Learning to Talk

Talking and explaining helps your baby to understand. While you might feel silly talking to your baby, research shows that when you imitate and respond to your baby’s sounds, it helps him learn language.

What is that noise? Have you heard some strange shrieks coming from your baby? He is trying different sounds to see which ones get the attention he wants. Keep listening. You may hear certain tones of voice and sentence patterns in your child’s babbling.

Your baby may be getting ready to say his first word soon! Your baby may make a sound such as “ba” that he uses for many different things. These sounds indicate that talking isn’t far away. When your baby is between 9 and 12 months of age, don’t be surprised to find a real word or two mixed in with the babbling.

Use hand motions and actions to help your baby understand what you mean. Point to different objects. Say the word as you point. Point to show which direction you want him to go.

Act - Don’t Just React

To learn, babies and children need to be able to explore their surroundings and to experiment. Listen to yourself. If you find yourself saying no all the time because you are afraid she will break something or hurt herself, think about changing the way things are arranged in your home.

For example, move that fancy clock to a higher shelf. Put safety latches on the kitchen and bathroom cupboards. Move the houseplants to a spot where your baby can’t go. Figure out a way to cover up the buttons on your radio or television.

This will make life easier for you, and you won’t have to discourage your baby’s explorations so often. It’s easier and better to change your living room than to stop your child’s curiosity.

Sometimes you will have to say no to your baby. If you save it for the times when you need to protect her from getting hurt, it will be a much more powerful word.

What's It Like to be 9 Months Old?

How I Grow

• I may crawl and turn around while holding something in one hand.

• I crawl up steps, but I may not be able to crawl back down yet.

• I may sit by myself and turn my body all the way around without losing balance.

• I may be able to stand for a little while if you hold my hand.

• I sidestep along furniture.

• I don’t really need shoes to help me learn how to walk. When I start walking, shoes will protect my feet.

• I try to build towers with blocks or toys.

• I poke my fingers into holes or into anything that looks interesting.

• I pick up small things with my first finger and thumb, and larger things with both hands.

• I like to bang things together.

• I feed myself finger foods. I'm pretty messy!

• I play with a spoon and a cup, but I'm not good at using them yet.

How I Talk

• I understand some words, my name, and simple sentences.

• I repeat one or more sounds over and over.

• I like to cough, click my tongue, and make hissing noises.

• I listen to people talking and try to copy the sounds.

• I say two-syllable sounds such as "choo-choo," "da-da," and "ma-ma."

How I Respond

• I like to watch people scribbling on paper.

• I like to show people what I can do and love it when they clap their hands for me.

• I sometimes want praise when I do something well.

How I Feel

• I'm very sensitive. If I see another baby crying, I will cry, too.

• I am afraid of a lot of things that didn't bother me before, such as taking a bath. I may be afraid of heights.

• I am very determined and sometimes stubborn - that's all part of my growing up. For example, I may "test" you by trying to throw food when you feed me or by crying when you put me to bed.

How I Understand

• I try to figure things out by myself.

• I know that if I partly cover my eyes or look upside down, everything will look different.

• I know which toys are mine and get upset when they are taken away.

• I can remember a game, person, or toy from the day before.

• I can tell what kind of mood people are in by looking at them.

For more information on your baby's development, check out developmental milestones on the American Academy of Pediatrics Web site http://www.aap.org/healthtopics/stages.cfm or on the Centers for Disease Control site at http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/actearly/.

When Will My Baby Walk?

When babies walk depends on (1) their weight, (2) whether they are aggressive, timid, or passive, and (3) their general rate of development (the speed at which the bones, muscles, and ligaments are growing). Most children go through the same stages but at different paces. Yours may be the first or the last on the block to do everything.

There’s really not much you can do to hurry or slow down your child’s growth. However, it’s a good idea to help your child exercise the large muscles freely. Help him kick, splash in the bath, wiggle his toes, stretch, and roll over. Give him lots of freedom to move about. Put a toy just out of his reach, and see if your baby scoots, stretches, rolls, or crawls to get it.

Play with Me: It Helps Me Learn

The Name Game

Purpose of game: This game helps your baby learn that everything has a name. It encourages your baby to imitate the sounds you make when you name objects.

How to play: Let your baby sit in your lap while you hold a magazine. Point out and name objects in the magazine. Point to the object, name it, and say, “See the car" or "Look at the dog.”

While you are pointing, you can ask your baby, “What is that?” Wait a few seconds and then say something like, “That’s a car!”

