Is it too early for playdates? Your baby may now be more assertive with siblings and begin to engage in parallel play – contentedly playing alongside (but not with) another baby. Informal baby playdates can be a great way to encourage your little one to develop social skills. Just remember that babies this age are still too young to understand the idea of making friends.
Think of these playdates as helping your baby build a foundation for learning how to interact with others. And he or she may get new play ideas from these first buddies. A bonus: You'll have some help and support from the other babies' parents.
Setting limits
Your baby now understands simple instructions, though he or she may purposely choose to ignore you when you say "no." (To help the word carry a little more weight, use it sparingly, for setting important limits.)
Even though your baby may not always remember tomorrow what you've said today, it's not too soon to set certain boundaries and start teaching some important distinctions, like right from wrong and safe from unsafe.
Use your best judgment as a guideline. You're not being mean if you don't let your baby devour a second cookie, for example – you're setting a healthy limit. If the cat's tail gets a tug, move your baby, look him or her in the eye, and say, "No, that hurts the cat." Then guide your baby's hand to pet the animal gently.
Your baby's desire to explore is probably stronger than the desire to listen to your warnings, so it's up to you to protect and teach him or her. What seems to be defiance is just your baby's natural curiosity to see how the world works.