Your 14-Month-Old

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3. Your child may not want to wear clothes. A short time ago your child began extending her arms and legs in an effort to 'help' you dress her. Now she's discovered another fact of life: what goes on must come off. Babies generally love to romp around wearing nothing at all (or, if you're lucky, wearing only a nappy). Beware! The days of passively wearing those adorable hats, shoes and even socks are over. You'll dress her, turn your head and find bare feet when you glance back. Although this can be somewhat frustrating if you're trying to run out the door, take some time to enjoy her newly emerging independence. Just think, it won't be long before she'll be able to remove all her clothes and institute her own version of 'naked time' whenever and wherever she'd like.

4. Your child is learning to feed herself. What a sight! It's mealtime with your toddler. Time to watch him explore the fun world of things he can put in his mouth. Now, if only you knew how to get him to eat something. Does mealtime with baby leave you confused? You're not alone. He's ready to move on to table foods now. He'll delight at the many new and wonderful tastes and textures. By allowing him to feed himself you'll help him develop more mature chewing and swallowing techniques and increase the odds of accepting each new food. Remember to serve a balanced diet, keep the pieces 'toddler-sized' and stay nearby to supervise while he's eating. Beware, he'll probably decide that food is a toy, and you'll find it in his hair, on the floor and anywhere else within dropping or throwing distance. Keep your camera handy to capture these wonderfully messy images. They'll be charming additions to your photo albums that you can cherish long after the mess has been cleared up.