Important Milestones: Your Child By Eighteen Months

How your child plays, learns, speaks, acts, and moves offers important clues about your child’s development. Developmental milestones are things most children can do by a certain age.

Check these milestones —published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention—that children typically reach by the end of 18 months.

What most babies do by this age:

Social and Emotional

• Likes to hand things to others as play
• May have temper tantrums
• May be afraid of strangers
• Shows affection to familiar people
• Plays simple pretend, such as feeding a doll
• May cling to caregivers in new situations
• Points to show others something interesting
• Explores alone but with parent close by

Language/Communication

• Says several single words
• Says and shakes head “no”
• Points to show someone what he wants

Cognitive (learning, thinking, problem-solving)

• Knows what ordinary things are for; for example, telephone, brush, spoon
• Points to get the attention of others
• Shows interest in a doll or stuffed animal by pretending to feed
• Points to one body part
• Scribbles on his own
• Can follow 1-step verbal commands without any gestures; for example, sits when you say “sit down”

Movement/Physical Development

• Walks alone
• May walk up steps and run
• Pulls toys while walking
• Can help undress herself
• Drinks from a cup
• Eats with a spoon

See photographic illustrations and video clips of these milestones on the CDC website.