Photo credit: Picsea
Here are some characteristics you could see in a typical Infant baby, ranging from 10-18 months old.
- Developing more fine and gross motor skills - actively mobile. Babies start to walk independently or with minimal support. They even can climb stairs or furniture. There is a big improvement on hand-eye coordination like using a spoon or manipulating stacking blocks.
- Babies start to communicate better by mimicking action, sounds or simple phrases, responding to simple questions like: “where is mama?”
- They are curious about environment and eager to explore cause-and-effect relationships (pushing buttons to make sounds) or 1 piece puzzle like shapes
- There is increased independence in many ways, feeding, including using fingers or utensils, feed themselves or choose their own toys
- Socially they can show a wider range of emotions: joy, frustration.
- Some infants can sleep for longer stretches or sleep through the night (this can vary by children.)
What can we do to aid an infant's growth?
- Show love, cuddle, talk, sing, story telling
- Teach sign languages
- Infant massage
- Flashcards: math, words, art, science etc
- Turn on uplifting / classical music or introduce foreign languages
- Teach music notes with bells (perfect pitch training)
- Physical movement: infant exercise, yoga ball, dance with parents
- Eye stimulation with light, color cards for eye tracking (move the card up-down, left-right while babies look at the card)
Every child is unique and may reach these milestones at their own pace. If any concerns, it's always a good idea to discuss them with your family doctor. Sometimes it is best to let go of comparison or expectation. Sync with your baby and enjoy them!
