Child development at 10 months of life: physical and psychological development

Physical development at 10 months

Compared to the previous months of an infant’s life, the baby’s weight gain is no longer so noticeable. This is due to the fact that children at the age of 10 months are already quite active: they crawl a lot, walk along walls, and some can even walk on their own. Now the child will gain no more than 500 grams of weight each month. On average, during the 10th month of life, a baby should gain weight from 350 to 500 grams. The increase in height is usually from 1 to 2 cm. Thus, a 10-month-old child should weigh from 8 to 10 kg. In this case, the baby’s height can be from 70 to 75 cm.

At the age of 10 months, a child, as a rule, already has 4 teeth - 4 central incisors (2 lower and 2 upper). It should be borne in mind that all children develop individually. Hereditary factors play a significant role.

Games made from improvised means

It's great if you still have a box of chocolates. Remove the plastic backing from it and turn it over. Show your child how this interesting little thing rustles and watch what your child will do with it. Most likely, the first thing he will want to do is taste it, then touch it, hit it with his palm, or poke his finger into the candy nests. Watching your child will be very fun and sometimes even very funny. Most children find this activity incredibly enjoyable and also beneficial for fine motor skills.

Interesting castles - a game from dad

The next game is very good for the lungs.

All you need for this game is cotton wool or a piece of paper. To begin, take paper napkins and, together with your baby, tear them into small pieces. When everything around is torn, we show the child what will happen if you blow on them. Blow until your baby begins to repeat after you. Another game is very useful because it develops the baby’s vestibular apparatus.

If you have a lot of old, unwanted books at home, put them to good use.

Textured materials for games
Lay out a path of books on the floor and invite your child to walk along them. If the baby is afraid, entice him with some toy. If your baby doesn’t know how to walk, don’t be upset, take him by the hands and walk with him, gradually moving further and further away from the baby. This way you will also teach him to walk.

Glass beads of different shapes and a collection container

All mothers have a hair dryer, so this could become a new hobby for your 10 month old baby. All you need to do is turn on the hairdryer in a vertical position, blow the air upward and place a small ball on it. The baby will be very surprised and will take 10-20 minutes.

What should a 10 month old child be able to do?

Despite the individual development, every 10-month-old baby must have certain skills:

It's good to crawl. Moreover, crawling is not limited to one room - every day the baby conquers a new space more and more confidently.
Stand up and squat independently.
Stand on legs without support, move around holding the hand of an adult or walls and furniture.
Independently take the object of interest with either hand, confidently hold various objects in both hands. At the age of 10 months, you can already notice which hand is dominant in the baby - left or right. If it turns out that the baby is left-handed, there is no need to try to retrain the child, this can lead to negative consequences.
Repeat the movements of adults. The baby can “manage” kitchen and wardrobes: independently open doors and pull out drawers, throw out clothes and other light items. If a child of this age is shown how to roll a ball on the floor, he will easily repeat the actions shown.
Find uses for objects. Children are very observant and resourceful: a healthy 10-month-old baby is able to use one object to get another object of interest to him. The boys roll (carry) small objects in their toy cars.

Considering that the child has the above skills, parents must be on guard all the time and make sure that the baby is safe. The child can crawl anywhere, so you should not leave the baby unattended.

A 10-month-old child should begin to be taught to get out of bed and off the sofa. To do this, you need to repeatedly show the baby how to do this correctly: turn the baby towards the edge of the sofa with his butt and carefully lower his legs. The child will very soon understand that he can get off only after feeling the support under his feet.

Features of the development of boys and girls

What to expect from babies aged ten months:

improving hand-eye coordination. Many babies this age can pick up pieces of food with their thumb and forefinger and put them in their mouth. The child likes to put toys in a container, and then take them out, knock objects and poke his finger into them. When exploring toys, the toddler uses both hands and can clap his hands. The vision of a 10-month-old baby becomes clearer, the perception of color and its depth improves;
improving motor skills . Most children can already sit without the help of adults, turn their heads while looking at toys without losing their balance. The toddler is able to rise from a sitting position and back. Active crawling around the room eventually develops into walking. Some babies, if supported, can stand for a short time and even take a few steps. The child looks for all kinds of ways to move and play;
progress of emotional development . The baby knows that you can communicate not only through crying. He already understands the meaning of the word “impossible,” but so far remains disobedient. A baby may become upset if a toy is taken away from him or if he is forced to do something he doesn’t want to do: sleep, eat;
mastering new cognitive skills . The baby not only improves his understanding of the permanence of objects, he is already able to find hidden objects. Even if the baby is still crying when the mother leaves the room, he understands that even if she disappears from sight, she still exists and will definitely return. Children at 10 months old try to “copy” adults in everything: talking on the phone, combing their hair, pressing buttons on the television remote control;
speech development and improvement of communication skills
. Ten-month-old babies are able to answer simple verbal questions. Their babble takes on a new meaning, replenished with the words “dada”, “mom” or exclamations like “uh-uh”. They listen carefully to the sound of adults’ speech and try to understand their reaction to certain situations. For example, if the parents are laughing at something, the baby can also join in. The baby begins to express needs through nonverbal (without using words) methods of communication: he points his finger at an object of interest that is out of reach and shakes his head, thereby “saying” “no.” Or he waves his hand at mom, which means “bye”;
improving sensory perception . The child can hear sounds from a distance. He is able to distinguish quiet voices coming from the next room. But the unfamiliar noise continues to frighten the baby.

