After your little one’s first birthday, you may witness a transition from needy newborn to take-charge toddler. If you’re wondering if your tot’s ready to reach such toddler milestones as using a spoon and brushing her teeth, here are some telltale signs that she is up for the challenge.

Toddler milestone: Self-feeding with utensils

Is she ready? Your little one has probably mastered the pincer grasp, a child development skill that allows her to pick up small objects between the thumb and forefingers, and is enjoying her first finger foods. By 15 months, she may show interest in using a spoon and try to grab it from you when you feed her; by 18 months, she may be able to handle the spoon pretty well (and get most of the food into her mouth). Keep plenty of paper towels handy -- things are going to get messy!

How you can help: It’s important to support your child on her journey toward this toddler milestone by letting her attempt to feed herself, even if the majority of her peas and pasta miss her mouth. Make the process safer by investing in rubber-tipped spoons so your child can learn to self-feed without hurting her gums. Use unbreakable dishware that can survive multiple tumbles from the high chair to the floor. Designs that suction to your child’s high-chair tray instead of sliding around can make mealtimes easier for both of you.

Toddler milestone: First steps

Is she ready? Many toddlers take their first steps after their first birthday. Signs your child is ready include rolling around, scooting, and climbing stairs using hands.

How you can help: Make sure your baby gets plenty of tummy time from early on. Strong back muscles, which your baby develops when she lies on her tummy and lifts up her head, are required for walking. To help her develop them, place her favorite toy just out of reach during tummy time and watch her try to get it. Or move the toy from left to right to encourage her to lean in different directions. When your child does eventually put one foot in front of the other all by herself, be prepared for a whole new level of parental watchfulness!

Toddler milestone: Teeth brushing

Is she ready? Your child won’t have the coordination to take over the toothbrush task completely until age 6 or 7, but if she shows interest before then, you can let her practice polishing her baby teeth.

How you can help: Most dentists encourage parents of young children to first let their child brush her teeth independently, and then to do a thorough follow-up cleaning afterward. If your toddler is reluctant to brush, encourage her by letting her pick the color of her toothbrush and also a fun cup to rinse out her mouth with when she is done.

Watching your child become more independent can be exciting for both of you, but don’t rush the process. It’s okay if your child is reaching milestones at different times than other kids her age.

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The toddler stage can be filled with adorable milestones -- hugs, dancing, and sloppy kisses, to name a few. But it’s also the time when your little one begins shouting no, throwing toddler tantrums (and food!), and doing exactly what you tell her not to do.

Why does this happen? It’s difficult for children to keep strong emotions in when they’re young, so to express their frustration, they scream, stomp, and cry. Fortunately, this stage of child development doesn't go on forever. Toddler tantrums usually taper off after 3 years of age, once children can use words to communicate their wants and needs.

So how do you discipline, establish good patterns, and nip bad behavior in the bud in the meantime? The key is to be consistent when encouraging good behaviors. Here, the parenting advice that will set you up for success.

Give her options
At this age, your child probably feels as if she has no say in her life. After all, she doesn’t get to decide what she has for dinner, whether or not she has to sit in the car seat, or what time she’s going to play in the park.

To help give your toddler a sense of control, provide acceptable options she can choose from throughout the day. Ask her whether she’d like to have grape or orange juice, or wear the red or blue shirt, for example. Giving your tot a say in these types of things will help decrease the chance of a toddler tantrum erupting in situations when she really doesn’t have a choice -- such as having to hold your hand when you cross the street.

Stick to a schedule
Toddlers operate best when there’s a consistent routine, so aim to keep mealtimes, naptimes, and bedtimes at the same time each day. And remember that kids this age don’t have a good grasp of time, so saying, “We’ll leave for the zoo in 10 minutes,” means nothing to your tot -- and might result in tears when she loses patience. Instead, put the wait time into toddler terms: “We’ll go to the park in the time it takes to sing ‘The Wheels on the Bus’ three times.”

Acknowledge your toddler’s point of view
The next time your child is upset, get down on her level -- literally -- and try to see the situation from her point of view. Acknowledging that she’s upset will help validate her feelings, and may stop a toddler tantrum before it starts.

Try saying something like, “I know you want to stay at the playground because you’re having such a great time on the swings, but we need to pick up your brother from soccer practice. We’ll come back to the playground tomorrow.” This may also help your tot hit a child development milestone as she starts to understand that there are rules (such as not abandoning her brother at soccer practice) and that just because she has to end a fun game today doesn’t mean she can’t play it tomorrow.

Use humor
When all else fails, resort to silliness to tame toddler tantrums. If your child is putting up a fuss because she doesn’t want to get into the car, say, “It looks like you want to keep playing with your toys, but we need to go and pick up food for dinner. Should we waddle to the car like a penguin or hop like a bunny?” Then start jumping toward the driveway, encouraging her to join you. Chances are her desire to do something silly will override her desire to keep fighting you.

