What most babies do by this age:
Social:
- May be afraid of strangers
- May be clingy with familiar adults
- Has favorite toys
- Imitate behaviors like waving
Communication:
- Understands “no”
- Makes a lot of different sounds like “mamamama” and “bababababa”
- Copies sounds and gestures of others
- Uses fingers to point at things
Problem-solving
- Watches the path of something as it falls
- Looks for things she sees you hide
- Plays peek-a-boo
- Puts things in his mouth
- Moves things smoothly from one hand to the other
- Picks up things like between thumb and index finger
Movement:
- Stands, holding on
- Can get into sitting position
- Sits without support
- Pulls to stand
- Crawls
WHAT FAMILIES CAN DO
- Be available, responsive and gentle with your baby.
- Continue with routines so that your baby feels safe and secure.
- Stay close by as your baby explores and moves around so he/she knows that you are near.
- Name feelings like happy, mad or sad.
- Talk about what your baby wants when he/she points at something.
- Copy your baby’s sounds and words, and also say the words clearly and correctly.
- Talk to your baby about what you are seeing or doing.
- Look at and read books with your baby.
- Play games, sing songs and say rhymes with your baby
- Put your baby close to furniture to safely use it to pull up to stand.
- Child-proof your home.
- Teach cause and effect by rolling balls back and forth or putting blocks in and out of containers.