All babies have their own timetable, but you can watch for certain developments in your 6-month-old. Celebrate with your baby as she reaches or nears these milestones.
Cognitive
- Shows interest in more complex patterns
- Is more interested in studying objects visually
- Focuses on small objects
- Smoothly tracks quickly moving objects
- Has increased attention span
- Experiments with cause and effect
- Discovers object permanence (an object is still there even when she can’t see it)
- Understands some sequencing (setting up a high chair means it’s time to eat)
Motor
- Holds head steady without support when upright
- When on stomach, pushes up to elbows and arches her back
- Rocks on stomach, waving arms and legs
- Rolls from stomach to back, then back to stomach
- May sit in frog- or tripod-like position without support
- Coordinates hands and eyes (seeing an object, then reaching for it)
- Rakes objects toward her and grasps them
- Brings objects to mouth with good accuracy
- Uses hands to explore body; grabs feet when lying on back
- Will stand on your lap or a firm surface and bounce
Communications
- Uses different cries to express hunger, pain, sleepiness, or boredom
- Listens to your language patterns and copies those sounds
- Makes more complex, two-syllable babbles that combine vowels and consonants (“ah-goo,” “bah-bah”)
- Babbling begins to sound like the intonation used in real language
- Squeals, giggles, and laughs to draw attention
Social
- Begins to distinguish emotions from your tone of voice and expressions
- Uses voice and facial expressions to convey emotions
- Watches faces closely; makes and maintains eye contact
- Copies facial expressions and movements
- Expresses emotions more distinctly
- Is soothed by your presence and voice when upset
- Personality becoming more apparent
