does your 1 yo follow directions? - Page 2

[AndtheStars]

Like PPs' DS (15 mos) follows directions really well if he wants to. I am surprised by how many steps he can actually do if he wants. He also seems to remember the steps to complete a task too so if he sees me getting down his hat, he knows to go get his shoes and stand up with his arms out so I can put on his jacket. While it would be wonderful if this level of cooperation continues, I'm not holding my breath.

[mamadelbosque]

DS2 knows what "get down!" means... and will (mostly) listen these days (he's 15 months now). But other than that... meh. Course, even ds1 still has issues with helping pick up. :sigh:

[Auraji]

DD is almost 18M and she has been following directions I'd say between 12-14M, it's still only when she wants to, but now more consistently and more things she follows.

The first thing she started following direction was "get the ball", then it was "let's go outside or downstairs", after she learned "throw it in the trash" (that's a favorite), she also now loves let's go night night. She will climp up the stairs going "night night, night night". I put her in bed and she covers herself with a blanket, she might still take forever to nurse down, but at least she seems excited to get in bed. She also loves when I say "let's get some food" and will grab or point or say whatever she wants, carry it in a bowl and close the fridge. She has also learned where certain things go and puts them back. She likes getting her shoes and her jacket, also when I say let's take a bath. I definitely think she can follow directions, but she won't do it 100% of the time. It's fun to watch them learn and show interest in helping.

[ladymeag]

He does some basic things like "Spit that out." "Give that to me." "No banging the water on the table." "Come here." "Diaper time. (He crawls to the changing table and waits.)" He also will look at me, smile to acknowledge he heard me and go about doing the thing I asked him not to/not doing the thing I asked him to do. He brings my shoes to me when he sees me getting ready but I don't consider this following directions, as it's just something he noticed goes together.

[claras_mom]

Dd2 started responding to simple requests at around 13 months--again, as most have said, if she felt like it. She's 19 months now and really pretty amazing in that department...except when she doesn't feel like it.

Now, though, the refusal feels more intentional, iykwim.

[April Dawn]

My 17 month old WAS following directions really well until recently (he started following them maybe around 12-13 months). He seems to have just figured out that he actually has the choice NOT to follow them. More often than not he still does what I ask of him. But just lately, sometimes he will look at me and then NOT do what I asked, and just watch me for my reaction. It's kind of funny, actually (and exactly what he should be doing at this point - learning that he can make his own decisions about what to do!).

[Asiago]

My 12 month old follows simple directions and has been doing it for a while. It still surpises me. It began as a play, "put the ring in the container', 'put the cup in the truck' but then today it actually came in handy

I was bathing our small dog in the sink and my son was standing at my feet. My dog was dryed off but was shivering and needed her coat. I was afraid to step away from the sink, lest she jump. I asked my son to 'please give mama the coat' (pointing to it) and he did

[Abraisme]

My 14mo will follow basic directions as well. She can throw trash away, put things in the dishwasher, etc. However, she doesn't listen to nearly everything and rarely puts her toys away.

[lach]

I think the milestone is that they can follow one-step directions between 12 and 15 months, so it sounds pretty average to me. My DD definitely could at that age. And it was one of the big red flags that led us to have an EI evaluation for DS that he couldn't follow any directions at 15 months. (It turned out he had suffered some hearing loss, and we were very lucky to have caught it and corrected it so young). Being able to follow two-step directions comes at about 2 years.

[mckittre]

Being able to follow is one thing, doing it is another. My toddler has always been fairly compliant, so he would do a fair number of things when asked, even at that age. I'd say he's still more compliant than average, but now at 20 months, the defiance is creeping in more and more.

[Aufilia]

DS can, for certain things like, "Give XYZ to mommy" or "Take your hat off." If I catch him at something and say, "Stop!" or "No dumping the cat's water," lately he'll often actually stop. He's gotten very cooperative about dressing, too, if I tap the arm that goes in next and hold his shirt just right, he'll try to put his arm through the armhole.

I'd say he started doing this a month or 6 weeks ago. Anyhow, that was the first time I noticed him actually changing his behavior because I'd given a direction ("Leave your hat on until we get into the store.")

[cloudbutterfly]

My DS started following directions around 8 1/2 months, about the same time he started signing back to us. I was so amazed by it that I've been asking him to do all sorts of things since then--most of them he doesn't do, of course, but I'm still amazed at how many he will do, and there are new ones all the time. Now at 11 1/2 months, the directions he follows are starting to become more "useful". Yesterday we started working on him taking his dirty clothes to a little basket on the floor...so far, he's two for two on that request. Also, it's really helpful that he understands what signing is and will usually respond to "Can you sign _____?", because now I can sometimes confirm what a sign is when it doesn't look much like the "real" sign yet. "Come here," is a great one, too, because he usually grins and crawls over to me like he's so excited to come to me.

I think a lot of it comes down to thinking to ask them to do things enough times that you hit upon things they understand and want to/are willing to do. It's easy to underestimate how much they understand. I still do it, despite being extra aware from signing with him so much. I'm guessing modeling the actions with language like you mentioned doing also helps. I'm glad he signs, because it cuts down on the endless conversations where I'd play both parts! But the big thing is he has to feel like doing whatever it is, and if he doesn't, we move on right away.