Your growing baby

0-3 months

SOME OF THE EXPECTED MILESTONES

  • Brings hands near face
  • Turns head from side to side while lying on back
  • Focuses on objects 8 to 12 inches away
  • Opens and shuts hands
  • Follows moving object with eyes
  • Recognizes familiar objects and people at a distance
  • Turns head toward direction of sound
  • Prefers human faces over other shapes
  • Smiles at the sound of your voice

HOW YOU CAN HELP

  • Cuddle/hold baby
  • Stimulate baby’s senses with varied textures, objects and soft sounds
  • Talk and sing to baby, describing what you’re doing and naming familiar objects
  • Imitate baby’s sounds and say them back
  • Play tracking games by moving your face and toys back and forth.
  • Respond promptly to baby’s cries
  • Give baby plenty of tummy time while awake, but always put him on his back to sleep
3-6 months

SOME OF THE EXPECTED MILESTONES

  • Spontaneous smiles
  • Able to track a moving object with eyes
  • Reaches out, grasps objects
  • Cries to get attention when in need
  • Responsive to words and sounds
  • Starts to babble (such as “ba-ba-ba” or “da-da-da”)
  • Chews, sucks and bites on rattles
  • Mouths and touches everything
  • Shows interest in things beyond self
  • Pumps arms and kicks legs as if swimming in air

HOW YOU CAN HELP

  • Put baby on his or her stomach to play (tummy time) for strengthening neck and shoulder muscles
  • Encourage reaching out for toys
  • Drop a noisy toy and let baby look for it
  • Place the baby in front of a mirror
  • Good toys at this age include rattles, a soft doll or a picture book
  • Look at and read colorful books
  • Sing and talk to baby; play music
  • Work on establishing a routine for sleeping, feeding and playtime (like a warm bath at nighttime)
  • Help her learn to sit independently
6-9 months

SOME OF THE EXPECTED MILESTONES

  • Rolls over both ways (stomach to back and
    back to stomach)
  • Sits up
  • Struggles for objects out of reach
  • Transfers objects from one hand to the other
  • Explores with hands and mouth
  • Responds to own name
  • Distinguishes emotions by tone of voice,
    begins to respond to “no”
  • Says “dada” and “mama”
  • Begins to crawl

HOW YOU CAN HELP

  • Provide large, bright-colored toys that make noise or have moving parts
  • Start naming parts of the body and objects
    in the environment
  • Use body movements and actions to teach language
  • Smile and laugh together; enjoy baby’s
    wonder at the world
  • Take baby places with you to increase comfort with others
  • Baby proof the house for baby’s safety
  • Sing along with children’s music
  • Praise baby for accomplishments
9-12 months

SOME OF THE EXPECTED MILESTONES

  • Sits without assistance
  • Pulls self up to stand
  • Walks holding onto furniture and possibly takes a few steps without support
  • Uses pincer grasp (thumb and forefinger)
  • Babbles with different combinations of syllables (such as “ba-ma-mi” rather than “ba-ba-ba”)
  • Imitates words and sounds
  • Responds to “no” and simple verbal requests
  • Uses simple gestures, such as waving bye
  • Recognizes and points at common objects
  • Explores objects in different ways (shaking, banging, throwing, dropping)
  • Begins to use objects correctly (drinking from cup, brushing hair)
  • May show normal anxiety toward strangers

HOW YOU CAN HELP

  • Start exploring, go to the mall or the zoo
  • Roll a ball to baby; every time he leans to reach a toy, he strengthens muscles
  • While playing peek-a-boo, let baby pry your hands away from your smiling face
  • Ask for behaviors that you want; for example, instead of saying “don’t stand,” say “time to sit”
  • Teach hot and cold through play
  • Point to and identify objects at home and in books
  • Avoid television time until age 2
  • A transition object (such as a blankie) may help decrease separation anxiety
  • Provide large toys that can be pushed to encourage walking
Sources: The American Academy of Pediatrics; Centers for Disease Control & Prevention