Your baby will not understand all the words you use. However, he will hear the different tones of your voice. This will help him become more aware of language.

Remember the songs and finger plays you enjoyed as a child? Maybe you remember pat-a-cake, one-two buckle my shoe, and this little piggy. Your baby will have a great time playing these games with you now. And you’ll have fun remembering them!

Helping Curiosity Grow

Researchers have learned that curiosity is very important for success in school. Curiosity is an interest in exploring and finding out more about what happens.

A child who is interested in what is happening around her watches to see what happens and learns from it.

You can’t really teach curiosity with flash cards or similar teaching methods. Young children learn best when they are in charge of their own learning, not when you try to force something on them.

Your child’s first year is a very important time in laying a foundation for a lifetime of curiosity.

You can help your child develop curiosity about her world. Research suggests that encouraging a child to explore is very important. This helps the child develop the curiosity skills needed to answer questions she faces as she gets older. Here are some ideas that you can begin working on right away:

• Ears: Let your child listen to music. Help her make sounds by banging blocks together. Talk and sing to your baby.

• Eyes: Use brightly colored clothes, toys, and room decorations. Show your baby the pictures that hang on your walls and the pictures in books and magazines.

• Touch: Give your child many textures - soft, hard, smooth, and rough. Touch your child and let her touch your skin, hair, and clothing. Tell your baby what she is touching as she touches it.

• Taste: Encourage your child to try new and different foods.

• Smell: Give your baby many chances to smell safe things, such as soap, perfume, food, flowers, and feet.

The child who is curious is a child who is learning. Try to see and hear things as your baby does. Share the experience. When your baby gets excited about something, she probably has had a “wonderful idea” about it. That is what learning is all about!

Feeding Your Baby

Does your baby hold most foods while eating? Does he drink from a cup with a little help? Does he hold and lick the spoon after it is dipped into food?

These are the first steps in learning how to eat by himself. You can help your baby practice by giving him some of the following finger foods:

• Dry, unsweetened, round and puffed cereals
• Small pieces of soft, mild cheese
• Cooked vegetable strips or slices (carrots, peas, green or waxed beans, zucchini, or sweet potatoes)
• Peeled, soft fruit wedges or slices (bananas, peaches, pears, plums, avocados, or melons). Be sure they will “mush" easily in your baby’s mouth.
• Cottage cheese, shredded cheese, and small pieces of soft tofu

You should not put seasonings in your baby's food. Although you may find your baby's foods bland or tasteless, he likes it that way.

Your baby can now eat most of the things you cook for the rest of the family. Just take out his food before you add salt or other seasonings for the rest of the family.

Praise your baby while he is feeding himself, even if he is very messy. If the mess really bothers you, spread some newspapers or a plastic tablecloth under your baby's chair to catch food that he drops.

Picky! Picky!

Sometimes a baby will not like a certain food one day and eat it a few days later.

Every once in a while, try giving your child a food she has not liked. You may find that this is the day she likes it.

Make foods into finger foods. Nine-month-olds like to feed themselves. They like to feel grown up. Cut your baby's food into very small pieces.

Avoid foods that could cause your baby to choke. Avoid small hard foods: popcorn, nuts, seeds, or raw vegetables (unless mashed). Avoid round and slippery foods, such as whole grapes or hot dog circles.

Mealtime should be a pleasant time for you as well as for your baby. She will eat more on some days than on others. Don't force your baby to eat. She will eat if she is hungry.

Watch For Your Baby’s Cues for Hunger and Fullness

Does your baby give you the "raspberries”? That is, does he sputter with his tongue and lips? This is sometimes a clue that he has eaten enough food for now. Watch carefully for signals of “I’ve had enough.” When your baby is still hungry, he may cry if you stop feeding him. Your baby will probably follow the food with his eyes when he is hungry.

The Secret to Good Behavior: Reward It!

At this age, discipline is simple. It means loving care and guidance. The key is reward. Many parents pay attention to their children’s behavior only when it upsets them. This teaches a child that attention only comes when she does something bad.

• Reward your baby with your loving attention when she plays well. Don't become a parent who only notices his child when she has done something wrong. Notice the good times, and give your baby a smile, a laugh, or a hug. Your attention is your baby’s best reward. Use it to encourage good, not bad, behavior.

• Prevent situations in which your baby might do something you don't like. Move the TV control to a higher shelf. Put a gate across the stairs. If your baby does something you don’t like, think of ways you could keep it from happening again. Create a trouble-free environment.

