Exciting Milestones: Your Baby's Development Between 9-12 Months
The period between 9-12 months is a time of incredible tiny transformations for your baby. They'll go from being relatively stationary to exploring the world with newfound mobility and curiosity! If you haven't baby-proofed your home yet, now's the time!
What To Expect:
Movement Milestones:
Sitting Up & Exploring: Your baby is a sitting pro, reaching and playing without toppling over.
Getting Ready to Walk: Pulling to stand, creeping, crawling, and cruising along furniture are all building blocks for those exciting first steps!
Little Explorers: Expect plenty of climbing, exploring, and maybe even those unforgettable first independent steps by 12 months.
Amazing Hand Skills:
Finger Food Fun: Your baby masters the pincer grasp, picking up tiny objects with ease and feeding themselves.
Messy Play = Learning Time: Banging blocks, filling and dumping containers, poking things...it might look like chaos, but it's how your baby learns!
Tools of the Trade: They might even start trying to use a spoon (get ready for some adorable messes).
Communication Explosion:
Understanding Your Words: Your baby follows simple instructions ("Give it to mommy") and recognizes their name.
Chatty Babies: Babbling turns into meaningful sounds like "mama" and "dada," and gestures like waving and shaking their head become clear communication.
"Uh-oh!" Moments: Your little one might start using exclamations to express themselves.
Growing Minds:
Where Did It Go? Object permanence kicks in – your baby knows things still exist even when hidden, leading to fun games of hide-and-seek.
Separation Awareness: They might cry when you leave, but they're also starting to understand that you'll come back.
Little Mimics: Your baby loves copying you, whether it's talking on a toy phone or "helping" you sweep the floor.
Important Note: Every baby develops at their own pace. If you have any questions or concerns about your child's progress, don't hesitate to contact Tiny Transformations.
9-10 Month Milestones
Your 9-12 month old has mastered the sitting position and is able to transition between multiple different seated positions (ring sitting, long-sitting, side-sitting, tailor-sitting). He/she is able to reach far outside their base of support without losing their balance. Your baby will be mastering his/her protective reactions during this time period, meaning he/she is learning the ability to catch themselves if they lose their balance in sitting. Protective reactions backward usually develop last, so he/she may continue to benefit from some supervision behind them until this has been mastered!
By 10 months of age, your baby will be crawling on hands/knees with a belly elevated from the surface. This is often preceded by belly crawling or creeping in which the belly maintains contact with the surface. After mastering crawling on all 4’s, your baby will begin crawling and climbing over uneven surfaces (pillows/obstacles on the floor); this requires problem solving new movement strategies and provides your baby with opportunities to learn concepts of spatial awareness, height, and distance.
Between 8-10 months, your baby will learn how to pull to stand at support surfaces. During the transition, your baby assumes a tall kneeling or ½ kneeling position; playing in these positions provide excellent strengthening opportunities! As this skill becomes stronger, your baby will begin to rely less on his/her arms and more on leg strength to complete the transition.
By 10 months, your baby is becoming more skilled in standing and may only require one hand to control balance while he/she plays with the other hand. He/she may attempt and succeed at standing unsupported if presented with an object that requires two hands. When standing unsupported, your baby may demonstrate a wide stance and ”stiffness” through the legs for increased stability until balance improves.
By around 10 months, your baby can smoothly lower from standing while supporting him/herself with the arms.
Highlights:
Mastering Sitting: Your baby sits independently, transitions between positions, and reaches without losing balance. Protective reactions are improving.
Crawling Adventures: Your baby crawls on hands and knees, tackles obstacles, and explores with newfound freedom.
Pulling to Stand: Your baby gets those leg muscles ready by pulling to stand using furniture for support.
10-11 Month Milestones
Once your baby is stable in standing, he/she will begin to cruise (walk sideways) while holding onto furniture. As this skill solidifies, your baby will progress to holding onto furniture with one hand, enabling him/her to face the direction that he/she is moving and use a forward walking pattern. Cruising along different furniture with varied heights, sizes, and shapes will provide your baby with problem solving and motor planning opportunities. Between 11-13 months, your baby will begin to take small steps forward with parent support or while pushing a push toy. Unsupported steps can range anywhere between 9-18 months of age, although average between 11-14 months. Your baby’s first steps may be short and uncoordinated with legs wide apart and arms held high (your baby is using lots of compensatory movement strategies to increase stability in this new position). Walking, however, quickly becomes a preferred mode of mobility!
By 10 months, your baby’s fine motor skills are also exploding. He/she uses a variety of grasp patterns, including a raking grasp, three jaw chuck, and inferior pincer grasp. Between 11-12 months, your baby will develop what is called a “Mature “or “Neat” Pincer Grasp, grasping small food items between the tips of their thumb and pointer fingers. Your baby should continue to be able to isolate the index finger (developed around 8 months) for pointing, poking, pressing, and exploring objects. This skill practices dissociating the two sides of the hand which is importance for future fine motor skills such as utensil use, writing, and scissor cutting
Around 10 months, your baby can crawl with toys in hand; the ability to stabilize an object with the thumb-side hand while crawling on the pinkie-side contributes to the development of the palmar arches. Clapping hands or banging objects together develops between 8-9 months, one of the earliest ways our babies are able to use their hands together in a coordinated manner. Between 11-12 months of age, your baby is also refining their bimanual coordination skills, beginning to stabilize an object with one hand while manipulating or exploring it with another.
