Steady Steps: your toddler at 13 to 15 months
Walking stops being an achievement and becomes the way they get around.
Between 13 and 15 months walking usually becomes the default way to get around, and hands are freed up to carry, push and pull. Many toddlers say one to six words besides mama and dada, still need 11 to 14 hours of sleep in 24 hours, and may be moving from two naps toward one.
Walking stops being an event and becomes transport. With balance improving, many toddlers start carrying objects while they walk, pushing a toy along the hallway and lowering themselves into a squat to pick something up. The world gets bigger fast, which is exciting for them and tiring for you. Physical confidence often arrives well before any sense of danger does.
Steady Steps at a glance
Typical ranges for 13 to 15 months. Every baby moves at their own pace.
| What | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Age range | 13 to 15 months |
| Typical sleep | 11 to 14 hours in 24 hours |
| Wake windows | About 3.5 to 5 hours between sleeps |
| Naps | 1 or 2, often in transition |
| Words spoken | Often 1 to 6, plus mama and dada |
| Teeth | Often 6 to 12, first molars may arrive |
| Whole milk | About 16 to 24 oz (2 to 3 cups) a day |
| Eating pattern | 3 meals plus 2 to 3 snacks |
What may be happening
Body
- Most toddlers walk independently by around 15 months, and the wide stance with arms held high starts to narrow.
- Many can now carry a toy while walking, squat down to pick things up and stand back up without holding on.
- Climbing onto low furniture often begins, usually well before any judgment about heights arrives.
- Fingers are used confidently for self-feeding, and a spoon may be attempted from around 15 to 18 months.
Brain
- Stacking two small blocks is common around 15 months, an early sign of planning and precision.
- Directions given with both words and a gesture are often followed, such as being asked for a ball with a hand held out.
- Objects are increasingly used for their real purpose, like holding a toy phone to an ear or turning the pages of a book.
- Pointing becomes a request as well as a comment, used to ask for things out of reach.
Connection
- Affection often becomes deliberate, with hugs and kisses offered rather than only received.
- Many toddlers bring things to show you, which is a way of sharing an experience rather than handing it over.
- Copying other children during play is common, though real cooperative play is still a long way off.
- Clapping, cheering and looking to you for a reaction are all part of building a sense of self.
Sleep at 13 to 15 months
Sleep needs stay at 11 to 14 hours across 24 hours through the whole of the second year. At 13 to 15 months many toddlers still take two naps, though the morning nap often starts to shorten or get refused. The move to one afternoon nap most commonly happens between 15 and 18 months. During the changeover a temporarily earlier bedtime often helps, since the transition can create a few weeks of overtiredness.
| Sleep | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Total sleep in 24 hours | 11 to 14 hours |
| Night sleep | Often 10 to 12 hours |
| Naps per day | 1 or 2, totaling about 1.5 to 3 hours |
| Wake windows | About 3.5 to 5 hours |
| Nap transition | Two naps to one, usually 15 to 18 months |
Eating and mealtimes
Toddlers this age typically eat three meals and two to three snacks a day, with portions around a quarter of an adult serving. Appetite often swings widely from day to day because growth has slowed. Whole cow's milk is generally recommended until age 2, at roughly 16 to 24 ounces a day. Many toddlers are moving off bottles between 12 and 18 months, toward open or straw cups.
- Self-feeding with fingers is well established, and spoon attempts often start between 15 and 18 months.
- A meal that gets ignored is not usually a problem if intake across a whole week looks reasonable.
- Offering one new food alongside two familiar ones tends to work better than a plate of unfamiliar things.
- Choking risk is still real, so grapes are quartered, nuts avoided and hard raw vegetables cooked soft.
Questions parents ask
When do toddlers drop to one nap?
The two nap to one nap transition most often happens between 15 and 18 months, though some toddlers are ready a little earlier and others hold on to two naps until closer to 18 months. Signs include refusing the morning nap, taking a long time to fall asleep at bedtime, or waking early. Alternating one nap and two nap days for a few weeks is common.
Is it normal for a 14 month old to only say a few words?
Yes. Many toddlers say only one to six clear words at this age, and the normal range is wide. Comprehension is the better guide: following a simple direction given with a gesture, looking at a named object, and pointing to ask for things all suggest language is developing. If there are no words and no pointing by 18 months, it is worth raising with your doctor.
My toddler climbs on everything. Is that normal?
Climbing usually appears soon after steady walking, often between 13 and 18 months. It is normal, and it is how toddlers test balance, strength and height. Judgment about danger develops much later than the physical skill, so this stage tends to be about changing the environment rather than the child. Anchoring furniture, using stair gates and lowering the crib mattress are common responses.
How much should a 14 month old eat?
Toddlers aged 1 to 3 typically need somewhere around 1,000 to 1,400 calories a day, spread over three meals and two to three snacks. A useful rule is that a toddler portion is roughly a quarter of an adult one. Appetite naturally drops in the second year because growth slows, so a much smaller eater than you had at 9 months is very common.
Should my toddler still be using a bottle at 14 months?
