6–12 months · Sitting, moving, meaning
The child becomes mobile, discovers that objects continue to exist when hidden, and that pointing makes things happen.
Body and movement
- Sits without support (about 6–8 months)
- Moves things from one hand to the other
- Crawls or shuffles (about 7–10 months — some children never crawl)
- Pulls up to stand holding furniture (about 9–11 months)
- Picks up small things with thumb and finger (about 9 months)
- May take first steps (9–15 months, and 15 is still typical)
Communication
- Babbles strings: bababa, dadada
- Responds to own name (about 7–9 months)
- Understands 'no' by tone
- Waves bye-bye or claps (about 9–12 months)
- Points at things they want (about 10–12 months)
- Says one or two words with meaning (about 12 months)
Thinking and looking
- Looks for a toy that has been hidden — object permanence
- Bangs two things together
- Puts things in a container and takes them out
- Copies gestures
- Explores by shaking, dropping and throwing
Feeling and belonging
- Shows clear preference for familiar adults
- May be wary of strangers (7–10 months — a sign of healthy attachment, not of a problem)
- Looks at an adult's face to check how to react
- Plays simple games: peekaboo, give-and-take
👀 Worth asking a doctor about
- Not sitting with support by 9 months
- No babbling by 9 months
- Does not respond to own name by 9–12 months
- No pointing, showing, waving or reaching by 12 months
- Does not look for a hidden object by 12 months
- Loses skills they previously had — at any age, this needs prompt attention
These are reasons to ask, not verdicts. Early help works; waiting rarely does.
🤝 What helps at this age
- Name objects as the child points — pointing is a question
- Play hiding games; they teach that things last
- Let the child feed themselves, messily
- Read board books daily, letting the child turn pages and chew them
