Baby Development from 9 to 12 Months

Postnatal

To learn about activities suggested for babies from 7 to 9 months, read Activities for Babies From 7 to 9 Months.

Photo - Bébé qui marche - Le développement moteur des bébés de 7 à 9 mois et de 10 à 12 mois The 9 to 12-month period is an important stage for your baby’s development. You now have a little person that is, after a lot of hard work, able to stand to walk and moves like the greatest explorer the world has known. They will learn how to get on their knees, grab things to rise, then let go for a few seconds and return to the sitting position by falling down. In this way, they learn to control the flexing of their knees. They will then try to take several steps.

As parents, you can be impressed by all the baby’s movements in a single day. It would be interesting to calculate the number of steps, the distance they can cover 😊! The problem is their balance! How many times did you pick up your baby after they fell on their face on the floor? I know it’s not easy to prevent falls, even with constant supervision. Our little ones often succeed in distracting us to walk and sometimes run to their heart’s content. These falls aren’t dangerous even if they usually end up with a bruise on their forehead! It’s part of their learning process.

The muscle reinforcement they achieve at this age allows them to perfect their balance through different experiences and consolidating previously learn skills. They want to climb on the living room table, the stairs, on a chair, they want to stand given they better control their torso and appendages. They can now move from being on their knees with and without support. Their arms do most of the work. A baby can walk on their tip toes, but this shouldn’t last—it’s a transitional stage.

Slower maturation in some children can limit their ability to learn to walk. Some may have more difficulty walking if they have physiological problems affecting nerves, muscles or coordination.

At the affective level, children between 10 and 12 months are jealous! They don’t want to share, and they try to get their parents’ attention in many ways.

To learn about activities suggested for babies between 9 and 12 months, go to Activities for Babies From 9 to 12 Months.

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