Helping Your Baby Develop

• Soothe and calm your baby when he's fussy and respond promptly to his cries.
• Smile and talk to your baby often.
• Sing to him or rock him before bed.
• Sit your baby where she can see what's going on around her.
• To help your baby relax, gently stroke her back, arms, or legs from top to bottom.
• Run a shallow bath of warm (not hot) water. Hold your baby securely and let him splash, kick, and enjoy. Never leave your baby alone near any water.
• Look in mirrors. Let your baby see himself in a bathroom or bedroom mirror.
• Bounce a favorite toy just out of reach of your baby and talk to your baby so he will work to get at the toy.

Developmental Milestones

Babies develop at different rates, but by the end of baby's sixth month, he will probably:

• Sit up without support
• Begin to explore objects (including his feet!) by putting them in his mouth
• Recognize people as strangers
• Pick things up by "raking" them with his fingers (be sure to keep dangerous objects out of reach)

Playtime

Playing is one of the best ways children learn and practice what they've learned. Activity boards encourage babies to push, pull, turn, and poke bells, wheels, and dials. Cloth, wood, or plastic blocks are great for showing babies how to build towers and knock them down. Toy telephones, spoons, and measuring cups introduce babies to common household objects. Hand games, such as "Pat-a-Cake," give babies practice with fine-motor skills.

Sitting Tall

It's an exciting moment when your baby can sit up on her own. But this hasn't happened overnight. During these early months, she has been working hard to strengthen her muscles by sitting in her infant chair and, later, sitting propped against pillows. At 6 months, she is still leaning on her hands for balance. But by 7 or 8 months, she will probably sit all alone and use her hands to play.

Separation Anxiety

A common fear babies may experience, the fear of being separated from their mother, typically begins at 6 to 8 months of age. Babies become aware that their most familiar person, usually the mother, is a separate person and can go away. Your good-natured baby may cry when you leave the room or wake up in the night crying and refuse to go back to sleep.

The baby is afraid that the temporary loss or disappearance of a parent may become permanent. As always, this fear is best handled with understanding and sympathy. To reassure your baby that you always intend to come back, you can play "peekaboo"—going away and coming back before the fear gets strong. See how delighted your baby is when you come back into view!

You can also help by leaving your baby with familiar adults. If you must start day care when your baby is between 6 and 8 months of age, make sure that caregivers understand your baby's feelings about missing you. Always tell your baby that you are leaving, emphasize that you will be back and don't be gone longer than necessary. Introduce new people and situations gradually and carefully.

Your Sleeping Baby

By the time your baby is 6 months old, she's probably sleeping for about 11 hours a night, but not necessarily 11 hours straight! During the day, she's usually wide-awake and active for extended periods, taking two or three short naps totaling 3-4 hours.

At this age, if your baby regularly wakes up several times a night, talk with her health care professional about probable causes and solutions.