Sitter: Your 6-month-old
Welcome to 6 months, the age of activity, when your baby builds muscles and squirms with energy. As you try to hold her, she may arch her back in an attempt to get down and move around on her own. She can rock and pivot while on her tummy, rolling from back to tummy and back again.
Some babies begin to sit unsupported at this age, although the age range for the development of this skill is between 6 and 9 months. She may also dig her fingers or toes into the floor to push herself toward a favorite toy.
First teeth
Your baby may also begin teething at 6 months. Telltale signs include drooling, redness in the gums, loss of appetite, and irritability. You can help soothe your baby by gently massaging her gums with your clean finger.
An important note: Never give your baby aspirin. It has been shown to contribute to the development of Reye’s syndrome, a dangerous illness that can affect small children.
Your baby’s growth
At 6 months babies usually range from 24 inches long and 13.25 pounds (10th percentile) to 27.25 inches long and 18.5 pounds (90th percentile).
This month your baby may:
- improve her fine motor skills and begin to feel and turn around small objects in her hands
- say vowel-consonant combinations
- express unhappiness when a toy is taken away
- discover herself and "talk" to herself in a mirror
- separation anxiety: understand that she’s a separate being and thus develop anxiety when she’s apart from you
- learn to soothe herself by sucking a thumb or using a pacifier
- explore her environment by putting everything into her mouth (since a baby's mouth has more nerve endings and is thus more sensitive than any other part of her body, she uses it to learn more about the world around her)
What you can do
- Introduce musical pull toys, or an activity board toy filled with knobs and gadgets that twist, turn, and make noise.
- Place bright, primary-colored items in the crib to provide interesting things for her to look at. A crib-safe rail mirror can also provide endless entertainment.
- Offer her toy pitchers and buckets during bath time, so she can have fun pouring water into and out of the containers.
- Help her language development by talking about everyday experiences slowly and clearly in short sentences. Show her various objects as you say their names.
- Repeat words and sounds. Books, stories, songs, and poems with repetitive phrases are perfect for this age because repeating these sounds helps her to learn words.
- As you read to her, ask simple questions about the pictures in a book.
- Introduce her to a wider circle of family and friends so she gets used to being around other people. Let them hold her, talk to her, and interact with her. By expanding her social horizons, you'll be helping her adjust more easily to moments when you’re away.
