It is easy to expect too much of the 15-month-old child. They look so much different from the crawling infant of a few months ago that many parents think their child "is no longer a baby." And while the 15-month-old child is indeed a whirlwind of activity and curiosity, he or she may lack a sense of danger or fear. Your child will try to climb up furniture or put his or her fingers in electrical sockets. Your youngster will touch everything in sight. As a parent, you may not realize what all this means until your child has his or her first temper tantrum, ruins the carpeting or nearly breaks a precious heirloom. Parenting this age is indeed a balancing act, between giving your child freedom to explore while keeping him or her sage. The following comments are designed to help you and your partner enjoy your 15-month-old while continuing to gain confidence in yourselves as parents. This information is not intended as a substitute for well-baby visits by your child's pediatrician. Never hesitate to ask your doctor for guidance concerning specific problems. This is the reason for regular well-baby checkups.

• Show affection and praise to your toddler for good behavior and accomplishments.
• Talk to your child about what he or she is doing and seeing. Singing to your child is another way to encourage vocabulary development.
• Use picture books to enrich his or her vocabulary. Reading books to your youngster will help with language development.
• It is best to keep rules at a minimum - remove things when possible rather than make issues about them. Long speeches of explanation or argument with a 15-month-old are useless. When something has to be done, do it in a pleasant manner.
• Discipline should be consistent, but done in a loving, understanding manner. Use the two "I's" of discipline. Ignore and isolate. Temper tantrums, for example, are best handled by ignoring them. If this is not possible, isolate the child by placing him or her in his or her crib, playpen or room for a "time-out." Never use the two "S's" of discipline -shouting and spanking.
• Your child will begin to experience some frustration. Your youngster will get upset when he or she cannot do something, or when he or she can not do what he or she wants. A child at this age will try crying and screaming to get his or her way, and such protests may become full-blown temper tantrums and breath-holding spells.
• Keep family outings with a 15-month-old short and simple. A child this age has a very short attention span and lengthy activities will cause him or her to become irritable and tired.
• The best toys are stuffed animals, dolls, books and small toys that can be pulled and pushed, filled and emptied, opened and closed. Household items such as plastic measuring cups and e

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