I know my name!
I really like routines – it helps me
feel secure. I want to try
feeding myself but may be messy.
I am very curious and more
mobile – please keep me safe!
Say
o
o
o
o
o
o
Babbles “mama” or “dada” and
other vowel and consonant
sounds in a sequence
Imitates simple words and sounds
Uses a few single words by his first
birthday
Pointing and gesturing become
clear common signals
Babbles with inflection, pitch and
tone
Can say “bye-bye”
Hear
Responds to her own name,
someone’s voice
Understands words for common
things such as “eat” “cup,” “shoe”
and “bye-bye”
Plays with intonations in her own
voice enjoying the sound and feel
o
o
o
Understand
o
o
See
o
o
o
o
o
Develops ability to pick things up
between thumb and index finger
which enables her to eat on her
own
Watches the path of something as
it falls
Looks for things he sees you hide
Will touch her own image in a
mirror and gaze intently as she
begins to become aware of herself
Can see small objects well
o
o
o
o
o
o
Understands “no”
Looks at objects or pictures when
someone talks about them
Points or looks at familiar objects
or people when asked to
Stanger anxiety/separation anxiety
Cries when parents leave
Becomes shy with strangers which
shows he is attached to you
Finds a hidden object which
means he understands object
permanence
Seeks parent for play and comfort,
raises arms to be picked up
Do
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
Can get into a sitting position
Sits without support
Begins to finger feed himself
Crawls
Wave’s by-bye
Participates in social games like
peek-a-boo and pat-a-cake
Pulls self to stand
Stands holding on
May initiate steps
Learns to bite foods
Can empty a container and put
items back in
Plays with spoon during mealtime
Explores your face with touch
Starts to drink from cup
Shows a hand preference but
handedness is not developed until
she is 2 or 3 years.
Sleep
o
o
It is very common for babies of this age to begin waking in the night again. This is happening because of her development of
memory and movement. Your baby is now able to sustain a memory of you and when she wakes up at night, she recognizes
that you are not there, so she calls you. Another reason babies have lighter sleep at this age is because they are
developmentally focused on moving. Even in their unconscious sleep cycle, they are thinking about movement. During this
stage, many babies will calm themselves and fall back to sleep, but if she seems to need you, you can go into her room, pat
her back and tell her you are there and leave again. Rest assured, this night waking is a temporary developmental phase.
From nine to twelve months they may be pulling themselves to a standing position or begin to walk. They may not be able to
lower themselves back down. Make sure that the mattress is at the lowest position in the crib so that your baby will not
accidently tip out of the crib. Remember to keep bottles and stuffed toys outside of the crib. Having a sleep routine that
includes bathing, brushing teeth with a soft tooth brush and water, 2-3 books and maybe a gentle song is very soothing for
your baby. Even though they don’t like to go to sleep because it means they are generally separated from you, they appreciate
consistency and routines that are predictable. Babies need to fall asleep in a safe place and the same place where you would
like them to wake up. Up to one year babies may enjoy a little white noise when they sleep.
Feed
During the next 3 months, infants demonstrate a growing ability to feed themselves. As infants begin to want independence with selffeeding it is increasingly important for parents to understand the division of responsibility between parent and child with regard to
feeding- the parent is responsible for providing a sufficient amount and variety of nutritious foods and the child is responsible for
deciding on how much to eat.
o
o
o
o
Giving your baby foods of varying textures (e.g., pureed, blended, mashed, finely chopped and soft lumps) will help her
successfully go through the change from gumming to chewing foods. Slowly introducing solid textures during this time may
decrease the risk of feeding problems, refusing to chew or vomiting. Gradually increase table foods. Avoid mixed textures, like
broth with vegetables, because they are the most difficult for infants and toddlers to eat.
Try to be patient and understanding as your baby tries new foods and learns to feed herself. Removing distractions, like
television, will help her stay focused on eating. Remember it may take 10 to 15 tries before your baby will accept a new food.
Most 9-month-old infants can be on the same eating schedule as the family (breakfast, lunch and dinner), plus a mid-morning,
afternoon and bedtime snack. The amount of food taken at a single feeding may vary and may not be a large amount, but the
3 meals and 2 to 3 snacks help ensure that your baby is exposed to a variety of foods and receives adequate nutrition.