Guidance generally suggests moving from bottles to cups between 12 and 18 months, dropping one bottle at a time rather than stopping abruptly. Bottles at bedtime are usually phased out first, because milk pooling around teeth raises the risk of decay. Open cups and straw cups are both fine, and spills are part of the learning.
More questions about 13 to 15 months
The things parents actually search for at this stage. Tap any question to open it.
Should I worry if my 15 month old still isn't walking?
Not yet, in most cases. The usual range for independent walking runs to about 18 months, and many 15 month olds take only a few steps or still prefer cruising. Steady progress matters more than the date. If your toddler is not walking at all by 18 months, or is not bearing weight on their legs, contact your pediatrician.
Why does my toddler walk with their arms up in the air?
The high guard arm position is normal in early walking. Holding the arms up helps a new walker balance while the trunk and hips are still building strength. It usually fades within about six months as the gait matures, with arms dropping to the sides and feet coming closer together.
Why does my 14 month old refuse the morning nap and then fall apart by lunchtime?
This is a classic sign of the two nap to one nap transition beginning, most often between 15 and 18 months. During the changeover many toddlers are not quite ready for one nap but no longer settle for two. Shifting the single nap slightly later each week, and bringing bedtime forward temporarily, often smooths it.
Is it normal for a toddler to start waking at 5am after dropping a nap?
Early waking often appears during nap transitions, usually because the toddler is overtired rather than under tired. An earlier bedtime for a few weeks tends to help more than a later one. Total sleep should still land at 11 to 14 hours in 24. If early waking lasts beyond a month, it may be worth reviewing nap timing.
How do I tell the difference between a nap strike and a real nap transition?
A nap strike usually lasts a few days to about two weeks and often coincides with a new skill, teething or illness, then the old pattern returns. A true transition builds over several weeks, with the morning nap consistently refused and bedtime becoming harder. Alternating one nap and two nap days during that stretch is normal.
Why does my toddler say a word once and then never again?
Early words often come and go. A toddler may produce a word clearly, then drop it for weeks while working on something else, usually a motor skill. This wobble is common between 12 and 18 months and is different from losing words permanently. A genuine loss of several established words is worth reporting to your doctor.
Should I worry if my 14 month old doesn't point at things?
Pointing is one of the more meaningful early signals, so it is reasonable to keep an eye on it. Most toddlers point to request and to show by around 12 to 15 months. If your toddler is not pointing, not showing you objects and not following your point by 15 to 18 months, mention it at your next visit.
Is it normal that my toddler understands everything but barely talks?
Yes. Receptive language usually runs well ahead of expressive language through the second year, so understanding dozens of words while saying only a handful is typical. Following directions, looking at named objects and using gestures all show the system is working. No words at all by 18 months is worth raising with your doctor.
Why has my 14 month old suddenly become clingy again?
Clinginess often returns in waves rather than fading steadily. New independence, such as walking away from you, can make a toddler need reassurance that the base is still there. Illness, teething, a change in childcare or a new sibling can all trigger it. These phases usually last days to a few weeks.
Is it normal for a 14 month old to bite?
Biting is common at this age and is rarely about aggression. It often comes from teething discomfort, excitement, or having no words for a strong feeling. A short, calm response, attention to the child who was bitten, and offering something safe to chew tend to work better than long explanations, which toddlers cannot follow yet.
Why does my toddler refuse to sit in the high chair now?
Newly mobile toddlers often object to being contained. Around 13 to 15 months sitting still competes with a strong drive to move, so mealtimes get shorter. Keeping meals to ten or fifteen minutes, eating together so the chair is not isolating, and letting your toddler get down when genuinely finished usually helps more than insisting.
How much water should a toddler drink each day?
Guidance for 12 to 24 months generally suggests about 1 to 4 cups, or 8 to 32 ounces, of water a day, alongside 16 to 24 ounces of whole milk. Needs go up in hot weather and with activity. Pale, light colored urine and regular wet diapers usually suggest intake is adequate.
When should a toddler stop having milk in the night?
Most toddlers do not need milk overnight after 12 months, and dental guidance generally discourages milk in bed because it pools around the teeth. Many families phase night milk out gradually between 12 and 18 months, reducing the amount or moving the feed earlier. There is no single right week, and your pediatrician can help you plan it.
Is it normal that my toddler only eats three or four foods?
Narrow eating is very common in the second year, when caution about new foods rises just as appetite falls. Most toddlers accept a food only after many neutral exposures. Keeping accepted foods on the plate alongside one small new item, and not commenting on what gets eaten, is the usual approach. Weight loss or gagging on textures is worth a check.
When to check in with your doctor
Willo is a parenting companion, not a medical app. If something feels off, ask.
- Not walking at all by 18 months.
- No words and no pointing or other gestures by 18 months.
- Loss of skills your toddler previously had.
- Frequent choking or gagging on food, or refusal of all foods of a particular texture.
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Sources
- Nemours KidsHealth. Your Child's Development: 1.5 Years (15 Months)
- American Academy of Pediatrics. Your Checkup Checklist: 15 Months Old
- Nemours KidsHealth. Toddler Sleep: 1- to 2-Year-Olds
- Nemours KidsHealth. Feeding Your 1- to 2-Year-Old
Last reviewed 2026-08-24. Ranges are typical, not targets.
