Developing People Skills

As babies' senses develop, they take in more and more of the world around them. You can help your baby's development by:

• Carrying your baby in a cuddled "sitting" position and showing him or her lights or brightly colored objects.
• Rocking your baby in a rocking chair. As you hold your baby, show love by touching and talking softly.
• Singing quietly to your baby before bed.
• Letting your baby feel different textures, such as stuffed animals, plastic toys, or pieces of terry cloth or rubber. (Since your baby may put the objects in his or her mouth, be sure they are not too small and that the pieces cannot be torn off and swallowed.)
• Having quiet times—babies need some quiet time to babble, play, and explore their world, so don't leave a radio, TV, or stereo on for long periods.
• Taking every chance to love, hold, smile, talk with, rock, sing to, soothe, and calm her. Look into each other's eyes.
• Looking in mirrors. Put a nonbreakable metal or plastic baby mirror in the crib or playpen. Show the baby the mirrors around your home.
• Propping her up so she can watch what goes on around her.

Hand Signals

Your baby's hands are very active during this period. By his third month, they're open most of the time. In fact, looking at and playing with his hands is almost as much fun for your baby as exploring rattles or stuffed animals. The practice also pays off. By 5 to 6 months, he'll probably be able to pick up toys placed within reach. To help your baby develop his hand muscles, put a rattle in his hand. Then gently pull on it. This encourages him to hold on.

Developmental Milestones

All babies develop at different rates, but by the end of baby's third month, he will probably:

• Hold his head up steadily
• "Coo," "goo" and make other sounds
• Focus on a closely held object and follow it from side to side
• Reach for familiar objects

Your Sleeping Baby

By 3 to 4 months old, your baby should be sleeping for 5- to 6-hour stretches during the night. If he wakes up frequently, don't run in at his first cry; wait a few minutes to see if he goes back to sleep on his own. It is important to respond to his cries, but you don't want to teach him that every little peep will bring you immediately to his side. If the cry is one of distress or continues for a few minutes, you should investigate.

Check for a wet diaper, vomiting, fever, or other obvious signs of distress. If his diaper needs changing, try to do it as quickly and quietly as possible without taking him out of the crib. When he has been changed, say "good night" and leave the room. If he shows signs of illness, call his health care professional for direction.

If he is neither wet nor ill, gently rub his back and talk to him in a soothing voice until he calms down, then say "good night" and leave the room.