If you’re feeling overwhelmed, call your local Parentline. It can cause bleeding inside the brain and likely permanent brain damage. Try going to another room to breathe deeply, or call a family member or friend to talk things through. Put your baby in a safe place like a cot, or ask someone else to hold him for a while. It’s OK to take some time out until you feel calmer. Sometimes you might feel frustrated, upset or overwhelmed. But looking after yourself physically, mentally and emotionally will help your child grow and thrive. When you’re focused on looking after a baby, you might forget or run out of time to look after yourself. And it’s also OK to admit you don’t know something and ask questions or get help. It’s OK to feel confident about what you know.
Parenting a nine-month-oldĪs a parent, you’re always learning. He’ll use special baby cues to let you know when he’s had enough and what he needs. Sometimes your baby won’t want to do some of these things – for example, he might be too tired or hungry. Make your home safe so your baby can move about without getting hurt.If your baby is crawling, you can try getting down on the floor and crawling around with her, or playing a game of chasey. Encourage moving: moving and exploring help your baby build muscle strength for more complex movements like pulling to stand and walking.These activities also help him to understand language and learn to read as he gets older. Read together: reading, talking about the pictures in books and telling stories develop your baby’s imagination.Playing together also helps her feel loved and secure. At this age, your baby especially enjoys playing with you and copying what you do. Play together: sing songs, play peekaboo, ring bells, hide toys and make funny sounds or animal noises together.Your baby will enjoy hearing your voice go up and down and love watching your facial expressions as you talk to him. It’s important to respond by talking or making sounds in your own warm and loving way. Listen and respond to your baby’s babbling: this will build his language, communication and literacy skills, and make him feel ‘heard’, loved and valued.Talk to your baby: your baby is interested in conversation, so talking about everyday things like what you’re doing will help her understand what words mean.Here are a few simple things you can do to help your baby’s development at this age: It doesn’t take long for baby to unexpectedly move somewhere or reach for something that puts him in danger. You’ll be surprised at how far your baby can move, so always watch your baby and never leave him unattended on a change table, sofa or bed. start feeding herself with her fingers.practise her eating skills by holding, biting and chewing food.stop what she’s doing when she hears you say ‘no’.explore everything around her – for example, she might ring bells, bang blocks and find hidden objects.He’ll still be babbling, and might say ‘mama’ or ‘dada’ without knowing what these words mean. Your baby is starting to link words with their meanings and understand your body language – for example, if you point at something, he might look towards it. Her emotions are maturing too – she can express fear and also read and respond to your facial expressions. You’ll start to get an idea of what your child might be like in the future, as she starts showing you her personality. It might help to know that these are normal parts of child development.
Separation anxiety and anxiety around strangers is pretty common at this age. Your baby might even prefer a particular person – this could be you, your partner, or another close family member or carer.
This improves his memory and you might notice him forming stronger attachments to his favourite people, toys and books. Baby development at 8-9 months: what’s happeningīabbling, clapping hands, crawling, pulling up to stand – there’s a lot happening for your baby.Īt this age, your baby is having a growth spurt in his brain.