Attachment parenting is about parents being responsive and sensitive to their kids’ needs. Learning what developmental milestones a nine-month-old will hit can help parents support their child as she grows and learns. Each child develops at her own pace, and this is a list of general things that a nine-month-old will be able to do.
Nine-Month-Old Sitting and Trying to Stand
Babies this age are able to sit without any support and play with toys. They can do so for about ten to fifteen minutes. Nine-month-olds are also able to crawl and/or creep, most likely toward a toy or object of interest. Some babies will be able to pull themselves up to standing, and with a grownup holding their hands, they can also take some steps.
Baby Can Pick Small Things Up
Nine-month-olds have busy fingers. They can pick small pieces of food on their tray like a Cheerio (or Nutrio) and may like to try feeding themselves. Babies this age may also like to drink from a sippy cup.
Nine-month-olds will like to see where there little fingers fit and may be interested in poking fingers into small holes. They also like to see how things work and may try to pull things apart. This is a good time to start baby proofing the house, for example making sure electrical outlets have child proof covers.
Communication and Nine-Month-Olds
At this age, baby will be able to imitate sounds and gestures, and use her hands and body to communicate what she wants or needs. She will be able to recognize familiar words like “Mama,” “Dada” and “bottle.” “No” will be understood too, although baby may have difficulty accepting limits and become upset.
A nine-month-old will be able to jabber on in her own language with a variety of consonant-vowel combinations.
Baby Likes to Imitate Parents
Nine-month-olds like to watch their parents and see what they are doing and looking at. They are also starting to copy simple actions their parents do. If mom claps her hands, baby will attempt to do the same. Waving goodbye starts at this age. If mom waves her hand and says “bye-bye,” baby can imitate the same gesture and will even try to say “bye-bye" – although it likely won't sound like the actual word for awhile.
Baby Learns About Object Permanence
Before if a parent hid an object, baby thought it disappeared. At nine months, baby is learning that if a parent hides her toy, the toy still exists, she just can’t see it. Baby will likely look for the toy and will also look for things she can hear but is not able to see. For some kids, this is a time where they have a favorite toy or blanket that they like to have with them and they may be upset if they can’t find it or someone else wants it.
Nine-Month-Old Babies Can Play Simple Games
Parents can play simple games with baby like clapping hands and rolling a ball. Games like “Kitchey, Kitchey, Coo” are entertaining for nine-month-olds. Baby will also start looking more actively at images in picture books and may even want to help with turning pages.
Nine-month-olds are mastering sitting, crawling, standing, picking up small objects, understanding familiar words, imitating parents, learning about object permanence and playing simple games.
Find this article useful? Read also Activities for Nine-Month-Old Baby, Activities for One-Year-Old, Activities for Eighteen-Month-Olds, Activities for Two-Year-Olds and How to Get Toddlers to Brush Their Teeth.
Reference:
Newton, Ruth. The Attachment Connection: Parenting a Secure and Confident Child Using the Science of Attachment Theory. California: New Harbinger Publications Oakland, 2008.
Tami Nicholson - Tami is the Topic Editor for Parenting Methods at Suite101. She is a mother of two with a background in education and journalism.
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