Developmental milestones are certain skills or tasks that an average child will be able to perform at a certain age. Most pediatricians use these baby milestone charts in order to check if the child is developing at the normal pace or if there are any growth issues. However, an important thing for parents to remember is that every child is unique and develops at a different pace. If you delivered a premature baby then you need to be a little more patient with your baby as most premature babies take a little longer to achieve certain baby milestones.
At 11 months, most parents are amazed by the changes taking place in their little bundle of joy. 11 month baby milestones include vocal developments. During this month the baby will begin to make sounds that sound a little like actual words.
At this age, the baby's brain has developed the ability to communicate with the help of sounds. You should encourage this by listening and responding enthusiastically to the sounds your baby makes.
Some babies take their first independent steps at this age while some others may say their first words such as 'momma' or 'dada'. Most babies love to look at books especially books that have bright colorful pictures. Another not so pleasant 11 month baby milestones is separation anxiety. This is the period when your baby may have a lot of episodes of separation anxiety. This is normal as your baby is dependent on you for everything and gets nervous when you are not around. In order to help your baby deal with this you should not stay away from your child for too long especially if you have to leave your baby at a day care center or with a baby sitter and also remember not to spend to much time saying good bye. Most childcare specialists suggest that at 11 months it is a good time for you to gradually take away the pacifier from your baby. Since this is the age where your baby begins to mumble and attempts to talk, if it has something in its mouth all the time then it's highly unlikely that he/she will chatter away. Another thing to be aware of is that your baby is very curious at this age and will try to explore the world around. This may include examining the most unexpected places around the house. As a result of this inquisitiveness they end up hurting themselves even if your house is baby proofed. Enjoy every 11 month baby milestone and make sure that you always have a camera around to capture these moments so that you can share them with your child as he/she gets older.
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