Dr. Lise Eliot
Early Childhood Mental Development Expert
VTech Expert Panel Member
You will be amazed by your 9-12 month old child as they master their first words, begin crawling and walking, and become fascinated with cause-and-effect. You will have great fun watching as their little brains are really turning on at this age!
Here are some typical milestones you may see in your 9 - 12 month old:
Language & Cognitive Development
- Understands object categories like “cars” and “animals”
- Knows how to retrieve an object even when it is out of view (object permanence)
- Says first words like “dog” or “bottle”
- Picks up books to be read to and points at pictures
Physical & Motor Development
- Sits well and begins to stand alone
- Crawls and claps hands
- May take first steps without help
Social & Emotional Development
- Fusses when an unfamiliar adult approaches (stranger anxiety)
- Shows interest in pets and other family members
- “Shows off” when rewarded with smiles and attention