Your baby's developmental milestones at 6 months
Everything you need to know about your growing 6-month-old.
At 6 months, your baby will start using sounds to express emotion. She/he may mimic sounds she/he hears, like "ma,” “da,” “ah,” “oh" and even "no!" Your little one will begin to recognize familiar faces, reach and grasp for toys and will soon be crawling — start preparing your home (and yourself) for a mobile child!
Get ready by removing any sharp, breakable or electric objects from the child’s reach, locking closets with dangerous liquids or supplies (or putting them in a safe place far out of your child’s reach), and closing windows to ensure your child’s safety.
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Social and emotional milestones at 6 months
Some of the ways you’ll see your little one learning to connect with the people around him at 6 months:
- Is usually happy and responds to the emotions of others.
- Starting to differentiate between familiar faces and strangers.
- Enjoys playing with you and others.
- Has fun looking at himself in a mirror.
Tips for parents
- Talk to your baby about what is going on around him in a sweet tone.
- Include a child-friendly or plastic mirror with his toys so he can watch his movements.
- Start playing more body games like peek-a-boo.
Language and communication milestones at 6 months
How your baby is expressing her needs:
- Will recognize and respond to her name.
- Puts vowel sounds together and likes taking turns saying them with you. She is starting to make some consonant sounds, too.
- Will respond to noises by making sounds.
- Is making sounds to show positive and negative emotions.
Tips for parents
- Engage in playful conversations with your baby: Create a serve-and-return interaction by repeating back to her the sounds she makes.
- Familiarize your baby with her name by using it frequently.
Brain development milestones at 6 months
How your child’s brain is growing:
- He is curious: He looks at objects nearby and tries to grab ones that are out of reach.
- He passes things from one hand to the other and brings his hands to his mouth.
Tips for parents
- Provide your baby with toys that are easy to pick up with one hand.
- Have conversations with your baby about different objects he is putting into his mouth.
Movement and physical development milestones at 6 months
How she’ll move through her environment:
- Is starting to be able to sit without a support.
- Is rolling over in both directions.
- Will push down on her legs when her feet are on a hard surface.
- Rocks back and forth.
Tips for parents
- Leave her favourite toys nearby so she can reach them by rolling over.
Food and nutrition milestones at 6 months
What mealtimes look like at 6 months:
- Is showing an interest in food and opens his mouth when spoon fed.
- Is moving food from the front to the back of his mouth when he chews.
- Is starting to eat cereals and single-ingredient pureed foods like carrots, sweet potato and pears.
Tips for parents
- At 6 months, your baby needs more than breastmilk alone. Start giving him just 2 or 3 spoonfuls of soft food four times a day.
Things to look out for
While all babies develop differently, you should speak to your paediatrician immediately if your 6-month-old:
- Doesn’t show affection to parents or caregivers.
- Won’t respond to nearby sounds.
- Doesn’t laugh.
- Has a hard time getting things into her mouth.
- Doesn’t make vowel sounds.
- Seems too floppy or too stiff.
- Can’t roll over in either direction.
- Doesn’t attempt to grab objects nearby.
