The 12th month
By the end of this month, your baby:
… should be able to:
- walk holding onto furniture (by 12-13 months)
- move around independently, such as crawling on his hands and knees
… will probably be able to:
- play pat-a-cake (clap hands) or wave bye-bye (most children accomplish these feats by 13 months)
- drink from a cup independently (but many can’t do this until 16½ months)
- pick up a tiny object neatly with the tips of her thumb and forefinger (but many babies don’t accomplish this until nearly 15 months)
- stand alone momentarily (many don’t accomplish this until 13 months)
- say ‘mama’ or ‘dada’ discriminately (most will say at least one of these by 14 months)
- say one word other than ‘mama’ or ‘dada’ (but many won’t say their first word apart from ‘mama’ or ‘dada’ until 14 months or later)
… might possibly be able to:
- indicate wants in ways other than crying (many don’t reach this stage until past 14 months)
- ‘play ball’ (roll ball back to you – many don’t accomplish this feat until 16 months)
- stand alone well (many don’t reach this point until 14 months)
- use immature babbling (gibberish that sounds like baby is talking a foreign language – but half of all babies don’t start babbling until after their first birthday, and many not until they’re 15 months)
- walk well (three out of four babies don’t walk well until 13½ months, and many not until considerably later. But good crawlers may be slower to walk – and when other development is normal, later walking is rarely a cause for concern)
… might even be able to:
- say three words or more other than ‘mama’ or ‘dada’ (half of all babies won’t reach this stage until 13 months, and many not until 16 months)
- respond to a one-step command without gestures (for example, when you say ‘give that to me’ without your hand out – but most children won’t reach this stage until after their first birthday, and many not until after 16 months).
Children grow and develop at different rates. The information above is offered as a guide – there’s no need to expect your child’s development to fit with all the above descriptions. If you’re at all worried about your child’s development, it’s best to speak with your doctor or child health nurse.
