The last months of your infant’s first year of life can be an extremely exciting time. Your child is learning new skills, and interacting with you in totally new ways. It is also a time that your infant’s development should amaze you as well as prompt you to make some changes to your home.

By the age of 9-12 months, your infant is probably on the move. He’s crawling, shuffling on his bottom, or walking around from one piece of furniture to another. Combined with this new mobility is the fact that he is now able to pick up very small objects, which will often find themselves immediately placed into your infant’s mouth. Because of this, it is time to baby-proof your home. Cabinet locks, outlet protectors, and table-edge pads may be in order during this time.

Your infant can now feed herself with her hands, as well. While he won’t be able to feed herself completely alone, she will enjoy eating finger foods, and will probably be able to start playing with, if not using, a spoon.

Sometime between the age of 9 and 12 months, your baby will probably learn to wave goodbye. He will also very likely get upset when you leave the room, realizing that you are gone. He might start to act shy around strangers, or people who aren’t strangers that he doesn’t remember.

In terms of language, your infant should be able to understand the word “no.” She will probably start to respond to her own name. She might start to say “dada” or “mama” and actually mean it; rather than random babbling, she is able to start assigning titles to things and people and even to say their names at times.

Your 9-12 month old infant will probably like to play peek-a-boo. He will enjoy reading books with you. Books that have one large object on a page will probably be most appropriate. He will like toys that make noises, and will continue to explore the idea of cause and effect. He will enjoy sorting games, such as matching shapes.

Posted in Baby and Toddler

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