Can a 12 month old understand 'no'?

[memoo]

DD is just 12 months old and at that age where she is into everything.

I've started to say a very gentle 'No' when she is doing something she shouldn't do like banging the TV with a wooden building block.

Not sure if I'm doing the right thing though. Is she too young yet? I'm not actually expecting her to stop doing what she is doing, just want to slowly let her get the idea.

Yes they can IMO, especially if you gently stop her from doing whatever it is at the same time.

You're right not to expect much obedience though. My DD2 (10mo) laughs her head off if I say no, and you might want to avoid saying it too much as then it'll be her favourite word when she starts to talk...

I think they can understand no at that age, but it may be too much to expect that they stop what they're doing.
I think what you're doing is right to start introducing the idea especially if you back it up with action, eg. if she doesn't stop banging the TV then move her away from it.

Oh yes, we say a firm "NO" to DD if she's doing something we don't want her to or crawling somewhere we don't want her to go - usually means she crawls faster :o

The other day she was trying to put a socket protector in the socket (it had a protector in it anyway, but she'd found another). I said NO and she put her hand down and looked at me. The she tried again, so we repeated it. After the fourth time she stopped and lay down on the floor for a little tantrum :o

I do mover her away from whatever it is at the same time, although she is a little monkey and usually goes straight back to it

They understand tone of voice. So yes I thnk a lot fo 1 year olds do understand 'no.'

Stealth, my DD has started having the odd tantrum too, thought I had a good 12 months left til I had to deal with all that but DD has other ideas

Probably too young to genuinely understand or remember for more than a few seconds. But it's a good idea to start as you mean to go on, rather than changing the goalposts as she gets older. One day, in about 25 years, your DD will start to listen to you.

Ds had his first tantrum at 8 months old! (was Christmas day, when a toy wouldn't do what he wanted). I had never seen anything like that before, was convinced he was seriously ill (what else would make him cry like that??). MIL did try to tell me...

8 months you clearly have very strong willed DC stealth, think dd is the same. can you imagine what they're going to be like by the time the hit the teenage years!

NO
The ones that are trying toddlers are easygoing teens
I refuse to believe otherwise, it HAS to be true :o

Actually you might be right. My mum says I was the easiest baby/toddler but I put my parents through hell as a teenager

Oooo - glad to read your post Stealth. I've been trying to tell my mum & some friends that DS (10.5mo) has been having tantrums for the past month or so, but get faces!

He definitely knows what no means. In fact sometimes he jsut looks at me when about to teeth on the coffee table/bang a toy on the tv/reach for some forbidden item and goes straight into meltdown at my 'stern-face' before I've even said anything!!