Developmental Checklist: 8-10 Months
Remember that all babies are individuals and develop at their own pace. Premature infants, especially, reach many milestones later than their same-age peers. This checklist should be used only to get a general sense for where your baby is or where he is heading. If you have any concerns about your child's development, consult with your physician.
Physical Development
- Crawls quickly.
- Pulls to standing.
- May cruise holding onto furniture.
- Comes to sitting position from stomach.
- Points with finger.
- Picks up tiny objects with thumb and finger.
- May begin to demonstrate right- or left-handedness.
- Holds bottle and cup.
- Handles two objects simultaneously.
Intellectual Development
- Eager to explore.
- Shakes, drops, feels, and tastes all he finds.
- Briefly searches for hidden objects.
- Enjoys being recognized for newly developed feats.
- Experiences heightened anxiety level.
- Understands the word no (but doesn't always obey it).
- May develop fear of heights or bath.
- Recognizes parents and self in mirror, will kiss own image on mirror.
Social And Emotional Development
- Responds to own name.
- Shows moods: angry, happy, hurt, sad
- Plays peek-a-boo.
- May play patty-cake.
- Playfully imitates sounds of others, including coughing, lip smacking, and hissing.
- Experiences separation and stranger anxiety.
- Easily overwhelmed by older, noisy children.
- Fights with other children over toys.
- Objects if you try to take toy away.
- Begins to identify with same-sex parent.
Language Development
- Correlates words with gestures, such as waving bye-bye or nodding yes.
- Combines sounds into longer expressions.
- May say mama, dada, or bye-bye.
Dr. Bettye M. Caldwell Ph.D. Professor of Pediatrics in Child Development and Education
Parenting advice is given as a suggestion only. We recommend you also consult your healthcare provider.
