About the Element

Sophisticated Emotional Development 

At nine months, baby has already reached an impressive level of emotional development. He has established a strong relation to his caregivers, developed an array of emotional responses and is slowly establishing his independence.

Evolving Relationships with Others

Your baby’s attachment with his caregiver is now firmly established and he relates to him or her with an array of gestures, such as raising his hands up when he wants to be held. The mere presence of the caregiver gives baby the confidence he needs to explore and experience new things. Baby also relates more now to other babies and children, handing toys, sharing, imitating and more. In addition, your baby now begins to understand and interpret others' feelings. He can recognize concern, pain or joy, and react to these feelings accordingly. This recognition comes with an understanding that he has the power to influence these feelings, for example, by making certain sounds he knows will make people laugh. The characteristics of baby's initial bonds will shape his attachments with other people for the rest of his life. These relationships help determine his ability to rely on others and be expressive about his emotions.

A Well-developed Emotional Repertoire 

Your baby is now equipped with a well-developed emotional repertoire. It is easy to tell if he is happy, sad, frightened or angry and he is even able to regulate and control his feelings. The concepts of permitted and forbidden begin to sink in, and you may find your baby looking over his shoulder to see if he is being watched while doing something he knows he shouldn't be doing... Baby does not yet understand why something is not allowed, but he checks for a reaction based on his memory of previous attempts.

Gaining a Sense of Self

By the time your baby is twelve months old, his self-recognition is quite developed. He understands the limits of his body and knows that he is a separate being from his parents. However, baby’s attachment to his parents remains strong, giving him the confidence he need to push the limits of his independence. He  may crawl away on his own for a few minutes, but will stay within a safe radius – almost as if he is tied to you with an invisible cord that allows him to come back quickly for a "refill" of confidence and encouragement when needed!

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