist. A short fat crayon is easier than a pencil for this.
• Let them scribble on large paper, a chalkboard or the bathroom tiles (washable chalk works) rather than the walls.
• Praise the effort, not the output: "You made so many lines!"

• When you say "no", your toddler now watches your face to see whether you really mean it. Be consistent, a firm "no" followed by distracting them to something they CAN do works better than a long lecture. Keep "no" for the stuff that actually matters (safety, hurting others), not every little thing.

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

• Many Indian homes speak two or three languages. Your toddler may mix Hindi-English-regional words in one sentence, that is healthy code-switching, not confusion. Keep talking in whichever language feels natural; fluency in all of them comes with time.

Short sprints into your arms, deliberate little scribbles, a wave across the room: the changes are coming quickly now. Baby development at this stage is a daily unfolding, and you have the front-row seat. Take the photos, but also simply watch; some of this only your memory will keep.

Around 16 months. Sleep training, for both of you, is a real conversation around now.

Different sleep approaches, briefly

• Co-sleeping (safely, not on a soft mattress, no smokers in bed): traditional Indian setup, works for many families. Same room, separate bed (cot in your room): WHO and AAP recommend up to age 1 for SIDS protection. Separate room (toddler in own room from age 1+): some families prefer for sleep quality. Gentle methods (sleep with you nearby, gradual fading): mid-ground

There is no single "right" way. Pick what works for your family and your home.

For your sleep

By 16 months, most mums are sleeping better than before but still owed sleep debt. A few things that reset:

• Fixed wake-up time, even on weekends
• No phone in bed
• A cool, dark room
• A calm pre-sleep routine, warm shower, dim lights, no screens for 30 mins before bed

Eating well, sleep edition

• Magnesium-rich foods (almonds, spinach, jaggery) support sleep. Eat them earlier in the day. Avoid caffeine after 2 pm, chai or coffee that late stays in your system till midnight.

Indian-tradition sleep aids

• A glass of haldi-doodh before bed. A few minutes of pranayama (deep breathing) lying down. A foot massage with warm oil. None are magic; all are gentle wind-downs.

Worth flagging

• Loud snoring in your own sleep, gasping, or feeling unrefreshed even after 8 hours, possible sleep apnea. Worth a sleep-study referral. Postpartum hormonal shifts can trigger or worsen apnea.

Indian-mum sleep flag

• If you wake up tired even after 8 hours of "sleep" most nights, and especially if you snore loudly, postpartum hormonal shifts may have triggered sleep apnea. A simple sleep study at a hospital can confirm. Treatment is straightforward and quality of life jumps.

However your family sleeps, together or apart, the arrangement that lets everyone rest is the right one. Protecting your own rest is foundational mother self care, not a luxury for later. A rested you is the gift the whole house wakes up to.