9- 12 months
9 MONTHS OLD BABY
Life until the 9th month has been rapidly changing. Your little one changed perspective and mobility -rolling, creeping, crawling- Moreover, life tastes different thanks to the recent (or very soon) introduction of solids. Surely, your home dynamics have been transforming as well. She is making more and more recognizable sounds, pointing at objects and learning their names. She enjoys looking at pictures with you and discovering more and more about the world. Her personality is clearer now. You can tell what she likes and dislikes. To sum up, the journey is getting even more interesting! Next step is standing.
STANDING
In terms of motor development the biggest change at this stage is her independent movement. She can crawl (pretty fast!) and transition to sitting. Yet, the highlight of this stage of development will be standing.
The greatest leap forward in the human evolution is considered to be “standing on two feet” and “walking”. Same for baby development… You are witnessing an important leap in your little one’s development.
Standing, like other movements/positions, is composed of different components. Balance, correct movement of the spine, coordination, muscle tone are among these foundational components. We look at at your -maybe already- standing baby through these lenses. If your baby is already standing, then we look into how stable she is while standing, the length of her steps, how she transitions from one position to another: e.g. from sitting to standing.
The practical exercises we use are to give you a clear view on correct and stable standing. These help creating a proper posture that will prevent spine problems that might arise in the adulthood.
DEPENDENCE VS. INDEPENDENCE
There is a connection between movement capacities and behavioral experience. Correspondingly, at this stage of development your little one will start moving and acting more independently.
This independent movement raises different concerns that were not in mothers’ scope in the previous months. You are called for setting boundaries which will avoid risk and define appropriate level of freedom of action. It is not easy to find the balance between dependence and independence. This is normal! But you don’t want your little one to be too dependent or too independent either. We support you to in this task that requires tact and integrity.
RELATIONSHIPS
Another aspect of this stage is that your baby is now able to differentiate the proximity of the relationship she has with you and with others. She has a good sense of security and trust. She knows that when mommy or daddy goes away, they do come back. Also, she recognizes your voice if you talk to her from another room. In parallel, she starts being wary of strangers. She might be fussy in crowds and when surrounded by unknown people.
BABBLING
We mentioned the importance of communication from day zero. An exciting step is when your little one starts babbling. These as first attempts to speaking get clearer with time. During this process babies correct themselves by listening to others. Certainly you look forward to hearing your baby’s first words, however we need to keep in mind that this should happen gradually as a part of a multi-dimensional development process. It is wise not to rush it. At our courses we show you correct ways of helping your baby’s learning process towards speaking including additional senses and intonations.
SLEEP
These above-mentioned changes influence your baby’s perspective. They also trigger some further ones such as changing sleeping habits. Typically, your baby starts being more active and sleeping later. She needs more contact with you in the evening due to the long and dynamic daytime. Long hours of activity, new perspective and movement abilities lead to broadening of the concepts for her, which in turn increase the fears. So, at this age babies need more independent time during the day and more security and soothing from you at night.
It is worthwhile to mention the fear of sleeping deriving from deep organic sources. In fact, this has to do with fear of falling. Think about falling in love and falling in asleep; in both cases we need a certain feeling of safety for it to happen! Again your role is central. By creating a relaxed, familiar and secure atmosphere before bedtime you can help your baby to fall asleep more easily.
MEAL TIMES
Meal times are no exception! They go under some changes as well: messier and definitely eventful! Expectedly, your attitude is key to prevent future eating problems, which have their roots at this stage. We give you guidance about the mealtime chaos and insight about how to cope with uneasy eating behavior.
There are many points that we address at our courses along with your individual concerns and questions. Our objective is to help you support your little one in the best possible way in order for her to reach her full potential. Being well informed, relaxed and confident are key aspects of parenthood for a joyful journey both for you and your baby.
Are you interested in knowing more? Click below to join a course. We are excited to meeting you and your little bundle of joy.