Imagine that your baby has been around as long as they were in your tummy! Time really flies with children and now that your baby is 9 months old, a lot is happening in development. The food journey is progressing, as well as motor development and language development. Have you stopped to think about all the new things your little one is learning all the time? 

Development when baby is 9 months old

At this age, some children try to move from lying down to sitting up, roll forward, stand up on their own or against furniture, and may walk with their legs stumbling along. If you notice that your little one is doing any of these things, try to encourage them to take the next step, as it can be a little scary at first. 

Exploring different environments is very exciting right now, so let your little one feel different materials both indoors and outdoors. If you have a little one who has started to stand with support, holding a parent's hand while exploring the world and the functions of the body is usually popular. For children who start standing now, a whole new world opens up - it's incredibly exciting to see the world from a new angle than from the floor where the world has been discovered so far!

First words 

Now you might start to hear something similar to words like "mom" or "dad"? While many children at this age start to recognize words like "no"! This is when it can be extra fun to read books with lots of pictures, preferably with different animals or objects. During reading, it is usually appreciated by the little one if you emphasize the sound a lot! Reading a book promotes language development and can be a cozy moment together between play and mischief. 

The tweezer handle

In the past, your child has grasped things with their whole hand, making it difficult to grasp small objects or examine things really closely. At this age, the tweezer grip develops, which means that the child can now grasp smaller objects between thumb and forefinger. The tweezer grip can help, for example, with picking up small pieces of food to put in the mouth.

Baby food when baby is 9 months old

When it comes to food, it's time to offer food that your baby can chew or bite a little more. As a parent, this can feel a little scary at first, but try to relax - the most important thing is that you take it at a pace that feels comfortable for you. Learning to eat food should be fun!

Feel free to let your little one try eating with their hands or with a spoon. This will be messy, but it's part of the whole experience when children start discovering food, so try not to wipe as much as you'd like. Getting messy promotes both appetite and development! Now it can also be fun to drink from a sippy cup and hold it all by yourself.

Here you can read about baby development at 10 months!