You should not allow your child to “play” with his food. This will mark the beginning of mastering table manners: do not throw food, try to use a spoon. The appetite of a 10-month-old child may slow down, but even so, the little one gains 350-450 grams in weight and grows by 1-1.5 cm.

By one year old, the baby should take the first step without assistance. If the baby’s legs are still bent, don’t worry, they will straighten out next year.

Mental development of a 10-month-old baby

As for the psychological development of the baby, at 10 months the child has the following skills:

Understands much of what adults tell him. A 10-month-old baby understands when something is forbidden to him, and begins to act up in order to achieve what he wants. At the same time, the baby is happy when he is praised. The child also understands when he is asked to give up an object that he is holding in his hand, and if earlier it was almost impossible to unclench his fist, now the baby himself can easily unclench it.
He asks to be held by his parents, holding his hands up. The child consciously hugs his mother; tactile sensations are very important for him.
He understands and is happy when they play with him. A child smiles and laughs when his parents joke or tickle him.
Can repeat some simple words after parents.
Shows interest in his peers, studies them - carefully peers into their faces, touches their hands.
Shows interest in animals. Children love animals very much, they are interested in any animal or any bird: dogs, cats, crows, pigeons. There is no need to prevent this, but it is important that the child’s communication with animals is under control.
Understands what certain items are needed for. For example, a child may put a mobile phone to his ear or put a spoon in his mouth.
Shows his dissatisfaction. When a baby is dissatisfied with something, he begins to be capricious, throw toys around, and does this consciously.
He remembers in which place he put this or that object. The child already knows well where his toys are, and can himself get the toy that interests him.

Educational games with clothes, water and paints

Playing with clothes will also keep your baby busy for 10-15 minutes. Just sit him on the bed or rug and give him a pile of his clothes. Your child will sort through and put clothes from side to side, look at his socks, tights or T-shirts, sometimes he will even manage to put something on himself, perhaps in this way you will teach your baby order.

If your child gets dirty, don’t get upset and run to change him. You just need to keep him busy with another game, for example with water. Pour some warm water into a cup, add pasta or beans and let your child play with the water. At first he will pull out the contents of the cup, and in the end he will simply wet his hands in the water. Of course, the child will spill most of the water on himself, but what to lose, the clothes are still dirty.

Water games on the table

Advice for parents: You should pour warm, boiled water, because the baby will want to try it. You shouldn’t pour a lot of water, since you still have to clean up after the baby. For a 10 month old child, 1/3 cup is enough.

Fire and Water is a fun game.
Playing with paints is also suitable for dirty clothes. Take a simple oilcloth so as not to stain the carpet, lay it on the floor, sit the child down, and with his hands, coated in paint, start drawing on paper. After you show your child how to draw correctly, the child will want to draw the picture on paper on his own. It’s worth choosing the right paints; it will be enough to buy a couple of bright finger paints so that your baby doesn’t get lost in the choice. However, it is better not to leave him alone and keep an eye on the child during these games. Thus, by showing the baby what to do, he will be interested in drawing.

Playing with sand is very exciting

How to understand that a 10-month-old baby is not lagging behind in development?

Any 10-month-old baby should be able to do the following:

Sit down and stand up independently, holding onto a support.
Crawl to the toy of interest.
Understand when something is asked of him or when something is given to him.
Attract parents' attention through babbling, crying and gestures.
Repeat at least a few words after your mother.

If a child does not have even half of the above skills, then this may be a serious reason to contact a pediatrician. In addition, the child should be moderately emotional - the monotonous muttering of the baby can also become a cause for concern for parents.

Feeding a baby at 10 months

The diet of a 10-month-old baby already includes many products from the common table: soups, vegetable purees, milk porridges, various casseroles, cookies, compotes, fruit drinks, juices. In this case, you need to continue to breastfeed your baby (with formula if you are bottle-fed) at night, in the morning after waking up and before going to bed at night. The total number of feedings should be at least 5 times a day, including breast milk. The best option is 2 breastfeedings (morning and evening) and 3 feedings with food from a common table (during the day with an interval of 4 hours).

