Your baby is almost 1! Are you ready for all the remarkable changes? During these months your baby will use their actions to convey what they want and how they feel – what a great time to communicate!

What your baby wants you to know:

Physical Development

Watch out mom, I'm on the move!

What to expect from me?

• I pull up to stand, even if for a few moments.
• I may even walk around the room holding on to furniture, and I might take a few steps without support. Be sure not to miss this moment with me!
• I love to dance and will move to the sound of music.

What can you do to support my development?

• Give space and provide soft environments for lots of safe exploring
• Make sure you are still cuddling and holding me close to you.
• Create stimulating activities by using objects from the home that make sounds. Have me create beats on a pot with a wooden spoon as you clap along.

Sensory/Motor Development

Me, on my own Play, is my favorite thing to do.

What to expect from me?

• I will start using objects like a Sippy cup, correctly.
• I can feed myself finger foods.
• I can turn the pages of a chunky book, I love looking at the bright colors. I also know that if you hide things, they will reappear!

What can you do to support my development?

• Encourage independence!
• Offer choice! Be patient and experiment with different foods.
• Allow me to feed myself soft foods; this is also good for fine motor development!
• Playback and forth games: passing and receiving and play disappearing and reappearing games with toys and objects.
• Also, always offer a “safe base”- when I go off to explore make sure you let me know you’re there for me to return back to you.

Communication and Speech Development

• I understand more than I say.

What can you do to support my development?

• Name things I point to, explain different things as they happen, like “now it’s time for a bath” and describe actions like “look at you rolling on the floor”.
• Use visual cues as you talk about things like “where are your shoes?” while pointing to shoes.

Act early

Act early by talking to your baby’s doctor if you notice that by 12 months, your baby:

• Does not crawl
• Cannot stand even if supported
• Cannot say a single word (such as "mama" or "baba")
• Does not learn to use gestures, such as waving
• Does not point to objects or pictures