Fine Motor Skills Development : 7-10 Months

Infants in 7-10 months are much active and may show various development milestones. A 7 month baby has learnt to use her hands and will keep on getting better at this. This is the time to wean her off the bottle as well, so get her some nice and attractive sippy cups that she can use at mealtimes. Go for the ones that have handles on both sides, and though she will need assistance at first, she will start loving her sippy cup in some time.

How Do Fine Motor Skills Develop In A 7-10 Month Old Baby?

Your baby is increasingly able to use her hands to pick up objects, as well as use her thumb and finger to pick up small things. She will be able to grasp objects, follow their motion and move them. She will also be able to transfer toys from one hand to another, and will be able to clap though she will fiddle initially. Once she learns to clasp her hands, she will start enjoying banging toys and objects, and you will have increase in noise in your house. Place a toy some distance away from her and ask her to take it. She will make efforts to have what she wants, and will lean, grasp, and then sit up again. Though at times she would not like to struggle and will probably cry, you should give her encouragement but do not give her the toy.

How Does A 7-10 Month Old Develop Month On Month?

A 7 month old can point to the object or people. She can probably clap using both the hands. If you say ‘bye’ waving off your hand, she will try to imitate you and wave her hand in response. Though it will be abrupt at first, your baby will wave perfectly in times to come. Improved posture control allows a 7 month old to sit without support (but not for very long). By pushing up her arms, she might shift from a lying position to a sitting position. She will start crawling, and childproofing at this stage is a necessity. She will be more attracted towards moving objects and will try to reach to them. At this stage thumb and index finger are mostly used to pick or hold an object or toy. Most of the time you may find her exploring various objects around her, it may be his comb or lotion bottle or any other small toy. A lot of blabbing and drooling will be observed, since she’s probably teething at this time. That also means that she will be putting everything in his mouth. The baby will also learn to use her fingers and fists at her own will, which makes it easier for her to throw objects.

At the age of 9 months, she is beginning to prepare for taking her first steps. Some babies only crawl up and down on stairs while some even try to stand up using the wall as a support or holding furniture by the time they complete 9 months. Let them try it but be sure to be around. It is good to leave them barefoot for all this (you may use socks with non-skid bottoms). Hand-coordination increases and hand movements become finer. Object rotation and transferring them from one hand to another is easy now.She will also let go of objects easily, but only if she wills. She may protest by crying of you try to take away a toy that she is playing with.
The 10th month is for “Mamamam, Dadadada”. By this time, the language skills of your baby are improved enough to say two three words like ‘mama’ or ‘dada’. Her accuracy to grasp object’s is improved by now and she may deliberately pick and release toys or objects on the floor. Banging objects together is very common during this period. She will start recognizing cat or dogs if she is informed about them. She will start expressing her likes or dislikes strongly by crying. For example, when you are playing with her and you move from there all of a sudden, she may start crying to tell you that she wants you to sit with him. Few toddlers start standing without support by 10th month but it may only be for few seconds. They can now eat few solid foods by themselves (not so neatly) like a biscuit or a slice of a soft apple.
In the span of 7-10 months, a baby also starts to understand the idea that objects do exist even when she is not seeing/touching/hearing them. This means she will love to play games like peek-a-boo and hide and seek. Enjoy covering yourself in a blanket and let her look for you. Once she discovers you, her elation will make you love her even more! She will also be show some emotion and may pass a kiss at someone she likes or frown if she doesn’t. She may also learn empathy at this age, and seeing a baby cry might make her stop and look carefully, before she takes in to whimpering herself.

Make Sure The Valuables Are Stashed Away!

Babies this age do not know what is a toy and what is not. Anything that appeals to the baby, she will try to reach out for it. She will also be reaching out to lower placed show pieces and objects, so in order to keep the things safe and avid any accidents, it is best to keep such things out of reach of the baby. Your house has a baby who is on job 24/7, so worrying about how the house looks can definitely take a back seat. Moreover, some artifacts, vases, or show pieces are made of delicate material, and the same, if broken can hurt your baby. So it is better to clear the lower shelves and let your curious explorer have as much fun as she wants.

When Will My Baby Crawl?

With the beginning of 8th month crawling starts. Once the baby learns to roll over her tummy, she will try to move forward on her stomach, doing a commando crawl. She will also rock backwards and forwards by getting up on her hands and knees.
The baby tries to drag her body by keeping her belly and legs down on the floor. Her fine motor skills are improved enough to hold an object. Read more about crawling here.