Keep in mind that toddler tantrums, talking back, and other methods of testing the limits are a normal part of child development. The best strategy is to be calm and consistent as you respond to the outbursts -- and to dole out plenty of praise when your tot does exhibit good behavior.

Take a look at your toddler’s dinner plate. Could his meal benefit from a nutritional boost?

At this stage, you should be focusing on good nutrition rather than the number of calories he is consuming -- and when it comes to healthy eating, there’s often room for improvement. Remember that the early years are the best time to cultivate a lifetime of good eating habits, so pile on the veggies, go crazy with the fruit, and introduce your toddler to healthy, interesting foods such as quinoa, mango, or asparagus. These healthy food swaps will help get more nutrients into your child’s diet.

Food swap: At lunch
Lunchtime is the starting point for making healthy food swaps. If you’re serving your toddler a sandwich, make sure you prepare it on whole wheat bread instead of white bread. The whole grains in the wheat bread will give him a good dose of protein and fiber, and help keep him full longer. Also, consider skipping the juice box and replacing his drink with water instead. Finally, if you’re serving a dip for veggies, fruit, or crackers, choose healthy, low-fat options like hummus or Greek yogurt.

Food swap: While cooking
Your evening dinner routine is probably already rushed, but it’s worth taking the extra few minutes to make healthy food swaps. If you’re baking, consider substituting half of the oil the recipe calls for with unsweetened applesauce, which has more nutritional value. And Greek yogurt can be used in place of cream in many of your favorite sauces. It’s also a smart idea to add pureed vegetables, such as carrots or zucchini, to pasta sauces and other dishes -- an especially helpful move for picky eaters who refuse to touch their veggies.

Food swap: At dessert
Putting a limit on sweets is important for your toddler’s health. Instead of cookies, ice cream, or cake, offer fruit at the end of meals. To make fruit more intriguing, try a more kid-friendly preparation: Use cookie cutters to cut shapes out of watermelon slices, or alternate banana slices, raspberries, and blueberries on a skewer.

No child’s diet is going to be perfect 100 percent of the time, but if you commit to making healthy food swaps now, it will be less of a challenge to get your child to eat nutritious food when he’s older. 

When it comes time to welcome your baby home, you’re sure to have a long list of friends and family members eager to meet your new addition. First hellos can be fun, but they can also be stressful for a new mom who is deprived of sleep and still trying to figure out the parenting ropes. The trick: Keep the meet and greet as simple as possible.

One plan is to invite your friends and family over for an open house. Set up a guestbook station, complete with pens and note cards on which your guests can scribble a personal note to you and your baby -- these cards can be a wonderful addition to a scrapbook later on. You can also serve light snacks or sandwiches, but don’t feel pressured to impress your guests with anything more than that.  

If you have a line of guests outside your front door to welcome your baby home, you’ll probably wonder if it’s a good idea to let everyone near your newborn. But if you’re careful, you should be fine. Just make hand-washing a must before anyone can hold your baby -- you could even put a gentle reminder on your front door. Feel free to ask visitors to stay away from your child if they have the sniffles or are sick.

While people will be clamoring to meet your new baby, if you feel overwhelmed or exhausted -- or you simply want to have your baby all to yourself for a while (fair enough!) -- don’t feel guilty turning down requests for a meet and greet. You’ll have plenty of time in the future for first hellos, so do introductions at a pace that’s best for both you and your little one.  

Feeding your baby should be a time of bonding, relaxation, and fun -- not filled with worry. Here are three things to remember to keep the process calm and enjoyable for both you and your baby.

1. There is no deadline for stopping breastfeeding.
Worried about when to wean? If your 15-month-old still loves to breastfeed and you do too, then stick with it. At around 6 months of age, when your child is getting nutrients from solid foods too, his desire for breast milk may gradually lessen. The simplest and most natural way to wean is when your child initiates the process … and when that time comes, you’ll know it.

2. Breast milk or formula is enough to keep your new baby hydrated.
Some well-meaning family friends might suggest you give water to your new baby, especially in the hot days of summer, to keep him hydrated. But if he fills up on water, he’ll miss out on essential nutrients from feedings. So feel free to ignore this advice -- your baby is actually getting all the hydration he needs from breast milk or formula. (The only time when you need to give your baby water is when he’s sick and losing fluids through vomiting or diarrhea. In this case, consult with your pediatrician first.)

3. The first solid food can be a fruit or vegetable.
At 6 months of age, your healthy baby is likely ready for some yummy pureed food. In the past, parents were encouraged to start with rice cereal or another single grain cereal before adding other foods. What we know now is that a fruit or vegetable (think mashed banana or pureed avocado) is a great first food. So feel free to give your baby real food from the get-go. Just make sure it’s soft and has a single ingredient. Expand from there and follow your baby’s lead.

Feedings are wonderful opportunities to bond with your precious baby. By following these tips, you’ll ensure a full belly and full heart.