• Ignore behavior that is annoying but not harmful. If your baby pulls everything out of your sock drawer, take a deep breath and ignore it. If you pay too much attention, it teaches your baby to do things such as this to get attention from you.

• Save “No!” for times when your baby’s safety is in danger.

• Distract or redirect your baby from things you don't want her to have or do. If she has your keys and you need them, don't grab them out of her hands. Instead, interest her in another toy or activity. Your baby will let go of the keys then. It's easier to get a baby started on something else than to take something away from her.

• Provide freedom within limits. Your baby needs freedom to explore, but she also needs limits. You need good judgment to provide both. For example, your baby cannot go into the bathroom when you’re not with her; shut the door to the bathroom. Babies kept in playpens or high chairs for much of the day don't have enough freedom. They miss opportunities to learn. They don’t get a chance to move and exercise. Your baby needs freedom on the floor to safely explore. Your baby may cry about the limits you have set. You may be tempted to give in to her demands. Keep in mind that setting limits is necessary for your child's safety. Say, “I know you are angry, but you are safe. I would rather have you cry because you are angry than because you are hurt.” You can set limits while giving your baby freedom to explore and to grow. Make the area where your baby plays as safe as possible. Stick to the limits and be firm in your guidance. Offer your baby safe activities.

Plan a Special Time for You and Your Baby

It’s so easy to get caught up in day-to-day routines and pressures that you may overlook the need for a special time for you and your baby. Think about setting aside a special time each day — a time when you can give your baby your undivided attention with no interruptions.

The length of time is up to you, depending on how busy your schedule is. Even a small pocket of time, perhaps 15 minutes a day, can mean a lot for both of you. It can mean a time to enjoy and appreciate each other.

How can you spend this special time? Sing, read, play, or listen to music. Relax together. Cuddle. Enjoy being together.

If you can’t set aside 15 minutes, try doing things with your baby a few minutes several times each day.

Babies are happier and learn how to amuse themselves if parents give them moments of their time and attention. It takes less than a minute to give your baby a hug and a kiss or to play pat-a-cake.

When Your Baby Can Stand: New Hazards

Once your baby can stand, she can reach farther and higher. She can reach things that were out of reach before. Look at each room in your house again for new hazards.

Here are some tips to make your house safer for your baby:

• Remove wobbly tables that could tip over when your baby uses the furniture to pull herself up. Fasten bookcases and dressers to the wall if they are not sturdy.

• Set the crib mattress to the lowest level. Remove bumper pads and large stuffed toys that your baby could use as “stepping stones” to climb out.

• Look for dangling electrical cords, tablecloths, or curtains that your baby could pull down or get tangled in.

• Keep medicines, cleaners, pesticides, alcohol, and other poisons locked out of your baby's reach. This includes vitamins and iron supplements.

• Turn pot handles toward the back of the stove.

• Turn your water heater down to 120 degrees Fahrenheit in case your baby turns on the faucet. Your baby can be burned by hotter water. Also, you’ll save money on your energy bills.

• Never leave your baby alone in or near water, not even for a minute.

• Don't let your baby stand up in the grocery cart at the store. You may be able to find a cart with a safety strap to keep her seated.

• Don't let your baby stand in the high chair.

• Watch out for things that pinch your baby’s fingers, such as door hinges and folding chairs.

• Do not tie toys to your baby’s crib or playpen. The string can strangle her.

Lead Poisoning Alert

Old paint often has lead in it, and even tiny amounts of lead can poison a child. Lead harms memory, intelligence, and hearing. When your baby crawls across the floor and then puts his fingers in his mouth, he may be eating lead. For information: call 800-424-LEAD or click on http://www.epa.gov/lead.

Roughhousing with Your Baby

Researchers find that men and women play differently with babies. Men are more likely to swing babies around, lift them high in the air, bounce them high and low, and tickle and chase them. Babies enjoy this. Mom’s often worry. Some women would say that men are too wild. Most babies love active play. But keep it safe! Some games are too rough to play with babies.

Never shake a baby! This can lead to blindness, brain damage, or death.

Never jerk a baby’s arm. If you swing him around in a circle, never hold him off the floor by the hands. This is far too much stress for your baby’s elbows and shoulders. These joints could easily be dislocated. Hold him under the arms by his chest instead.

Don’t throw your baby in the air. He could fall if something distracts you. Instead, lift him over your head without letting go.

