11 Months Old Baby Milestones – Cognitive, Social & Emotional Developmental Milestones

With a new baby, there is always a time of firsts. You will remember the first time your baby tried to sit, the first time he ate an entire meal on his own, and the time he stood up and walked with support. But, as your baby’s first birthday is approaching, you will probably be curious about what to look for so that you don’t miss any of those much-awaited and treasured moments in your lives. At 11 months, your baby is likely hitting some key milestones, like standing without support, responding to simple words, or even attempting to say a few. These 11-month baby milestones are exciting developments that showcase just how much your little one is growing.

11-Month-Old Baby Milestone Chart

What Milestones Should a Baby Reach by 11 Months of Age?

The development of a baby can be categorised into three main sections: physical development (motor skills), cognitive development, and social and emotional development. Babies at this age grow fast and learn even faster. They are now determined to become more independent and will even begin to experiment a lot more since they are now able to move around by themselves to a certain extent.

Physical and Motor Skills

Here, we will look at how an 11-month-old develops physical and motor skills.

• Your baby begins to learn to change his position in order to be able to reach things better.
• Your baby may seem wobbly at first, but now is when he will have learnt to stand without any support.
• “Cruising” is the term that is used to refer to a baby learning to walk by using objects for support.
• Babies of this age will not make much progress when it comes to climbing all the stairs, but they will manage to scale a few, given enough time.
• At this point, your baby has developed better motor and muscle capacity, and now has a better grip on objects.

Cognitive Development

Here are the cognitive developments your child should have made by 11 months:

• At this age, babies are beginning to learn the names of the people and objects they interact with on a regular basis.
• Babies are developing their spatial skills at this point. This is where they learn to observe the shapes and sizes of objects and then manipulate them.
• Your little one begins to understand how to use his cup, lifting it to his mouth to drink. He may also start to lift the comb directly to his head if he sees it. He is learning how things work.
• Your baby will now be able to communicate his disapproval towards certain things. For example, if he is not enjoying a meal, he will show it by shaking his head in order to say “No”.

Social and Emotional Development

Here are the milestones to look out for in your child related to his social and emotional development:

• Your baby now exclusively knows who mama is and who dada is, and will even know whom he needs, depending on the situation.
• If put in a situation where a baby has to interact with a lot of people, he will naturally go freely to the people he knows, often giving them warm smiles. With people he doesn’t know, he may show nervousness and unwillingness to leave the familiar person he is with.
• Your baby will now display a wide range of emotions. He knows how to express his displeasure, throwing a tantrum when he does not like the situation he is in or the outcome of an action, like taking away his toys to put him to bed.
• Babies of this age will usually engage in parallel play; this is when they play alongside but not with another child.

Communication Skills

Here are some communication skills your baby is developing at this age:

• Your baby will learn to indicate his wants through his actions.
• At this age, babies may show an interest in a two-way conversation.
• Your baby can now follow a number of actions, and may even try imitating some expressions and words from you and your partner.
• Your baby can now follow simple requests such as “Could you please give me that block?”

Eating Milestones

Some eating milestones that your baby will reach this age are:

• Your baby will start feeding himself with his fingers and will also start to experiment with a spoon.
• By this time, his sense of taste will start developing.
• He may begin eating a more varied diet of pureed or mashed solid foods.
• Some fussy eaters may not want to eat new food that is offered to them. Try offering it to them at least eight to twelve times before they get used to it.

When to Be Worried

Here are some things to watch for during your baby’s development:

• At this age, babies should be able to stand and at least attempt their first steps. So, if your baby still hasn’t begun to crawl at all, you may want to visit your doctor.
• Babies are fast learners, and if you help them out at this age, they will eventually get the hang of standing. However, if you notice that your child’s legs look loose and shaky when he stands or is not able to stand even with support, consult your doctor.
• Babies by this age start babbling and try to imitate what you say. If your baby does not utter a single word, then you may need to visit the doctor.
• If you call out to your baby from behind a closed door, your baby will immediately turn towards the sound of your voice, even if he cannot see you, and since he knows you are there, he will keep looking at it. This requires all the baby’s senses to be working in harmony. If your baby seems confused, his sensory functioning may be poor, which is a bad sign.

Ways to Help Your Child Reach These Milestones

Help your baby reach his 11-month-old baby development milestones with a few simple steps:

• Play with him in a way that enables him to practice and develop his new skills. Take him to a park to socialise.
• Help your baby be independent by allowing him to comb his own hair if he likes to, or by letting him feed himself.
• Read to your baby with the help of simple storybooks with colourful pictures. Your baby may try to say the name of a familiar picture you point to in his books. This helps in developing memory and speech.
• Your little one can link words and actions by now, and it is important to start to cut baby talk out of your conversations. This will help to improve and grow your baby’s basic vocabulary.

FAQs

1. Can an 11-month-old baby mimic animal sounds?

Yes, some 11-month-old babies may begin to mimic simple animal sounds like a dog barking or a cat meowing. This skill reflects their ability to recognize sounds and associate them with specific animals, which is a cognitive milestone.

2. Is it typical for an 11-month-old to show preferences for certain toys or people?

Yes, it is quite common for an 11-month-old baby to develop strong preferences for specific toys or even people. This indicates emerging social and emotional development as babies start to form attachments and show favoritism.

3. Can an 11-month-old baby begin to understand cause-and-effect relationships?

At 11 months, many babies start to grasp cause and effect. For example, they may drop a toy repeatedly just to see you pick it up or press buttons on a toy to produce sounds; understanding their actions leads to specific outcomes.

4. Should I expect my 11-month-old to show signs of shyness around strangers?

Yes, it’s not uncommon for 11-month-old babies to exhibit stranger anxiety or become shy around unfamiliar people. This is part of their emotional development as they become more aware of their surroundings and who is familiar versus unfamiliar.

These were the milestones for 11-month-olds. Always remember that each baby will reach these eleven-month-old milestones at the rate they are comfortable with. As long as it doesn’t match up to any of the signs to be worried about, all you need to do is keep going for your regular doctor’s appointments and help your baby out through your simple, everyday activities.

References/Resources:

1. Take a Stand! When Do Babies Stand on Their Own; Pathways.org; https://pathways.org/help-baby-stand-on-their-own/

2. How to keep your baby or toddler active; NHS; https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/baby/babys-development/play-and-learning/keep-baby-or-toddler-active/

3. Baby Walkers: A Dangerous Choice; American Academy of Pediatrics; https://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/at-home/Pages/Baby-Walkers-A-Dangerous-Choice.aspx

4. Ertem. I, Krishnamurthy. V, Mulaudzi. M, et al.; Similarities and differences in child development from birth to age 3 years by sex and across four countries: a cross-sectional, observational study; The Lancet Global Health; https://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/article/PIIS2214-109X(18)30003-2/fulltext; March 2018

5. Gross motor skills: Birth to 5 years; Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU; https://www.chrichmond.org/services/therapy-services/developmental-milestones/gross-motor-skills-birth-to-5-years

6. Age-Appropriate Vision Milestones; Stanford Medicine; https://www.stanfordchildrens.org/en/topic/default?id=age-appropriate-vision-milestones-90-P02305

7. Age-Appropriate Speech and Hearing Milestones; Johns Hopkins Medicine; https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/hearing-loss/ageappropriate-speech-and-hearing-milestones

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