Hi ladies! This is my first time submitting a question and I am hoping some of you might be able to help me out... I am wondering if a few of the things our 10.5 month old son is doing are typical for his age. The things I am worried about are:
1. He likes to look at lights and ceiling fans still. I know this is typical for younger babies, but don't know if he should still be really interested in them. He will look up at them for a few seconds, then look away and then look back at them again a few seconds later. This is especially obvious when we are in a new place with new light fixtures or ceiling fans.
2. He almost always responds to his name, except when he's really focused on something - then it's like he is ignoring us. Is that normal or should he stop to turn towards us even when he's focused on something else?
3. I read that 10 month old children should be showing joint attention, where they stop what they are doing to look towards someone to "check in" to make sure the other person is looking at the same thing or to get their attention. He does this every once in a while, but how often is typical?
4. When playing with toys he will kinda slide them back and forth along the ground, look at them, and then just hold onto them. Sometimes he will throw them. He doesn't really do much with them. It seems like he doesn't really get the 'function' of a toy yet... like how to stack rings, or shape sorting toys - he more just holds onto them.
In so many ways, he seems to be right on track - he is crawling all over the place, likes to play peek-a-boo, listen when we sign songs, babbles all the time, will babble back and forth with us, waves bye-bye, responds to our smiles by smiling and laughing at us, eats everything we put in front of him, cries when we leave the room, wants to be held, sleeps well, and might be saying 'mama' to me, but I can't be sure he's doing it on purpose yet. It's just those 4 behaviors I listed above that I'm not sure about. I would really appreciate hearing any advice you all may have! Thanks so much!
If you are concerned about the way he is playing with a toy show him what he should/could do with it. "Car, vroom, vroom" while pushing it.
If you are concerned about him ignoring you now, wait until he's 13!!! If he is really focused on something he is just tuning you out, we all do that.
Every child is different. Don't judge him by where he fits on a chart. Is he a perfectly normal 10 month old? Probably :). Just enjoy him.
M.
Your son is a normal 10 month old. My daughter loved lights and ceiling fans until she was almost 2 and she is a straight A student. In responding to his name he could be ignoring you. My daughter did that at that age and still does. If she is busy doing something and you call her she will more than likely ignore you. He is playing the way he likes to play. Nothing wrong with the way he is playing.
Stop worrying. The information you are reading about is a guide. Not all babies are going to respond the same way at certain age groups. He seems to be doing what he should be for his age.
Sounds like he's doing great. Some milestones they hit and others not so much. If he's a busy guy who is always on the go then he might be more focused on doing things instead of checking in or answering to his name.
Fans are just like large mobiles. Kids love them. Think about it - half the time they are sitting in a baby seat or sitting on the floor - it's something to look at. They don't know what a fan is .. it's just this huge thing on the ceiling blowing air about. It's probably more interesting than looking at the toy block that doesn't do anything, right? :)
They don't respond on cue at this age. So long as they turn if you say, bang something loud, you're fine.
Usually kids who have separation anxiety are the ones who keep checking for mom .. if mine were content, they'd busily occupy themselves.
Sliding and throwing toys - mine did that until they were toddlers .. they make up their own ways to play with toys.
If you stack rings, at some point (when they are ready) they will be able to do it too. Some do that really early, some later, some don't find stacking them anywhere near as interesting as rolling them, chucking them, or whatever :)
The best advice I was ever given was to biff my baby/toddler books. When I did, I stopped comparing my baby to others. I trusted my doctor would tell me if something was wrong, and I listened to my gut :)
Sounds completely normal to me :)
Yes I think so. He's doing some things, not all. They ALL do that. The early talkers are (for example) late walkers, the ones who can't "do things" with toys are doing something else. If you have a toy with a certain "purpose" like stacking rings or sorting shapes, sit down on the floor with him and just let him watch you stack/sort. Don't ask him to do it, just do it. But only for a few minutes and then move on to other things. Just give him plenty of opportunities to touch and taste and smell and see and hear - a variety of textures/shapes, a variety of things to look at (go to the park or the museum or on a nature walk, let him play in the dirt, get out the plastic tupperware and let him stack or hit with a wooden spoon), and give him time.
Kids tune you out all the time - not responding to his name happens now, but it will also happen when he's 2, 5, 9 and don't even get me started about 13 on!!
I think worrying about what's typical just makes you crazy at this young age. He's doing plenty of other things so try to relax.
Very normal 10 month old.
What does your pediatrician say?
Another mom here saying this is all normal.
I have to assume he's your first child--? It's perfectly normal for a child this young (and 10 months is still very, very young) to not respond to his name if he's very engrossed-- he has only so much attention to give and at that second, his name being called is just not as interesting and whatever he's doing. Also normal to just slide/pick up/throw a toy, or to stare at something, anything that is moving in a new place like a fan. (You do note that he stares at fans etc. mostly in new settings--again, normal.) It's normal if he isn't stacking rings yet or shape sorting -- that is some months away yet. If you have some friend whose wonder kid is stacking rings at seven months, that is just fine for that particular kid, but your son will go at his own pace.
Consider getting a good "age and stage" parenting book that lays out what to expect at different points in your baby's life. A reputable book will note that children are all different and shouldn't be compared to each other or to strict timetables of development too closely.
The things you're listing make me wonder if you have been reading about disorders where things like fixed staring, lack of eye contact with others, failure to respond to one's own name, etc. are potential signs. They are not necessarily signs of anything except being 10 months old and having a naturally limited attention span. Don't give credence to lists of "signs your baby may have whatever condition" online or on forums or in magazines--there are a lot of such lists out there and they make new moms start to doubt many absolutely normal things their child is doing.If your son were three and still stared fixedly at things or still couldn't stack or sort etc. that would be another issue altogether. But he sounds normal for 10 months.
Go enjoy your time with him and don't worry about things that are fine.
parentcenter.com
Join and get the emails that let you know things like "your baby is 11 months and 1 week old. They should be doing XXX, xxx, and OOO. In the next few weeks you should notice them start doing III, EEE, and RRR."
I enjoyed getting them until the kiddos were in elementary school.
I come from a massive family. The average family size within my family size is about 10 kids per family. 60+ cousins who are under 18. With every kind of personality among the kids represented.
These little milestones are so wildly different for every kid, you can drive yourself mad watching for little clues to things that could be wrong. All my kids (I only have 3) were different. They all ignored their name being called at times. Two started deliberate tantrums at 18 months, one started them a 8 months. One could climb stairs gracefully practically in infancy, the other one toddled forever and kept falling and walked way later. One talked a lot at age 18 months. Like an erie little tiny adult. My son barely said two words by age THREE. Everyone was like, "Early intervention!!!!" at like age 2!!!?! So many boys do not talk at 2!! I had seen way too many baby boys talk way after 2 years old to worry. My son was bright and normal with great comprehension in my mommy gut. He's now 7, advanced in reading with an excellent talent for language and writing and stories and jokes. They all walk and talk and learn just fine in elementary school.
Your list of healthy normal behaviors is looooong and your concerns don't sound alarming. Kids are soooo different. Don't scare yourself by analyzing each week and month. Holy cow the toys. My kids paid no heed to how they were "supposed" to play with toys. They mostly just threw them. Checking in with me...hm....one did the other two not really. But listen to your concern: "He does stop what he is doing at times to "check in" or get joint attention...." kudos for noticing that!! I never even heard of watching for that, but he sounds pretty darn alert!!!! How many times would be concerning if someone answered that? Too many? None? He does it. Sounds like he's fine!