Some fun and safe ways to play with your baby include:

• Chasing him as he crawls
• Rolling him along the floor
• Holding him so he flies like an airplane
• Dancing with your baby

These are not good activities at bedtime, however. Your baby can get very excited with an active game such as “chase.” Most babies find it hard to calm down and fall asleep after such fun. Some babies become so wound up that they are too exhausted to sleep. Instead of sleeping, they thrash about and cry.

Good bedtime activities are playing quiet games, listening to relaxing music, reading, and looking at simple picture books.

When You Feel Good, Your Baby Does, Too!

You have plenty of reasons for feeling good about yourself. You have done a great job of raising this little 9-month-old baby. And, of course, if you feel good about yourself, your baby will feel good about herself, too.

When you feel good about the kind of person you are, you can tackle almost anything.

That’s why it’s important to cheer your baby on when she tries new things. Every time there is a “first” in her life, such as crawling, walking, talking, or catching a ball, praise her. This will help her feel good about herself. These are all big accomplishments for her.

And that’s why it’s important for you to manage your stress and to find time when others can watch your baby while you rest, relax, and do the things that help you recharge your batteries.

Plan some fun time for you and some quality time with your partner.

Brothers and Sisters

This can be a hard time for brothers and sisters. Now that your baby is moving around, he can get into toys and the older children's favorite things. It is also common for older brothers and sisters to rush by your baby as he tries to stand up, knocking him down. Sometimes, they grab their toys from your baby's grasp.

Babies need to form a good relationship with their older brothers and sisters. You can make this happen.

Prevent problems. Give older children a place of their own where their things are safe from your baby. A drawer that's out of your baby's reach will do. Or let them play on the kitchen table, away from your baby.

Teach children to help. Show your baby's siblings some of the amazing things he can do, and point out problems he cannot yet solve. Show them how to teach the baby new things. Suggest things they can do with the little one, such as rolling a ball to him or reading him a book. Another good activity is to say, “Where is Baby’s chin (or other body part)?" Naming body parts is a great game that brothers and sisters can play with the baby in the car. Be sure to compliment the older children when they play with the baby.

Point out to your older children how much your baby looks up to them. Show your baby’s older sister when your baby tries to copy her, how he wants to be like her. By treating an older child as a partner in caring for the baby, you will help her gain a sense of cooperation and responsibility.

Try to give each child some of your full attention each day. Your children may resent your baby if he always interrupts their time with you. You can also make special activities for “big children only.” This could be something as simple as inviting a friend over or going to a friend’s house.

When problems arise, take the time to teach children how to share, take turns, or stay out of each other’s way. You don’t have to get angry or take sides. It takes a long time for children to learn to see things from someone else’s point of view.

Fears and Insecurities

When your baby can stand up alone, he becomes aware of many new things - some of which can be scary.

Many 9-month-olds become afraid of heights and will no longer climb down from chairs, even though they have before.

Loud noises, such as the vacuum cleaner or the blender, may now frighten him.

Your baby may even refuse to be bathed in the big bathtub. Try sponge baths or bathing him with you in the tub (holding him).

Don’t laugh at your infant’s fears. They are just as real to him as your fears are to you.

Comfort your baby. Try to avoid scary things, or encourage him to face the thing he is afraid of. For example, let him touch the turned-off vacuum cleaner. Your baby will grow out of these new fears with your understanding and help.

Recliner Chairs Can Trap Your Baby

Children have been hurt or killed in recliner chair accidents. A child's head and neck can become trapped between the leg rest and chair if the chair folds up. Children between 12 and 30 months old have had their head and neck trapped between the leg rest and the chair (if the chair folds up). The children were injured or killed when they were alone in a room and climbed on the leg rest of the chair.

If you have a recliner chair: Always keep it in an upright position when it’s not in use.

Don’t let your baby play on the leg rest, even when an adult is in the chair.

For more information, click on http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/pubs/pub_idx.html. Report any accident with recliner chairs or with any baby products to the Consumer Product Safety Commission at 800-638-CPSC.

Want to Learn More about Child Care and Development?

Check out this Web site: http://www.zerotothree.org Zero to Three for Parents on development in the first three years of life.

If you have questions, contact your local Extension office. Find the nearest office at: http://www.csrees.usda.gov/qlinks/partners/state_partners.html.

When reading this newsletter, remember: Every baby is different. Children may do things earlier or later than described here. This newsletter gives equal space and time to both sexes. If we write he or she, we are talking about all babies.