Developmental Milestones Of 6-9 Months Old Baby And Activities

1. Developmental Milestones Of 6-9 Months Old Baby And Activities •BY JYPPZER •JULY 18, 2020 •BABY: 0-1 YEAR Baby develops the fastest from birth to 1 year old. These changes take place across various domains of development i.e. 1. Cognitive 2. Physical (Fine and Gross Motor) 3. Socio-emotional and 4. Language. Most children follow a certain pattern of growth and development or achieve certain skills/abilities at a particular stage in developmental. These are called developmental milestones. However, it is important to note that every child grows and develops at their own pace, and might achieve a few milestones faster or slower than usual. If you feel concerned about your child not achieving a milestone, contact your paediatrician. Cognitive Development •Recognizes and responds when called by their name. •Explores their own body with mouth and hands; might have a tendency to put everything in their mouth. •Spends a longer time studying toys and discovering what to do with them. •Begins to show curiosity about people. •Begins to display object permanence (e.g. finds a toy that you have hidden in front of them). •Understands cause and effect (e.g. banging toys together makes a sound). •Enjoys playing “peek-a-boo”. •Might imitate or copy actions or gestures observed. •Might follow one-step instructions (e.g. “come here” while parent makes actions) along with signs/demonstrations. Physical Development

2. •Rolls over in both directions, easily (front to back, back to front). •Begins to sit, first leaning forward on hands (sits without support by 9 months). •Tries to move from one place to another (e.g. crawling, dragging bum, pivoting on the tummy, etc.). •Might rock back and forth in an attempt to crawl – backward first, then forward. •Begins to crawl (by 6-7 months). •Stands with support, when helped into standing position. •Controls upper body and arms (e.g. pushes up with arms, when on tummy). •Performs a variety of actions with toys and other objects (e.g. Banging objects, throwing/dropping objects, etc.). •Might start clapping hands. •Can hold objects with either one or two hands (e.g. holding a bottle to drink). •Passes an object from one hand to the other with ease. •Palmar Grasp becomes more sophisticated (will be able to pick an object using only thumb, index and middle finger by 9 months). •Might begin to develop pincer grip (picking up small items using thumb and first finger). •Develops ‘two-object’ focus (able to hold and manipulate object while observing the other one). •Is still developing voluntarily release. Might drop objects rather than keeping them down. •Tries to leap/pounce on a moving toy. •At around 8-9 months, starts using furniture to try to stand (still needs help). •Tries to climb steps by crawling. •Begins teething – usually starting with the two centre front teeth in the lower jaw, then the two centre front teeth in the upper jaw. Socio-Emotional Development •Prefers having the mother/primary caregiver around over others. •Might start to show a fear of stranger and become clingy to parents (this is normal and fades away gradually). •Becomes upset when parent/caregiver leaves. •Might have a special/different smile for familiar adults. •Might smile at their own image in a mirror.

3. •Might be fussy or cry to changes in emotions or looks of others. •Likes to play with adults, especially parents and shows excitement for the same. •Waves ‘goodbye’. •Starts to develop likes/dislikes (e.g. foods, toys, etc.). •Might become protective/possessive of their own things (e.g. toys). •Might engage in attention-seeking behaviours (e.g. making snorting sounds). Language Development •Responds to hearing sounds (e.g. a telephone ringing). •Tries to Imitate speech sounds. •Uses sounds/gestures to communicate (e.g. Holds out arms to be picked up and held, points to something). •Uses vowel sounds together when babbling (“ah,” “eh,” “oh”). •Makes various vowel sounds, especially “o” and “u”. •Enjoys taking turns with a parent while making sounds. •Begins to make two syllable sounds (e.g. ma-ma, ba-ba, da-da) but not necessarily with meaning. Feeding And Sleeping Information •Shows a readiness for solid foods (e.g. shows interest in foods others are eating). •Begins to try solid foods (e.g. banana slices). •Begins to drink from a cup (held by a caregiver). •Has around 2-3 naps a day, for about one to two hours each. •Might wake up while sleeping at night, and cry. Activities For 6-9 Months Old Baby: Fun On The Floor: By 6-7 months, babies begin to crawl. Take 3-4 of your child’s toys and keep them at different places, away from each other. Encourage them to crawl towards a toy. You can crawl along with them to show that you’re having fun, too. – Develops muscle strength and motor coordination. Crawling is an essential milestone to achieve as it promotes cross-communication between the 2 hemispheres of the brain thereby fostering brain development.

4. Let’s Eat: Six months is a good age to begin introducing solid foods. Put a tray of banana slices in front of your child. Ensure that the tray/plate is big enough as this could get messy. Also, have your child wear a bib. Observe their reaction. Do they reach out and grab a slice on their own? If they don’t, you could show once. Encourage them to eat by themselves. As they use their hands to pick the food, talk to them about the texture, the taste, and so on. (e.g. “Are you enjoying it?” “Yummy, sweet, soft banana.”). Eating finger foods independently helps in developing hand-eye coordination. It also strengthens pincer grip which is an important fine motor skill. This is a good opportunity to let them engage in sensory learning as they explores new food, a new way of eating and new textures and tastes, as well. Where is it gone? While playing with your child, take a toy and hide it under something. For e.g. Take a toy tortoise and start moving it. Say, “Look! Toto is going for a walk.” Move it slowly across the bed under the blanket. Does he/she notice you do this? Ask, “Where did Toto go?” Does he/she reach out for it? – This fun game of hide-n-seek (toy version) is a good way to help develop (child’s name)’s ability to focus and sustain attention, and visually track moving objects For more details: - https://jyppzer.com/ Download App:- https://apps.apple.com/in/app/jyppzer/id1479996663 Download App:- https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.jyppzer_android