A milestones checklist for your baby at 6 months of age. All the things your child should be doing, how to help them reach their milestones, and when to be concernedMy Baby is 9 Months Old: What should he/she be able to do?
Your baby is almost 9 months old and has probably become an explorer of sorts. Here are the things you should expect your child to do by 9 months of age.
By 9 months of age, your child should be able to:
Gross Motor/Physical Movement
Pull up on the couch, a chair, or your legs to a standing position
Stand and takes steps while holding on (“cruising”)
Sit up on his/her own without support
Crawl
Fine Motor/Hand-Eye Coordination
Move things smoothly from one hand to the other
Pick up small things between thumb and index finger, like “puffs” or other finger foods
Social/Emotional
Shows stranger and separation anxiety
May be clingy with familiar adults
Language/Communication
Seem to understands “no” or other simple words
Copies sounds and gestures
Says the words “dada” and maybe “mama” or "baba", but not yet specific to parents or objects
Can make many other sounds and string sounds together
Cognitive/ Learning & Problem-solving)
Will drop things intentionally to see them fall
Will Look for things he/she sees you hide
Can play peek-a-boo
If your child is 9 months old and is doing all of these things, great!!
Tips to Help Your Child Reach Their 9 Month Milestones
Play time: Create time each day for your child to play with toys and let them explore (a playmat on the floor is a great place to do this).
Sitting tools: Allow your child to sit with support in appropriate sitting devices (high chair, bouncy chair, “bumble” chair, etc)
Talk and respond: Talk to your baby as much as possible and respond when he/she talks or makes sounds. Showing your baby that their vocalizations will get a response helps to foster social and conversational skills and encourages your baby to continue "talking". The more language your child hears, the more he/she will pick up as they begin to learn to talk.
Smile and play: Smile at and play with your child often. Make lots of facial expressions. Your child is still studying and learning the differences in the tone of your voice and the facial expressions you make. Play is how your child learns best at this stage.
Read: Read simple books to your child and use a lot of expression in your storytelling. This will help to keep your child engaged and they will likely smile and giggle along if they see you are enjoying it too.
When to Be Worried
If your child is already 9 months of age and is not meeting these milestones, talk to your child’s pediatrician. You know your child better than anyone else. If you are concerned your child may have a delay in his/her development, it is better to intervene sooner rather than later. This gives your child the best chance of catching up to his/her peers by the time he or she reaches school age.
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