10 Month Old Baby Development
More Mobility
By the time he’s 10 months old, your baby will probably be able to crawl well on his hands and knees, with his trunk parallel to the floor. (Many babies begin trying to crawl before 10 months, but master the skill only now.)
He may even be able to crawl upstairs. At this age, your baby can also sit confidently and may even walk while holding onto furniture, possibly letting go momentarily and standing without support.
He’ll take steps when held in a walking position and may attempt to scoop up a toy while he’s standing, too. Those magical first steps toward independence and lots more exercise for you! are just around the corner.
Fingering
Your baby’s fingers are becoming more agile. Using his pincer grasp, he may be able to pick up a piece of cereal or another small object without having to rest his wrist on a solid surface.
(Now that your child has graduated to solid foods, expect plenty of cereal underfoot!) He’s intrigued by tiny things and is still likely to taste-test them.
This is fine as long as they’re edible and not so small that he could choke on them. A good rule of thumb is to avoid letting your child have anything that won’t dissolve in water, like a peanut.
Blooming personality
Your baby’s personality is really emerging now. He may be very social, granting broad smiles to everyone he meets, or a little more reticent, shyly hiding his face when well-meaning strangers try to engage him.
He’ll repeat sounds, gesture for your attention, and may even wave goodbye when he sees you head for the door. He’s also developing a mind of his own, which you may run up against when you try to put him in his car seat or stroller.
Handling your baby’s fears
There will be times when your child is afraid of things he can’t understand.
He may even be frightened by things that didn’t formerly bother him, like a ringing doorbell or a whistling teakettle.
When this happens, the most important thing you can do as a parent is comfort and reassure him; tell him that you’re there and he’s fine.
Talking to your chatterbox
Your baby is just beginning to understand many simple words and phrases, so it’s more important than ever to keep talking to him.
Give your chatterbox a head start on good speech patterns by repeating his words back to him using adult language.
If he asks for a “bah-bah,” for example, gently reinforce the correct pronunciation by asking, “Do you want a bottle?” At this stage of the game, it’s best to try to avoid the tendency to use baby talk it’s fun, but hearing the right words is better for your baby’s development.
Though it may sometimes feel silly, having conversations with your baby is a great way to encourage his language skills.
When he rattles off a sentence of gibberish, respond with “Oh, really? How interesting.”
He’ll probably smile and keep chattering away. Soon you may notice some words or gestures you actually understand, as well as other forms of communication, such as pointing and grunting.
Give your baby a play-by-play description of what you’re doing whether you’re dicing onions for dinner or folding the laundry. As you put him in his stroller, say, “There you go, into your blue stroller.
Now, let’s buckle you in and get you comfortable. Okay, we’re off to the park.” You can also sing nursery rhymes, demonstrate actions that go with words (saying “bye-bye” and waving, for instance), and play games, such as patty-cake or ring-around-the-rosy, so he learns to identify keywords and phrases.
He’ll soon start to make the connections. Before long, he’ll be clapping his hands together when you do and may begin to say “Mama” when he’s looking at mom and “Dada” when dad comes into the room (though at this point he’s still more likely to use the two names indiscriminately).
Is my baby developing normally?
Remember, each baby is unique and meets physical milestones at his own pace. These skills are simply a guide to what your baby has the potential to accomplish if not right now, then shortly.
If your baby was born prematurely, you’ll probably find that he needs just a bit longer before he can do the same things as other children his age. Don’t worry. Most doctors assess a preterm child’s development from the time he should have been born and evaluate his skills accordingly.