Snacks can be an opportunity to try new foods.
Your baby now feels a need to do most of his own feeding and you should allow this to occur by placing a few soft bits of
regular food in front of him (if you put it all in front of him at once, he might throw it). Your baby can begin eating what the
family eats as long as it’s a food that can be swallowed without chewing. Good soft foods to introduce are mashed potatoes,
yogurt, and gelatin. Finger foods might include well- cooked pasta, small pieces of chicken and cheese, cereals, and chunks of
bananas. It is always recommended to introduce one food at a time and wait a few days to make sure your baby does not
have an allergic reaction to food.
o
o
o
Encourage your baby to drink from a cup with help. 100% fruit juice may be served as part of a snack but should be limited to
4 oz. per day. Avoid the use of sweetened drinks such as sodas and artificially flavored “fruit” drinks. These drinks provide
calories but no nutrients.
Breast feeding weaning ages vary considerably from child to child. Some are ready to wean earlier than others and will show
this by decreasing their interest in breast-feeding as they increase their interest in the foods they see their parents eating.
At 9 months, breast milk with complementary food continues to be the baby’s best source of nutrition. Try to continue
breastfeeding through the first year of the baby’s life, or for as long as both you and your baby want to continue. At 9 months,
breast milk with complementary food continues to be the baby’s best source of nutrition.
Development
The infant’s increasing mobility and independence, but also his need for referencing and looking over to see that the parent is still
there for protection, is an important developmental step. Parents need to understand their baby’s temperament and sensory
processing and how the family can adapt to it.
o
o
o
o
Your baby’s gross motor skills (her ability to control her head and body parts and to move around) will rapidly develop during
the next 3 months. As babies become more mobile, many parents are afraid of them falling and hitting their head. Most
babies bump their heads causing high anxiety to parents. Parental anxiety is usually worse than the actual bump itself, most
bumps are minor. If your baby hits their head and does not cry right away after a fall, is knocked unconscious, seems tired and
lethargic or vomits more than once, it could be a sign of a concussion and you should contact your primary care provider’s
office immediately. You should make sure that your baby can practice moving on a soft surface, but you do not have to rush to
catch him. It is very important at this age to make sure you have a baby-proofed environment for him to explore his world
safely.
Sometimes it’s easy to think that your baby can do more than she’s really able to do. Be realistic about her abilities at this age
and set realistic, nonthreatening, enforceable limits. Your baby can now communicate her desires and show that she has a
sense of self. The behaviors are important for her to develop as an individual. She may become frustrated or angry when
limits are enforced, causing outbursts of crying. Rather than ignoring her outbursts or giving her a time out, try to verbalize her
feelings for her. For example, you can say, “You must feel angry when it is time to stop playing with that toy.” Then, you can
distract her by allowing her to bring a smaller toy with her to the next activity. You are gently setting limits to how she can react
when things don’t go her way.
Your baby is eager to interact and play with other people as a way to develop interpersonal relationships. At the same time be
sensitive to the fact that at this age he will show separation anxiety from you and other important caregivers. This anxiety is a
sign of his strong attachment to you. Pay attention to the way your baby reacts and adapts to new situations and people.
These reactions reflect his personality and temperament. To the extent possible, make these situations easy on your baby
(e.g. If he is a quiet baby who does not like a lot of noise and bustle, explain that to a person meeting him for the first time and
ask the person to greet him in a calm and soothing way).
Your baby’s way of learning is changing from exploring with his eyes and putting things in his mouth to noticing cause and
effect, imitating others, and understanding that objects he cannot see still exist. Help your baby develop these skills by playing
with simple cause-and –effect toys. Try balls that you can roll back and forth, toy cars and trucks that he can push, and blocks
that he can put into a container and dump out. Songs with clapping and gestures and songs with finger actions will help him
learn imitation. Peek-a-boo and hide-and-seek are great ways to help him understand “object permanence.” It is important to
use these ideas to entertain your child. Children younger than 2 years should not watch TV, DVD’s, videos or use
computers/tablets.
