Month 10 Play
So far in her life, as long as it’s not sleeping or eating, you can get away with describing anything this baby does as “play.” Like, we’re just grabbing stuff and chewing on it - that’s not a game. But in Month 10, I’m seeing my girl really get excited by the opportunities different toys offer her - she’s actually having intentional fun!
Following Baby’s Lead
So far, over the first three months as full-time caregiver, I’ve gone through a few roles during free playtime. (Don’t worry - we play together and I’m more involved, but that’s not “free play” the way I’m talking about it here.) In Month 7, I was mostly a human barricade, cordoning off parts of the room to keep Toby in the designated safe space. In Month 8, I was a spotter, ready with dad reflexes if she toppled over on a climb. And Month 9 had me chasing my rugrat around the house as she accelerated her top crawling speed.
In Month 10, I’m still serving in each of those capacities, but noticeably less. She is an adept climber, so I am no longer a barricade. (At least I can’t miss her as she she crawls right over me.) I’ve watched her save her own falls enough times that I don’t feel the need to hover with my hands out-stretched. And she definitely still cruises around the house when given the opportunity, but I think she’s satisfied with her exploration phase and is willing to stay put for longer periods of time.
Now, I’m a facilitator, a custodian, and a documenter.
I make sure she has opportunities to have new experiences (even if it’s just the toy rotation) and encourage her to keep exploring. I fetch the balls out from under the couch, I put the books back on the shelf, and I keep track of what she’s capable of and what she’s working on mastering. (She may be ready for some more cruising encouragement, soon.)12
Oh, I’m also the DJ. The soundtrack to Toby’s free play covers a wide range of styles.
![squigline1.png](https://assets.buttondown.email/images/443612fd-2bbe-43ef-ab08-3d0721727d54.png)
This month has also come with a new behavior: frustrated crying. In terms of Inside Out, it seems like Anger has arrived on the scene. I’m deciding to see it as a sign of progress, evidence of Toby’s new ability to make plans and form expectations. But when play turns into an outburst when toys are hard to reach or don’t work the way we want, nobody’s having fun.
Playing Together
Toby’s showing more interest in playing together - her free play time comes back around to me more often nowadays. The books she throws on the ground aren’t just a discard pile: she’ll focus on one and sit with me if I pick it up to read. She follows my demos of new things her toys can do and tries out my approach. She shows signs of trying to do hand motions for songs (putting her hands together for the “Itsy-Bitsy Spider” and the “Baby Bumblebee”).
She’ll give me a giggle as a reward for silly faces, and she loves when her stuffed animals “come to life.” She’s a big fan of being lifted up (or even tossed for a sec). And, of course, she loves the occasional tickle fight.
I think she’s got an ear for music. When I have the ukulele or guitar out, she wants to get her hands on it. She’s a good audience, but she can only pay attention for so long. And then I’m distracted from my safety officer duty. So the instruments are a special occasion. We’ll get her a toy piano, or something, soon.