Your baby's developmental milestones at 6 months
Everything you need to know about your growing 6-month-old.
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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.
Developmental milestones
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.
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 (see video below for more information) interaction by repeating back to hear the sounds she makes.
- Familiarize your baby with her name by using it frequently.
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.
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.
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.
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.