o
o
o
o
Many parents of babies at this age (and throughout the toddler years) worry that their babies are “hyperactive”. To be moving
all the time from one thing to the next is completely normal during these stages. As your baby learns to move to what he
wants, he will want to explore everything! To him, there are so many novel items that he will want to touch things, throw them
down and move on to the next. While it is tiring for parents, getting into everything is an important learning experience for your
baby
As babies of this age are learning to move and explore their world, they are usually unable to stop themselves from touching
things. It is easier to put the breakables away for a while in order to have fewer conflicts. As a baby learns the meaning of no,
you will want “don’t touch” to be reserved for safety issues such as the oven or radiator. Your breakables can still be on
display out of baby’s reach or in a specific room that is off limits. Your baby will learn best and have fewer conflicts over
objects if there is room in the house for him to explore freely and safely.
It is typical for babies at this age to throw things repeatedly, and this actually shows his learning about an object. Your baby is
also learning about “object permanence,” meaning that even if he cannot see the object it is still there and this can be very
exciting and fun! As repetitive as it sounds, the best way to stimulate his interests are to engage him in this game of throwing
things (where you most likely will be the one that picks it up). You can also engage him in play with other toys that allow him to
bang, dump and be active. This marks an important developmental phase where your baby is learning that his action will have
a reaction and that he can cause it over and over again. Through this repetitive behavior, he is beginning the thought
processes that will lead to problem solving.
Babies now begin to use gestures such as pointing as well as vocalizations to let you know what they want. They also begin to
show their preferences more clearly, such as refusing to eat certain foods by clearly turning away. It still is important to
respond to your baby’s efforts to communicate with you by acknowledging his preferences, yet being consistent in your
expectations. Using modeling, demonstration, and simple descriptions of what behaviors you want from your baby will work
much better than long sentences or a raised voice.
Play activities
○ make animal sounds
○ use large building blocks
○ walk together with a push or pull toy
○ take outings in your neighborhood or look out the window
○ play with toys that stack or nest
○ name body parts
○ name common things in your household
○ pretend to clean
○ read books with realistic pictures
Guidance/Concerns
Teething
Every baby and every tooth eruption is different, there is really no specific time table. By one year, he may have four to six teeth.
During teething, a baby will be prone to putting anything and everything into his mouth. Provide soft, rubbery and textured teething toys
made for this purpose to keep him from biting on other objects. Signs your baby is working on cutting his first teeth:
○ Lots of drooling
○ Swollen and tender gums
○ Desire to chew on something hard
Teething occasionally may cause mild irritability, crying and low-grade temperature not over 100 degrees. Gently rubbing or massaging
gums with one of your fingers may help. If you have not already started, it’s time to clean new teeth with water and a soft child’s
toothbrush or wipe with gauze at the end of the day. Occasionally, babies will pull or tug on their ears, sometimes tugging on the ears
means he has an ear infection, but generally if he also has recently had cold symptoms and/or a fever. Many times the tugging can be
from teething and the baby is looking for some way of relieving the pressure or pain of teething.
Even before your baby develops teeth, it is a good idea to wipe his mouth clean at the end of the day with a piece of clean gauze
wrapped around your finger or with a baby toothbrush (no toothpaste). This will help your baby become accustomed to someone
helping them with oral hygiene. You will not start brushing his teeth with toothpaste until he is one, and then only using a grain of rice
sized amount of toothpaste.
Discipline
o An important aspect of discipline is teaching your child what behaviors you expect. During the first year of life, the parent’s
primary role is that of protector for an infant’s natural curiosity. During this time, babies learn more by example from what they
observe than through what their parents may say to them. Therefore, setting an example of the behaviors you expect of your
child is very important.
o Using descriptions of the behavior that is desired, as often as possible (e.g., saying, “time to sit”, rather than “don’t stand”, will
provide better direction about the behavior that is desired).
o A critical step in establishing discipline is to limit “No” to the most important issues. One way to do this is to remove other
reasons to say, “No” (such as putting dangerous or tempting objects out of reach). Then, when an important issue comes up
(such as your baby going toward the stove or radiator), saying, “NO, hot, don’t touch” and removing the baby will have real
meaning for her.
o Because infants have a natural curiosity about objects they see their parents using but also a short attention span, distraction
and replacing a forbidden object with one that is permissible are excellent strategies for managing your baby’s behavior in a
positive way.
o Another aspect of discipline is consistency between parents, other family members and child care providers. It is important to
discuss what behaviors are allowed and what behaviors are not allowed. Have this discussion with your partner, family
members, and child care provider. Some simple rules for your child can be established, such as saying “Don’t touch,” for
certain objects.
o Asking siblings to help with the baby to the extent they are able will continue to meet their needs of being involved and feeling
they are an important member of the family.
