You believe your baby is developing the right skills at the right time, but how can you be completely sure? Do you find yourself comparing them to other babies? Or do you simply let them develop at their own pace?

We know that it can be tricky trying to track your child’s progress as they get older. But don’t worry! We’re here to take you through a guide of major milestones in each area of development, and explain what your child should be able to achieve by the time they’re 8 – 12 months old.

Just a quick reminder: children develop at their own pace! Please don’t overthink or stress if they’re not meeting these milestones the moment they turn 8 – 12 months. These are guidelines, they’re not set in stone.

So, let’s begin with their physical appearance and growth.

Physical appearance and growth:

As with the previous 7 months of their life, your baby will continue to grow rapidly. An 8-month-old boy will typically weigh around 8 to 10 kg (17.5 to 22 pounds), while a girl of the same age will weigh about 0.23 kg (a half-pound) less. By the time they reach their first birthday (a truly exciting time for all!), they should have roughly tripled their birth weight and have a height of 70 to 80 cm (roughly 28 to 32 inches). But don’t be alarmed if your baby doesn’t quite sit within these boundaries. If they’re following an upward curve, they’re very likely on the right track.

Head growth will slow down during these months and your baby’s proportions will even out. A typical head circumference at 8 months is 44.5 cm (around 17½ inches), and 45.72 cm (18 inches) at 1 year.

Your baby’s movements:

At eight months, your baby should be able to sit unsupported, as well as to steady themselves while seated. They’re also on their way to leaning and reaching for objects. You’ll notice them in constant motion, crawling and soon standing. It’s especially important to watch over them at this stage.

What are the movement milestones:

Gets into a sitting position and can stay there without assistance.

Crawls forward using arms and legs.

Assumes hands-and-knees position.

Can crawl on hands and knees.

Pulls themselves up into a standing position.

Can walk holding onto furniture.

Can stand momentarily without any support.

May walk 2 or 3 steps.

Hand and finger skills:

While their crawling and standing will be their most exciting and dramatic accomplishments, don’t overlook all of the wonderful things they’ll begin to do with their hands. Instead of simply reaching and raking objects towards them, they’ll be picking items up between their thumb and first or second finger with a great deal more precision.

It may be a good idea to introduce them to softer toys as opposed to harder blocks that will make a lot of noise when they’re dropped, pushed, and kicked all about the living room.

What are the hand and finger skills milestones?

Uses a pincer grip to pick up items.

Puts objects into containers.

Takes objects out of containers.

Voluntarily lets objects go.

Bangs items together.

Pokes with their index finger.

Does their best to imitate scribbling.

Language development:

As they reach the end of their first year, your baby will begin to communicate by pointing, crawling, and gesturing in the directions of objects and people. They will even begin to imitate the gestures of the adults and children around them and eventually try to imitate words.

Reinforce their speech by talking to them, telling them about your day, reading them books, asking them questions, and singing them songs. And listen to what they have to say, even if it is just nonsense words. Though they may utter a word or two, most babies won’t say their very first intelligible word until they’re past the age of 1. And remember, language development sees a great deal of variation, so don’t feel the need to compare your baby to others.

What are the language milestones?

Pays increasing attention to speech.

Can respond to simple verbal requests.

Responds to “no”.

Babbles with inflections.

Says “dada” and “mama”.

Tries to imitate words.

Uses simple gestures, such as shaking their head.

Uses exclamations.

Cognitive development:

While just about everything will pique your baby’s curiosity, their attention span at 8 months won’t be very long. They’ll likely only spend about 3 minutes with each toy before moving on to the next. At 12 months, they’ll manage about 15 minutes with one toy, but they’ll still be itching to move around and take in all of their surroundings.

They’ll try to imitate your use of objects, putting phones to their ear instead of their mouth, so give them props and show them how to use them. But be extra careful that they don’t pick up objects that might cause choking or present any other safety hazards.

What are the cognitive development milestones?

Explores objects in many different ways, shaking and throwing, dropping and banging.

Finds objects easily.

Looks at the right image when it’s mentioned.

Imitates the gestures of the people around them.

Starts to use objects correctly.

Emotional development:

During these 3 months, your baby may seem as though they have 2 personalities; one of which is affectionate and outgoing, and the other is clingy, anxious, and easily frightened. Now you shouldn’t see these diverse behaviours as a response to your parenting - they occur simply because your baby is learning to differentiate between familiar and unfamiliar situations. So, if anything, these predictable anxieties are evidence of their healthy relationship with you.

Separation anxiety and stranger anxiety will become commonplace during these months, but they’ll grow out of it eventually, so don’t worry!

What are the social and emotional development milestones?

May be shy or anxious with strangers.

Cries when you or your partner leave.

Shows a preference for certain people and toys.

Enjoys imitating people.

Tests your responses to their actions during feedings.

Tests your responses to their behaviour.

Repeats certain sounds and gestures to get attention.

May be fearful in certain situations.

Finger-feeds themselves.

Extends their arms or legs to help when they’re being dressed.

May prefer their regular caregiver above all others.

What are the things to look out for?

Every child is different and will develop different skills in their own time. However, it’s always a good idea to talk to your paediatrician if your child is still showing these signs at 8 – 12 months old:

Doesn’t sit or crawl independently by the age of 9 months.

Cannot stand when supported once they’re 1 year old.

Consistently uses one side of their body more than the other.

Says no single words (like “mama” or “dada”).

Doesn’t make eye contact.

Doesn’t respond to their name.

Doesn’t learn gestures such as waving and shaking their head.

Doesn’t point to objects or pictures.

Doesn’t search for hidden objects when they see where they’re hidden.

What are the developmental milestones for 8 - 12 months?

On Unii’s Baby Development Journey, we look at the developmental milestones for eight months to a year.