12 Months – Where should my baby be?
Mama you made it! Your beautiful bundle of joy is now 12 months old. In this blog I am going to help you to know what to look out for to ensure your baby is developing just right. We will be chatting all things motor, sensory, communication and play! Remember that each child is unique, and this serves as a guide to help you understand your child’s development. Should you be worried about anything make sure to contact your pediatrician or local OT for advice!
Motor Milestones
When you hear the words “motor milestones” used by any health care professional they are referring to your baby’s physical development and certain skills that we expect a child at a certain age to have developed. 12 months serves as an important age for your baby to have met certain skills. These include:
- Your baby should now be able to pull to stand and should be cruising along the furniture in your home!
- He/she should start to stand alone and start to take some independent steps before losing their balance.
- Your baby should be able to maintain their balance in sitting well even when engaging in play activities.
- He/she should be able to easily move in and out of various positions when engaging in play
Some Red Flags to Look Out For
- Your baby struggles to pull to stand because of stiff legs and/or pointed toes.
- Still needs to use their hands to maintain their balance in sitting.
- Your baby’s arms seem to be strongly flexed or very stiff in extension.
- Poor head control in all positions
- Only uses their arms to pull themselves up into standing and doesn’t want to take weight through their legs.
How to stimulate my 9-month-olds motor milestones
- If you have a therapy ball in your home you can place your baby on it and sitting and hold them firmly at the hips. When doing this bounce the up and down and slowly roll them forwards and backwards.
- Encourage your baby to engage in a variety of gross motor tasks such as climbing over obstacles, playing with balls, and strategically place the desired toy in a position that requires them to get up and move!
Sensory Milestones
Oh, the world of senses! This can be so complicated and overwhelming for new parents as we are always concerned about the correct amount and quality of sensory stimulation to provide our babies with. When we refer to senses we are referring to your babies ability to process visual information (Visual Sense), process auditory information (Auditory Sense), process the feelings of different materials against their skin (Tactile sense), and most importantly their ability to process movement (their vestibular sense). Your baby’s sensory milestones include:
- Your baby should be enjoying music and listening to songs.
- He/she should explore their toys with both their hands and mouth.
- Your baby should enjoy a wider variety of noises and smells.
- Your baby should start to eat an increasing variety of foods.
- He/she should be enjoying bath time.
- Your baby will usually be able to self-regulate and calm themselves to fall asleep.
Some Red Flags to Look Out For
- Your baby does not enjoy movement and becomes fussy.
- He/she has extreme reactions when exposed to new textures, smells, and visual stimuli.
How to stimulate my 9-month-olds sensory milestones:
- Introduce your child to new smells and tastes by having them join you at the dinner table and encourage them to try safe bite-sized pieces of new foods.
- Play with your baby in front of a mirror and start making them aware of different body parts.
- Play with your child in different environments to expose them to different textures.
*More specific strategies to come in the blog post pertaining to your baby’s sensory world!
Communication Milestones
Communication is more than just words and sentences. So yes, at 12 months old your baby is already starting to develop their communication. Communication consists of both verbal and non-verbal attempts at engaging. By 12 months of age your baby should have developed the following communication skills:
- Your baby will start to use the words “mama” and “dada” with meaning.
- He/she should be able to respond to simple directions such as “Come here.”
- Your baby should be able to imitate speech sounds.
- He/she will be able to respond to “no”.
- Their babbling should have sounds and some rhythm.
Some Red Flags to Look Out For
- Your baby does not turn and recognize their name.
- He/she shows little/no recognition of familiar words such as “mama” and “dada.”
Play Milestones
Play can often be described as the work of our children. It is the activities that they engage in which have behavioral, social, and motor rewards. Play has to be child led, spontaneous, and be enjoyable for the child. Your babies current play skills should include:
- Your baby should be interested in interacting with other people in games such as peek a boo.
- He/she should be able to maintain eye contact with people whilst playing.
- Your baby should start to point to objects that they find interesting.
- When placed on the floor your baby should not be afraid to explore his/her environment.
- Your baby should enjoy playing with toys of different textures, sizes, and colours.
- He/she should still be enjoying various types of movement.
How to stimulate your 9-month-olds play milestones:
- Sing repetitive songs such as Old mac Donald and Head, shoulders knees, and toes whilst incorporating instruments and actions!
- Encourage your child to play with balls of all different shapes, sizes, and textures.
- Introduce your baby to push toys to allow them to practice walking with some support.
- Create obstacles courses for your child with furniture at home.
- Play with blocks – build a tower and get your child to knock it over, then encourage them to help you build it again.
- Bubbles!
Remember that everything mentioned in this blog is just the tip of the developmental iceberg. Your little bundle of joy is a complex being who is developing and growing at their own pace to become their unique self. Remember to have fun and just relax! No one can do mummying better than you!
Mama you’ve got this!