Stranger Anxiety
Stranger awareness or stranger anxiety is very common in older infants usually starting around 6 months old. Your baby is attached to
you and feels safest with you. Your baby can now distinguish between familiar and unfamiliar adults. Your baby may protest when a
stranger approaches or you try to leave. Your baby now understands that you continue to exist even when you leave the room and
her/she can no longer see you. Your baby may cling to you, even when you try to go to the bathroom in privacy. This is very normal part
of child development, but can be hard on parents and babies. Here are some strategies that help both parents and children.
o
o
o
o
o
Don’t Push- Respect your baby’s fears and don’t force your baby to interact with adults, especially with hugs and
kisses.
Comfort your baby- hold your baby, hug and be reassuring. Help your child feel safe. Use simple words to describe your
baby’s concern. (“Are you worried that I’m going bye-bye?”)
Give your baby experience out in the world- Seeing people while in your company may help your baby get used to
being around a variety of people
Introduce a new person gradually- If you have a new person spending time with your child, let your baby visit with that
person a few times with your present, before you leave your child with that person.
Trust your Baby- If you baby really protest or becomes unusually upset with in the company of a specific adult, he may
really feel threatened and unsafe. Check it out or talk with your primary care provider.
Remember - it is completely normal for a nine month old to have problems separating for the first time. This does not mean that your
baby is unhappy with the people or the situation you are leaving her with, but it does mean that her memory is developing and she
realizes that you (her most favorite person) are leaving for a while. You can prepare your baby by reminding her that “Mommy (or
Daddy) always comes back”. She might need to keep an object with her such as a blanket or teddy bear. Your caregiver(s) should be
sensitive to this developmental stage and help you with the difficult dropping off times. As difficult as this is, your child will grow out of
her fear of separation. If you are having uneasy feelings about your childcare, you might want to drop by at unexpected times to see
whether they are sensitive to your baby and if she is happy in childcare.
Safety
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
Do not leave heavy objects or containers of hot liquids on tables with tablecloths. Your baby may pull on the tablecloth. Turn
handles of pans or dishes so they do not hang over the edge of stove or table
Use appropriate barriers around space heaters, wood stoves, and kerosene heaters.
The kitchen is the most dangerous room for children. A safer place for your child while you are cooking, eating, or unable to
provide your full attention is the playpen, crib or buckled into a high chair.
Keep electrical cords out of your child’s reach. Mouth burns can result from chewing on the end of a live extension cord or on
a poorly insulated wire.
To prevent children from falling out of windows, keep furniture away from windows and install operable window guards on
second- and higher-story windows. Use gates at the top and bottom of stairs.
Watch your baby constantly whenever his is near water. Your child can drown in even a few inches of water, including in the
bathtub, play pools, buckets or toilets. A supervising adult should be within an arm’s reach, providing “touch supervision”
whenever young children are in or around water.
Do not let young brothers or sisters watch over your baby in the bathtub, house, yard or playground.
Empty buckets, tubs or small pools immediately after you use them.
Even without stairs, walkers are not a safe choice. They make babies mobile at a dangerous height and speed. Walkers tip
over easily, so when a child gains speed and hits a bump on a rug or an object, serious injuries can occur. Also walkers,
including stationary walkers, actually hinder the desire to walk because they do not strengthen the muscles in the upper legs
and hips – the muscles most needed for walking.
To prevent poisoning, keep household products, such as cleaners, chemicals and medicines, locked up and out of your child’s
reach. Keep the number of Poison Control Center (1-800-222-1222) and your address posted on the wall.