Your Baby’s Development – 9 to 12 months

These three months are a very exciting time as you may hear your child say their very first words. Don’t worry if they’re not clear, this will come with time and practice. The months leading up to your child’s first words are critical in their learning of words and what they mean.

Your everyday interactions now are so important and will make a huge difference to the rate at which your child learns new words. Find out a little more about how your baby is learning to communicate below.

Listening & Understanding

By ten months your baby will start to understand the word 'no' and may stop what they are doing when you say it, but usually only for a moment!

Your baby is starting to recognise themselves in the mirror and will watch carefully as they reach out and touch their reflection.

They start to anticipate what is coming next in familiar routines - for example they may put their arms up when you are undressing them at bath time.

They will start to wave bye bye and clap their hands when you ask them to.

Your baby will still be shy around strangers. Don’t push them to interact, let them observe in a way that they feel comfortable. This may mean that they seem a little more clingy with you but don’t worry over time this will change.

Your baby will start to remember that when you go out of sight you always come back. Talk to them when they can’t see you and tell them what you’re doing.

Your baby will love hiding games and rhymes that they can anticipate what is coming next like 'This Little Piggie'.

By 12 months your baby will recognise their own name and understand familiar words. They will look towards objects when they're named.

They will respond to simple questions like ‘where’s daddy?’ by looking for him.

By 12 months your baby will start to follow very simple instructions when you also use a gesture – for example when you say ‘ta’ and hold out your hand they may give you the toy they are holding.

Communicating

Your baby will be really communicating with purpose by using sounds, gestures and different facial expressions. This may be to request or refuse objects or to say hello.

At around 9 months they will start to say ‘mama’ or ‘dada’ intently, although they might not know what these words mean yet.

Your baby will love to imitate simple sounds that you make such as uhoh, ohno and blowing raspberries.

They will yell to get your attention.

Your baby will start to shake their head for no by about 10 months.

They will start pointing, sometimes to ask for object and sometimes just to ask you to name them.

They will ask you to play by giving you a book or favourite toy.

Your child’s first words will emerge at around one. Don’t worry if they’re not clear. Fingers crossed it’s mummy and daddy!

Your baby will copy simple actions that you do. This is a great time to focus on baby sign language.

They use simple gestures, like shaking their head to say no, holding up their arms to request to be held or waving to say bye-bye.

By 12 months your child will will start to try and copy the words you say. Remember these words might not be clear.

Even though they may not have many words that you can understand your baby love to chat away to you throughout the day.