As your baby gets closer to completing a year, there are several exciting newborn milestones from 9 to 12 months to look out for. At this age, your baby will always be on the move and is sure to keep you on your toes!
And while it’s all fun and exciting, don’t forget to check these important baby milestones.
Physical Development & Motor Skills
Your baby is slowly becoming more independent. They can sit upright without help and pull themselves up to a standing position using the edge of some furniture. Crawling, cruising, and creeping by holding the table will eventually help your little one take their first steps. Walking can be a crucial 12-month baby milestone!
Your munchkin’s fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination are now improving faster.
Most babies of this age can eat finger foods by grasping the food between their thumb and forefinger.
But, more than eating, your little one will be interested in squishing and feeling the food to explore new textures. They’ll also be able to drink water from a cup with a spout.
Other newborn milestones from 9 to 12 months include:
- Banging blocks or utensils together.
- Placing objects into containers and taking them out again.
- Simply poking things with their index finger.
However, they’ll still be unable to control putting objects down, so they will often drop them as they release things from their grasp.
Communication
Speech development is one of the most exciting baby milestones from 9 to 12 months, as you can see your little one developing into a social being. To interact with people, your toddler may respond to simple verbal requests.
They’ll be able to say simple sounds like “da-da” and “ma-ma” and know who they are referring to. Your baby will also enjoy imitating sounds, including some familiar animal sounds. Their speech could also involve exclamations like “uh-oh!”.
Your baby might become skilled at different communicative gestures, such as shaking their head no or waving goodbye. They’ll also love rhymes and music and bounce and sway to the tunes, trying to follow along in their own adorable language.
Now that their hearing and vision have fully developed, your toddler will be interested in picture books and toys that make different sounds. To help your infant reach the communication milestones of a 12-month-old baby, you can read to them or sing to them often.
Emotional Development
Babies in this age group become much more aware of themselves and those around them. However, they may still be reluctant to leave you, as they are not yet confident that you’ll return to them.
Some significant emotional milestones at this age are smiling, babbling, and trying to have conversations with you, as they know they share a special bond with you. They’ll become wary of strangers and may cling to you if you step away from them.
Games like “peek-a-boo” or “hide-and-seek” will become their favorites as they’re about familiar faces going away, only to return. A 12-month baby milestone is the understanding that you also see them when they see. But, they think the opposite is also true, which is why they’ll cover their eyes with their hands to “hide”!
Cognitive Development
Most babies this age will gain some understanding of the word “no”. They will also discover what they do and don’t like and so may resist nappy changes, nap time, or any other limits on how they behave.
One of the most important newborn milestones from 9 to 12 months is the improvement of object permanence. Your baby will easily be able to find objects if you hide them.
Your little one will also try mimicking what you do by pretending to brush their hair, clean, or push buttons on the remote control or toy laptop. They may even learn to hold their toy phone close to their ears and pretend to “talk” on the phone! Your baby will also drop objects for you to pick up.
How To Promote Your Baby’s Development?
Many activities can encourage the milestones of a 12-month-old baby. Since your baby will love to explore anything and everything at this age, you must create an exploration-safe environment.
Move anything poisonous or that can be a choking hazard or break into small pieces out of your baby’s reach. Baby proof the house by installing child locks on doors or cabinets, covering electrical outlets, and padding the edges of sharp furniture.
You can also promote newborn milestones from 9 to 12 months by reading to them daily from picture books and incorporating a lot of sounds and voice modulations while you read. Keep conversations going by talking to them and asking questions about things they do or say.
To help your little one cope with separation anxiety, slowly introduce them to new objects and people. Walk away for some time while placing them in a safe place like a crib. This way they will also learn that you’ll always come back.
When Should You Be Worried?
When it comes to newborn milestones, it is essential to remember that every baby is unique and has their own pace of development. However, suppose your baby is not moving around, pulling themselves up to stand, imitating simple sounds like “mama”, or doesn’t try to attract your attention by smiling or laughing, you may want to consult your doctor.
Final Words
There are several exciting newborn milestones from 9 to 12 months, and your baby will not fail to amaze you every day! From grasping objects and communicating in their sweet way to learning to stand and move, these are precious memories you can capture for your photo album. Cherish these moments when they happen, for sooner than you know it, your munchkin will be all grown up!
Also read: Newborn Milestones From 6 To 9 Months
