Your 16-month-old: Week 3

Your child is getting better at assimilating information from all five senses. It's why your toddler will suddenly stop to listen to the sound of a dog barking, squat down to get a better look at the ants crawling in and out of cracks in the sidewalk, or take delight in running sand through her hands. Whenever you can, get down and play in the sand (or peer at an anthill, or poke at an earthworm) with your toddler — you'll remember again what it's like to see the world through the eyes of a child.

從小小孩的眼中看世界，果然很不一樣！
隨著學步兒五官的發展，她愈來愈知道一些因果關係，不過很多新事物仍在體驗中。

New this month: Fine-tuning skills
You've seen your child testing her independence during the last few weeks and months, but experts say that once a child can talk she knows, finally, that she is her own person. Your 16-month-old may be able to say as many as seven words — or even more — clearly. But she will still rely mostly on nonverbal communication, pointing and gesturing to tell you what she wants or what she wants you to see.

Your toddler understands much more than she can speak. (The challenge for toddlers is not understanding speech, but coordinating their lips and tongue and breath well enough to make themselves understandable.) You may discover this accidentally one day when you're, for instance, asking the family dog where you possibly could have put your car keys, only to have your child point to the hook where they're hanging. Or you may ask your child to go get her shoes from her closet and watch in amazement as she trots down the hall and returns with them a minute later. You're not imagining it — she really does know what you're saying.

What you can do
Her ability to comprehend more than she can communicate means it's important for you to speak slowly and clearly to her. You've probably stopped much of the singsong-y speech that you used instinctively when your child was a baby, but now you can use simple words and phrases to get, and hold, her attention. Using the correct words for objects — "toes" instead of "tootsies," or "cookie" instead of "coo-coo" — will cut down on her confusion as she learns to use words. Listening to your child without interruption is also essential at this stage. The toddler who is listened to, especially by her parents and caregivers, is a better listener, which in turn will enhance her speaking skills.

這一週來，小馨叫「媽媽」的聲音愈來愈清楚，不過這都是當她有需求的時候；她也聽得懂「親媽媽一下」、「和媽媽摳摳頭」的意思，親子間的互動讓我感到極大的滿足，看著她熟睡的臉龐，忍不住親親她，她真是我最最心愛的小寶貝！！