Highlights
Standing Strong: Your baby stands with more confidence, and may even take brief unsupported steps!
Cruising & Early Steps: Your baby cruises along furniture and begins taking supported steps with you or a push toy.
Fine Motor Skills Develop: Your baby uses various grasps, including a pincer grasp for picking up small objects. The “neat” pincer grasp may be emerging!
11-12 Month Milestones
Your baby is developing many social-emotional skills during this age range. By 10-12 months, he/she is able to wave “bye bye”; respond to his/her name; imitates simple gestures; Enjoy looking at board/picture books; lift arms in order to be picked up; enjoys playing in a mirror (laughing or making silly faces); and may continue to show stranger anxiety.
Between 10-12 months, your baby continues to refine their visual motor skills as well. These skills are not fully developed until well into childhood, but their groundwork begins in infancy! Your baby enjoys container play (putting things into and taking them out of containers), building concepts of in, out, size, and shape. Your baby is also able to remove a loose peg from a pegboard, or puzzle piece from insert puzzle. He/she might enjoy knocking down towers. By 12 months, your baby is beginning to enjoy shape sorters; attempting to place pegs in holes; attempting to stack blocks; and demonstrating an increased ability to associate objects that go together (e.g., beginning to demonstrate appropriate tool use, placing shapes from shape sorter in the same container, etc).
By 10-12mo, your baby will quickly crawl across the room and up/down inclines; he/she will continue to experiment climbing over a variety of surfaces and obstacles, working on his/her motor planning, problem solving skills, and body awareness. He/she will soon progress to climbing up the stairs, however will continue to require assistance to climb down stairs safely
Highlights
Walking Emerges: While the timing varies, some babies take their first independent steps during this period.
Squatting & Standing: Your baby experiments with lowering themselves from standing and squatting.
Hand Skills & Coordination: Your baby enjoys clapping, crawling with toys, and using both hands together (bimanual coordination).
Visual-Motor Exploration: Container play, puzzles, and building towers refine your baby's understanding of shapes and spatial concepts.
Social-Emotional Growth
Your baby is becoming a little social butterfly! They wave "bye-bye," respond to their name, imitate gestures, enjoy books, and play in the mirror. Stranger anxiety may still be present.
Nurturing Your Explorer: How to Support Your Baby's Development
Your baby's growing curiosity and newfound mobility make this an exciting time! Here's how to create a stimulating environment that encourages learning and keeps your little one safe:
Adventure-Proof Your Home:
Out of Reach, Out of Mind: Move anything that could be harmful (choking hazards, cleaning supplies, etc.) to high shelves or locked cabinets.
Safety First: Cover electrical outlets, use stairway gates, and install child locks on doors and cabinets.
Minimize Climbing Temptations: Pad sharp furniture corners and remove wobbly tables or lightweight objects that your baby might use to pull to stand.
Secure the Heavyweights: Anchor bookcases, TVs, and their stands to the wall to prevent tipping.
Cozy Learning Experiences:
Storytime Snuggles: Set a daily reading routine, even for just a few minutes. Choose books with flaps, textures, and interactive elements to keep your baby engaged.
Chatting Up a Storm: Narrate your day, ask questions, and give your baby time to "respond" with their adorable babbles. Use clear language and model good pronunciation.
Multilingual Adventures: If your family speaks multiple languages, use them all with your baby! This fosters amazing language development.
Gentle Guidance for Little Learners
Celebrate Good Choices: Offer lots of praise when your baby does something positive, reinforcing the behavior.
Redirecting with Kindness: If your baby does something unsafe, calmly say "no", give a brief explanation ("toys are for playing, not throwing"), and then redirect them to an appropriate activity.
Learning from Mistakes: Babies don't understand right or wrong yet. Focus on patiently guiding them and celebrating their efforts.
Remember: Every baby learns at their own pace. Enjoy this adventurous stage and cherish the discoveries you make together!
A Time of Amazing Change
This 3-month period is filled with incredible milestones! As pediatric therapists, we love helping babies reach their full potential. If you have any concerns about your child's development, don't hesitate to reach out to Tiny Transformations.
FAQ
My house isn't big enough to be fully baby-proofed. What should I prioritize?
Focus on the most dangerous areas first: kitchen, bathrooms, and any areas with stairs or potential choking hazards. For playtime, create a safe zone with gates or a playpen.
My baby hates being told "no." How can I set limits effectively?
Redirection is key! When your baby does something unsafe, calmly say "no," offer a brief explanation, and then immediately redirect to an acceptable toy or activity.
Is it normal for my baby to seem less interested in some toys?
Absolutely! Babies' interests change quickly. Rotate toys every few days to keep things engaging. Simple household objects (plastic bowls, wooden spoons) can be just as exciting!
My baby gets frustrated when they can't do something. How can I help?
Frustration is a normal part of learning! Offer gentle guidance and break down tasks into smaller steps. Celebrate their effort and progress, even if they don't fully succeed at first.