Just freaked myself out - 11 month old

[doireallyneedaname]

So I’ve just read a thread on here about developmental delays which prompted me to check Dr Google. Bad idea. My first turns 1 at the end of the month and I thought he was a very normal 11 month old - can someone reassure me please!

He can crawl, stand against the furniture, climb on and off the sofa, walk with his walker. If I say “where’s dada?” he’ll look at his dad, or if his dad is out and we hear the keys at the door, he gets excited.

He babbles all day long but won’t say mama or dada, he just says “clock” which actually comes out as “cock” and “what.”

He stood independently a few months ago but hasn’t since, does this count as a “lost skill” (oh god. Can you tell I’ve been Googling?)

My main concern is having just read that he should be pointing at things, shaking his head to gesture no, and following basic instructions like “bring me x toy” which he absolutely does not. He doesn’t do any of those things. Should he!?

I think he understands “no”, because when he’s trying to climb the stairs and I say “no” firmly, he’ll start crying, look at me, try and climb them again, and then get more upset if I say no again.

Oh, I don’t know. Is there an issue with my child because he doesn’t do a few things on a checklist!? Are they really important at this age?

Step away from Google.

Pulling himself up is great, my eldest didn't at that age.

Pointing I sorted in both of mine by spending a week enthusiastically singing wind the bobbin up (point to the ceiling, point to the floor...) - they got the hang of it.

They normally have a word or two at this age - clock is perfectly valid, it doesn't have to be mama or papa.

Did you have the 10-12 month check up with the health visitor yet? What did you think during that?

He's fine. Deep down you know he's fine. He's a baby, they all do things differently. My baby is the same age, he seems to be learning and changing on a daily basis, I believe that's the important thing. Trust your instincts and take the Google results with a grain of salt!

Thanks. I have never done any pointing “stuff” which is bad I suppose, so that is tomorrow’s fun...

He had his 10 month check up - they said he was doing well then.

Sounds fine!

Thank you

He sounds perfect. Stop googling and enjoy your lovely baby!

I'm pretty sure the pointing is by something like 17 months which is half his lifetime again away if you think about it.

He sounds lovely. I remember the crying when they were doing something they knew they shouldnt but were going to do anyway - so cute!

Thanks everyone - I feel much better and I’m stepping away from Dr Google.

I fell down an absolute google rabbit hole just the other week after realising several of my friends babies could clap and my almost 11 month old can't!!! Honestly, I spent days beating myself up over it. And I actually still feel like I've done or am doing something wrong with him, but I'm trying not to worry about it too much.

Mine doesn't point either, he says dada and mama in context but that's it. He crawls and pulls himself up and moves around the furniture. He definitely can't bring me anything, and definitely isn't shaking his head.

I compare him with my eldest who I think could do these things by now which I really struggle not to do.

I am just trying to focus on the fact that he is a super happy baby, eats well, babbles, moves, uses his hands and his feet as he should and so hopefully the clapping and pointing will fall into place soon!!

Until then the training continues!!!

Sure your little one is wonderful too and working at his own pace.

Which assessment were you looking at? If it's the one I'm thinking of the scoring doesn't expect a child to be able to do everything in each area.

Fwiw my ds was declared as not quite meeting his communication milestone (in the developing area as opposed to unmet) at 10 months. At 2 and a half he meets the communication milestone of a 4 year old according to assessment tools (although despite my repeated attempts to correct, still pronounces clock as cock)

There's such a range of development early on, at this stage I would just talk talk talk to him and lots of modelling body language

Not the Asqs again. I just tend to ignore those 🤦🏽‍♀️. Your baby sounds like they’re doing great

He sounds exactly like my 11 month old and I’m quite happy that he’s meeting his milestones; I’ve not heard of him needing to do those other things and wasn’t asked if he could at his development check.

Hey, mine is the same age and sounds exactly like yours. I don't tend to worry about him and think he will learn in his own time. I recently got the forms for his 10 month check and did panic slightly at the 'if you sing a song e.g incy wincy spider does he automatically do the actions without you prompting' / 'can he follow instructions like put that down'. My friend also told me her baby development app told her that her 8 month old should recognise a duck from a story book and relate it to the real life duck at the duckpond etc. What the hell? All my baby would do is try and eat the duck.

Sounds completely normal. When you have those checklists they don't have to do everything on them. And doing something once then forgetting and concentrating on other things isn't a list skill - löst skills would be more like he's doing something regularly and then stops. My first child took three steps by accident at 10 months and then didn't walk again until 16 months! I think t was a confidence thing.

My son didn't meet any of the normal milestones but he did well at university and is a professional artist. He just wanted to take his own sweet time.
You worry too much.

I work in a nursery and he sounds totally normal from your posts. Try not to worry. I convinced myself my first child was autistic at about 10 months purely by his style of crawling 🤷‍♀️. No idea how / why / where I got that from.

He sounds fine. Remember they can start to do new things very quickly with no build up.

Those assessments are so subjective.
I'm fully convinced my one year old understands every word I say - although for some reason she interprets it all as let's stare blankly at mummy, run away and eat whatever is closest to me off the floor.

Step away from Google!

Signed,
A reformed Googler.

One of mine couldn’t crawl or pull himself up until well after his first birthday.

Totally normal healthy happy bright child now.

Can easily beat his best friend in sport etc... same best friend was walking all over my house on his first birthday (they were born in the same week) whilst I panicked about my backward baby 😂

Hahaha yes that is so true! Mine would have tried eating the duck too.

I have a 13 month old.

Your 11 month old sounds entirely normal.

My DD didn't do some of that stuff until 12-13 months.

Some of the stuff on the list she's still not doing really.

I remember tying myself up in similar knots when DS was that age because he didn't wave. He's worked it out now he's 10yo! Honestly, try not to worry and just enjoy your little boy. He sounds lovely!

And I remember coming on here in a tizz and writing a huge list of stuff he could and couldn't do. Someone replied "be honest, you just wanted to show off how much he can do right? Mine can't do half of that!" That put things in perspective!

Sounds absolutely fine to me. My dd has never pointed, never did as a baby or toddler, still doesn't as 6 nearly 7 year old.