All food for a child must be boiled or steamed; fried food should not be given to a 10-month-old baby. It is important that the baby receives adequate nutrition; food must contain all the vitamins, proteins, fats and minerals necessary for the child’s development. Considering that the child already has teeth, you need to give him solid pieces of food, which should be of medium size so that the baby can comfortably hold them in his hand.

10-12 months

After 9 months there is a turning point: the child is about to start walking, but he drops and takes apart everything that falls into his hands. Now toys are used that are convenient to grab with both hands, throw and hit them: for example, drums, metallophone, ball, skittles, large plush animals, toy dump trucks, bouncy balls. It's time to put the baby on a rocking horse, a car on wheels, the first swing and balance bike, and involve him in various games with the ball.

To develop motor skills of both hands, at the same time as logic, three-dimensional molds, pyramids, puzzles and puzzles with large parts are suitable. Toys with sounds are still necessary and useful, only more complex: for example, books where animals make different sounds when you press a button.

When choosing what toys to buy for children under one year old, pay attention to what and how they are made. Children at this age test everything for strength, so unbreakable and safe toys are a priority.

Daily routine - sleep and wakefulness

The daily routine of the 10-month-old baby remains almost the same as a month ago. The child sleeps from 8 to 10 hours at night, while during the day he needs two periods of sleep - 1.5-2 hours each. You need to feed your baby at least 5 times a day. Particular attention should be paid to walks in the fresh air and educational games. In order to prevent the baby from becoming overtired and unnecessary whims, you need to try not to disrupt the established daily routine, especially since the result of such disruptions negatively affects the child’s well-being and behavior.

How to help your baby develop

How fully their child will develop directly depends on the parents. In order for the baby to develop normally, parents must take full responsibility for the care and upbringing of the child. Parents should:

Continue to carry the baby in your arms. Even if the baby walks confidently, this does not mean that he needs to stop being carried in his arms. The baby still needs parental hugs. You need to devote at least 1.5 hours a day to such “hugs”: pick up the baby, walk around the room with him in your arms, talk, sing songs, look into the eyes, kiss and speak kind words.
Spend a lot of time talking with your baby. When talking to your baby, it is better to use short sentences with simple words. You can show your child objects and parts of the body, naming them, and speech should be clear and calm.
Play with the child. Games should not only be educational (folding pyramids, collecting cubes, drawing, modeling), but also humorous. It's good when the baby laughs a lot. To ensure that the child does not get bored with toys, they need to be changed periodically.
Ensure safety for the baby throughout the apartment. It is important that all dangerous objects (dishes, vases, sockets) are isolated from the baby, because the child crawls freely around the rooms and is able to reach many objects of interest to him. Don’t forget about regular wet cleaning of all rooms.
Read short stories to your child. It is better to opt for the simplest Russian folk tales.

It is important to prevent the child from overtiring, so the lesson time should be from 15 to 20 minutes.

The age of 10 months is the most suitable age for an infant to begin communicating with other children. At the same time, parents must understand that the child is still too young to play in a large group of children. After all, the child gets tired quickly, and a large crowd of people can even scare the baby. The best option is to periodically invite a friend or acquaintance with the child to visit. In a home environment that is familiar to the child, it will be easier for him to get to know another baby. Children learn well through play and adopt the skills and abilities they see from each other. If you don’t know anyone who has small children, then you can take walks to the yard playgrounds for the youngest children. It is imperative for a child to communicate with other children, because this way he will not only quickly master all the skills necessary for normal development, but also make friends!

Games with balls and cars

Playing with a ball is also a very useful activity for the muscles of the body. Take not one, but several bright balls. Show that if you push the ball, it will roll away. Your baby will see the direction in which the toy is rolling. This will give him an incentive to move along this route. Balls can be hidden in different places, thereby developing search skills in the child. First, show your baby a toy, and then hide it, for example, under a pillow, and watch how he actively looks for it, when he finds it, do not forget to praise him.

Can and balls - 20 minutes of fun activity

Instead of a ball, you can use cars; at this age, both boys and girls like cars. For a 10 month old baby this will be a very exciting game. First, show your child how to roll the car back and forth while making the sound of the car, and then let your child try to roll the car. Don’t try to play with just one toy car; it would be best to take a couple of toy cars so that your baby can independently follow your movements. You can show your child that the car is designed not only to roll, but also to transport some objects, for example, his favorite toy.

Educational toys for children up to one year old

All of these games are perfect for almost all 10-month-old babies, but it is still always worth keeping an eye on your child, and you can always play and engage your child with the games presented in this article at any time.

In conclusion, I would like to add, do not be afraid to allow your child to develop independently and teach him new skills. All that is required from you is maximum attention to your baby. 10 months is the most interesting time for parents and to spend it profitably, play with your child, because going back to childhood is a lot of fun.