Life until the 9th month has been rapidly changing. Your little one changed perspective and mobility - rolling, creeping, crawling. Moreover, life tastes different thanks to the recent (or very soon) introduction of solids. Surely, your home dynamics have been transforming as well. She is making more and more recognizable sounds, pointing at objects and learning their names. She enjoys looking at pictures with you and discovering more and more about the world. Her personality is clearer now. You can tell what she likes and dislikes. To sum up, the journey is getting even more interesting! The next step is standing.
In terms of motor development, the biggest change at this stage is its independent movement. It can crawl (pretty fast!) and transition to sitting. Yet, the highlight of this stage of development will be standing.
The greatest leap forward in human evolution is considered to be “standing on two feet” and “walking”. Same for baby development… You are witnessing an important leap in your little one’s development.
Standing, like other movements/positions, is composed of different components. Balance, correct movement of the spine, coordination, muscle tone are among these foundational components. We look at your -maybe already- standing baby through these lenses. If your baby is already standing, then we look into how stable it is while standing, the length of its steps, how it transitions from one position to another: e.g. from sitting to standing.
The practical exercises we use are to give you a clear view of correct and stable standing. These help to create a proper posture that will prevent spine problems that might arise in adulthood.
There is a connection between movement capacities and behavioural experience. Correspondingly, at this stage of development, your little one will start moving and acting more independently.
This independent movement raises different concerns that were not in mothers’ scope in the previous months. You are called for setting boundaries that will avoid risk and define the appropriate level of freedom of action. It is not easy to find a balance between dependence and independence. This is normal! But you don’t want your little one to be too dependent or too independent either. We support you too in this task that requires tact and integrity.
Another aspect of this stage is that your baby is now able to differentiate the proximity of the relationship it has with you and with others. It has a good sense of security and trust. It knows that when mommy or daddy goes away, they do come back. Also, it recognizes your voice if you talk from another room. In parallel, it starts being wary of strangers. It might be fussy in crowds and when surrounded by unknown people.
We mentioned the importance of communication from day zero. An exciting step is when your little one starts babbling. These first attempts to speak get clearer with time. During this process, babies correct themselves by listening to others. Certainly, you look forward to hearing your baby’s first words, however, we need to keep in mind that this should happen gradually as a part of a multi-dimensional development process. It is wise not to rush it. In our courses, we show you the correct ways of helping your baby’s learning process towards speaking including additional senses and intonations.
These above-mentioned changes influence your baby’s perspective. They also trigger some further ones such as changing sleeping habits. Typically, your baby starts being more active and sleeping later. It needs more contact with you in the evening due to the long and dynamic daytime. Long hours of activity, new perspective and movement abilities lead to broadening of the concepts of the baby, which in turn increases the fears. So, at this age babies need more independent time during the day and more security and soothing from you at night.
It is worthwhile to mention the fear of sleeping deriving from deep organic sources. This has to do with fear of falling. Think about falling in love and falling asleep; in both cases, we need a certain feeling of safety for it to happen! Again your role is central. By creating a relaxed, familiar and secure atmosphere before bedtime you can help your baby to fall asleep more easily.
Mealtimes are no exception! They go under some changes as well: messier and eventful! Expectedly, your attitude is key to preventing future eating problems, which have their roots at this stage. We give you guidance about the mealtime chaos and insight into how to cope with uneasy eating behaviour.
There are many points that we address during our courses along with your concerns and questions. Our objective is to help you support your little one in the best possible way for it to reach its full potential. Being well informed, relaxed and confident are key aspects of parenthood for a joyful journey both for you and your baby.
Are you interested in knowing more? Click below to join a course. We are excited to meet you and your little bundle of joy.
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