A one-year-old is on the way from baby to child: most are walking or close to it, saying their first words, pointing at what they want and eating almost the same food as you. They need around 11 to 14 hours of sleep a day, including one or two naps. The variation between children is wide in all of this, and a child who is not walking at one is entirely within the normal range.
Half past four on a Wednesday in a kitchen in Farsta. A boy who turned one three weeks ago is standing at the dishwasher pulling out the spoons, one at a time, and putting them on the floor. He says "dat" about everything he points at. When his dad says no, he laughs and takes the next spoon. That is what one looks like: curiosity without limits and no sense of self-preservation whatsoever.
Development between twelve and eighteen months
| Area | Typical during these six months |
|---|---|
| Gross motor skills | Walks at some point between 9 and 18 months, climbs on everything, stands up and sits down, throws balls |
| Fine motor skills | Pincer grip with thumb and index finger, puts things into boxes, turns pages in books, scribbles with a crayon |
| Language | First words between 9 and 18 months, points, understands simple instructions, five to twenty words at 18 months |
| Social | Imitates you, waves, shows you things, separation anxiety is often at its strongest |
| Play | Explores, pours, puts things in and takes them out, hides and finds, simple pretend play towards 18 months |
| Food | Eats with their fingers, starts using a spoon, drinks from a cup, becomes fussier |
Sleep: one nap or two?
A one-year-old needs around 11 to 14 hours of sleep a day, of which 10 to 12 at night. The transition from two naps to one comes for most children at some point between twelve and eighteen months, and it is rarely tidy: a few weeks when one nap is too little and two are too many. The signs are that the morning nap drags on and the afternoon nap does not happen, or that bedtime becomes a battle. At that point, move to one nap in the middle of the day after an early lunch, and put your child to bed earlier in the evening during the transition. Night wakings are still common at one, and separation anxiety makes them more frequent in phases. More on Separation anxiety in babies and toddlers in its own guide.
Food at one
A one-year-old eats the family's food, with less salt and in smaller pieces. Three meals and two snacks is a common rhythm. Milk from a cup is fine now, but no more than about half a litre of dairy a day, otherwise your child fills up on milk and eats too little of the iron-rich food. Välling (the Swedish milk-and-cereal drink) is not needed. Vitamin D drops continue until your child is at least two. Honey is fine after one. Whole nuts, whole grapes, hard pieces of carrot and popcorn are still choking hazards.
Something that surprises many parents: appetite drops. Growth slows down after the first year, and a child who ate whole plates at ten months may be satisfied with a few bites at fifteen. That is normal, and it is also now that fussiness usually begins. Keep offering, do not nag, and trust the growth curve at BVC (the child health clinic every family is enrolled in). See Fussy eaters when that day comes.
Play that suits a one-year-old
- Boxes, tins and baskets to fill and empty, over and over again
- Blocks to stack two or three high and then knock over
- Balls to roll back and forth with you
- Board books and books with flaps. The same book every day is exactly right
- A tub of water and a few cups, on the floor with a towel underneath, supervised
- The kitchen cupboard with plastic boxes and wooden spoons, the one your child gets into anyway
- Hiding things under a blanket and finding them
- Songs with actions, see Swedish children's songs with lyrics
- Outside every day, in sand, on grass, on steps and slopes. That is the balance training
- No screens before two, according to Folkhälsomyndigheten (the Public Health Agency of Sweden). A one-year-old has nothing to gain there
The first boundaries
The toddler tantrum years are not here yet, but the first noes come now, and it is easy to misread what your child is doing. The one-year-old pulling at the plant pot for the third time after your no is not defying you. They are investigating cause and effect, and your reaction is part of the experiment. What works: move the child or the object, distract, short words. No to the pot, here is the box. Long explanations do not go in. Say yes as often as you can and set up your home so that no is rarely needed. A childproofed home is a boundary that asks nothing of you. More on what lies ahead in Your two-year-old and Toddler tantrums.
Safety: what happens at this age
- Falls from the changing table, on stairs and from furniture your child has climbed onto. Stair gates, and never leave your child on the changing table.
- Burns from coffee cups, saucepans and hobs. Hot drinks out of reach, pan handles turned inwards.
- Poisoning. Detergent, dishwasher tablets, medicines, houseplants. Up high and locked away. Giftinformationscentralen (the Swedish Poisons Information Centre) on 010-456 67 00 during the day, 112 in an emergency.
- Drowning. Baths, buckets, ponds, a tub on the floor. Never unsupervised, not for a second.
- Choking. Small objects, button batteries, coins, whole nuts, whole grapes.
- Windows and balconies. Locks, and no furniture to climb on under the windows.
- Furniture that tips. Chests of drawers and bookcases anchored to the wall.
Our Childproofing your home goes through it room by room.
BVC, vaccinations and teeth
At twelve months the vaccinations in the childhood vaccination programme are given, and at eighteen months comes the vaccine against measles, mumps and rubella. BVC has a visit at both points and looks at growth, motor skills, language and interaction. The dental service calls your child in for a first check-up at some point during the toddler years, which varies between regions. Brush with fluoride toothpaste twice a day from the first tooth. What BVC does at each visit is in BVC.
How we do it with our families
Sanna picks up a one-year-old from öppna förskolan (the free drop-in preschool for parents and babies) in Bagarmossen two mornings a week and takes him home for lunch and a nap. Her trick is boring: the same order every time. Shoes off in the hall, he gets to put them in the basket himself, which takes five minutes. Wash hands. Food with three things on the tray, a cup of water. One book on the sofa, then bed. He knows what is coming. On the note: new words, how long he slept, what was eaten. The same nanny at the same times means he falls asleep for her in ten minutes. For a stranger it would have taken an hour.
This text is general information and does not replace advice from BVC, your vårdcentral (local health centre) or 1177 (the national healthcare helpline). If you are worried about your child, call 1177. In an emergency, call 112.
Would you like a nanny who knows your child, knows what is normal for them and notices when something is different? Book a free first meeting with the nanny in your home.
Read more: When do babies start crawling and walking? Motor development in the first year · When do children start talking? Language development from babbling to sentences · Your two-year-old · FAQ
Frequently asked questions
How much should a one-year-old sleep?
Around 11 to 14 hours a day, including one or two daytime naps. The transition from two naps to one happens for most children at some point between twelve and eighteen months. Night wakings are still common, not least during periods of separation anxiety and teething.
How many words should a one-year-old know?
At one, many children have one or a few words, and some none at all but point and understand a lot. At 18 months most have between five and twenty words. Understanding is what matters: a child who understands simple instructions, points and makes contact is on the right track. No words at all at 18 months is something BVC should look at.
Should a one-year-old still have välling?
No, not for nutritional reasons. After one, ordinary food, milk from a cup and vitamin D drops are enough. Välling is fine as one drink among others, but a bottle of välling in bed causes tooth decay and fills your child up on milk instead of food. If you want to carry on with välling, give it in a cup at the table.
What do we do when our one-year-old hits us?
A one-year-old is testing what happens, not you. Take hold of the hand, say briefly and calmly that we do not hit, and show what your child can do instead: clap, bang on a drum. No long explanation, no strong reaction. Big reactions are exciting and make it happen again. It passes once language arrives.
How much screen time can a one-year-old have?
None at all, according to the 2024 recommendation from Folkhälsomyndigheten for children under two. Video calls with grandma do not count as screen time in that sense. A one-year-old learns nothing from a screen but a great deal from the floor, and it is quick to create a habit that is hard to break at three.