10 months

Your baby is learning to…

• Shake their head for ‘no’
• Clap
• Pull themselves up to standing at furniture
• Understand that a toy has not gone if they cannot see it under a blanket
• Wave goodbye
• Feed themselves and handle a cup

Saying “No”

Babies quickly understand the word “no” and will shake their head at you when they don’t want something.  As frustrating as this can be sometimes, this is your child’s way of asserting themselves. Be patient and distract your baby rather than having a stand-off situation where you enter conflict.

Clapping

Your baby will begin to clap if shown how. Sing lots of clapping songs or clap along to music to promote this through example.

Pulling Myself Up

As your baby moves between crawling and walking they will start to pull themselves up on the furniture for support and begin creeping around. Make sure at this stage that (where possible) furniture has no sharp edges or loose cords as your baby will try to pull them for support.

Where Has the Toy Gone?

Baby begins to understand that just because they cannot see an object, does not mean that it has gone. Play games with baby where you cover their toys with a blanket and ask where it has gone? Remove the blanket and say ‘surprise’ revealing the toy. Alternatively, allow your baby to remove the blanket themselves to discover what is underneath.

Bye-Bye

Waving good-bye is an exciting milestone where baby seems to become more socially aware through waving at family and friends. Demonstrate this for baby and they will soon copy your actions.

Feeding Myself

Your baby can now eat using their fingers, hold a spoon and manage their cup. Continual practice will see all of these skills improve. Baby shows their need for independence and asserts themselves through handling their own utensils and food.

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