Does your one year old listen and obey?

[Clydethecaterpillar]

Baby just turned 1. Baby has an eye for danger and has started walking independently, likes to get into things. Responds to his name and the occasional no, but most of the time needs to be removed from the situation or reminded of kind and gentle hands for play. DM thinks this is atrocious and he should be ‘listening and obeying by now’ banging on about how he desperately needs to be ‘trained’.

does your one year old listen?

My daughter is nearly two. She sometimes listens. She sometimes doesn’t. It’s all a learning curve for her.

But ‘obey’ and ‘trained’!?! I’d lose it with her - your child isn’t a Jack Russell!

They don't developmentally have any impulse control until closer to 2. So even if your toddler's receptive language skills were extremely advanced for their age and they understood what you were trying to tell them to do/not do, they wouldn't be capable of suppressing their impulses to comply at this age anyway.

My 14 month old understands when I tell her no, looks at me and screeches with frustration, but then within 3 seconds her self control has failed her and she is right back to doing what she was doing.

I did have one child that definitely “obeyed” nothing and actively seemed to seek danger, and one that seemed a lot more compliant.

But no, a 1 year old absolutely does not listen or obey consistently!