10-Month Old

Your baby may have shown keen interest in solid food up to now. But at this stage, he may appear to be fussy about her food. He turns her face away from the same food that he enjoyed till a few days back. This can leave you both frustrated and upset. You may also wonder whether this will deprive him of the required nutrition. One reason for this could be your baby's attachment to the feeding bottle. He takes in a lot of liquid food which leaves him with just little room for the essential solid food. So, it is a good idea to wean him from the bottle soon after you start the little one on solid food. Check out tips to Wean from Bottle. There are various other ways to help him overcome his fussy eating habits. To know these, click here.

Your baby pulls actively to his feet and “cruises” using the side rail of his crib or play pen. He can can get into a sitting position from lying on his stomach. He may stand momentarily without support and can walk if one hand is held. Sometimes, he may also walk well and take a few steps alone. He grasps smaller and larger objects using the pincer grasp and thumb opposition respectively. He may build a tower of two cubes. Puppets also make good toys for enhancing his motor and coordination skills. He explores her surroundings through simple activities like crumbling or tearing a paper and shaking a rattle. He tries to put one container inside another. If he does not succeed, he will hand them over to an adult for assistance. Setting up play dates is a great way to enhance your baby's social skills.

Your baby's approach to how things should look depends on how they are demonstrated to him. If you show her a cup upright but give it to her upside down, he will turn it upright. Blowing bubbles enhances his vision as he follows the bubbles. When you tickle her, your baby starts laughing. Encourage your toddler to pick up small pebbles from the garden under your supervision. This stimulates his sense of touch. Her sense of hearing also develops rapidly. He identifies the direction of a voice and differences in voice tones. You will be surprised to find him deliberately dropping things to listen to the sounds made. Your baby may also respond to a NO. He may say ma-ma and da-da discriminately with an additional word or two. He tries to speak a lot of words but it is mostly unintelligible to an average adult. At this stage, he can respond to single step commands given without gestures. Help him interact with puppets. Continue using sign language and books as sources of communication. He may hand over a toy or object to one being taken away.

If you anticipate situations of having to leave him with a baby sitter, help him prepare for this. The Peek-a-boo game is a good idea. Get the baby sitter to come over a few times when you are at home. If you have to leave the baby at the baby sitter's place, take a comfort object such as his favourite toy along with you. He becomes aware of social approval and disapproval.