Looking Back, Looking Ahead

Between eight and twelve months of age, your baby will become increasingly mobile. This development will thrill and challenge both of you. Being able to move from place to place will give your child a great sense of power and control. This is how your baby will experience the first real taste of physical independence.

Looking back

By now, your child would have attained or will be in the process of learning following milestones:

Social/Emotional

• Feels shy or nervous with strangers
• Starts crying when mom or dad leaves
• Has favourite things and people
• Expresses fear in certain situations
• Is able to hand you a book when they want to hear a story
• Can repeat sounds or actions to get attention
• Can put out arm or leg to help with dressing
• Can plays games such as “peek-a-boo” and “pat-a-cake”

Language/Communication

• Is able to respond to simple spoken requests
• Can use simple gestures, such as shaking head “no” or waving “bye-bye”
• Is able to make sounds with changes in tone (sounds more like speech)
• Says “mama” and “dada” and use exclamations like “uh-oh!”
• Tries to say words that you are saying

Cognitive (learning, thinking, problem-solving)

• Can explore things in different ways, like shaking, banging and throwing
• Is able to find hidden objects easily
• Points at the right picture or thing when it’s named
• Tries to copy gestures
• Starts using things correctly; like drinking from a cup, brushing hair
• Bangs two objects together
• Is able to take out and put things in a container.
• Can poke with index (pointer) finger
• Is able to follow simple directions like “pick up the toy”

Movement/Physical Development

• Is able to sit without help
• Can pulls up to stand, walks holding on to furniture
• Can take a few steps without holding support
• May stand alone

Looking ahead

Take early action, if you are worried about the way your child plays, learns, speaks, acts or moves or if your child:

• Is missing milestones
• Is unable to crawl
• Can’t stand with support
• Doesn’t look for things that they see you hiding
• Doesn’t utter single words like “mama” or “dada”
• Doesn’t learn gestures, e.g., waving or shaking head
• Doesn’t point at objects
• Start losing skills they had previously developed.

Talk your child’s doctor, if you notice any of these signs of possible developmental delay.