0-6 weeks
- By 1 week, a baby knows the smell of his own mother.
- A baby can only see 8-12 inches.
- A baby can turn his head to the side when he lies down. Mobiles should be put on side of crib.
- A baby enjoys looking at people’s faces and also pictures of faces.
6-8 weeks
- A baby has longer periods of alertness and visual attention.
- A baby prefers to look at black and white geometric designs. Contrasting images
increase her attention span and stimulate brain development.
- A baby’s sleep patterns change. Parents may feel most tired at this time. (This usually lasts till 3½ months.)
2 months
- A baby’s movements are getting smoother, less jerky.
- A baby’s neurological system is continuing to develop.
- The 2nd month of life tends to be a peak month for crying.
- A baby can coo and smile responsively. By taking turns talking with a baby, he learns the art of having a conversation.
- A baby may develop "colic". A baby can cry for a few minutes or several hours, usually at the same time each day. Be patient, colic goes away by 3 or 4 months.
3 months
- A baby has found her hands. She can bring them together and "consciously" bring them to her mouth.
- A baby can wave her arms and "bicycle" with her legs when excited.
- If a baby is given solid foods at this time it can cause food allergies. A baby’s system can’t properly digest and her body sees the substance as foreign.
- A baby’s crying decreases dramatically.
4 months
- A baby continues to enjoy looking at faces. Baby now prefers "real" faces; not pictures of faces.
- A baby’s memory is 5 seconds long.
- A baby explores the bottle or pulls away from the breast while eating and refuses to eat when exciting events are occurring.
- A baby begins to tell people apart and lets people know whom she prefers. (Stranger Anxiety)
- A baby starts to fall in love. If the baby feels a tie to his parents he will feel more secure to go out and face the world.
- A baby enjoys interesting objects, sounds, and people.
- A baby reaches and grasps for a toy and explores everything with her mouth and eyes.
- A baby’s feeding and sleeping routines are disrupted due to her interest in the outside world.
- A baby now prefers bright colors such as red, blue, yellow, purple, orange, and green. Pastel colors are difficult for baby to see. A baby is just starting to get vision similar to that of an adult.
5 months
- A baby discovers his feet and enjoys sucking on them.
- A baby can remember what they just did.
- A baby is starting to get into things. This is a good time to baby proof the home.
- A baby can make sounds like mama, dada, ooh, and aah.
- A baby can recognize his name.
6 months
- A baby may begin teething during this month.
- A baby can turn and look when his name is called.
- A baby can transfer a toy from one hand to another.
- A baby knows that she uses her hands to pick things up.
7 months
- A baby’s personality becomes clearer.
- A baby develops increased mobility with greater social and cognitive awareness.
- This is an exciting time for baby to exercise her new abilities, yet can also be frustrating for baby. The baby begins to understand more about the world but can’t act on that understanding.
- A baby loves to bang toys together to hear what sound they make and drop food on the floor to learn where things go when they fall.
- A baby can tell if something is near or far.
- A baby try’s to make new sounds. However, sometimes he has favorite sounds he says often.
8 months
- A baby links eyesight and hearing together.
- A baby gets frustrated when she can’t find something.
- If a baby feels more secure at this age, she is more likely to explore her environment on her own.
- A baby’s sleep may be disrupted. A baby is usually so excited about sitting, crawling, and exploring that she doesn’t want to go to bed.
9 months
- A baby is driven to "move around".
- A baby has increased anxiety about strangers and her mother leaving her sight. (Separation Anxiety)
- A baby’s memory is developing. Baby may get angry when a toy is taken away.
- A baby recognizes a few words.
- A baby can tell the mood a person is in by looking at them.
- A baby has the cognitive ability to know that people and things are still there even when they are not present or can’t be seen. (Object and Person Permanence)
- A baby is able to hold two toys and try to "store" a third toy in the crook of his arm or in his mouth.
- A baby can crawl.
- A baby’s memory is still very short; using distraction as a form of discipline can be very effective.
10 months
- A baby shows if they are right or left-handed.
- A baby is sensitive to other children’s moods.
- A baby can say "no" and shake head from side to side.
- A baby can pick up objects with first finger or thumb. This is called the pincer grasp.
- A baby says "no", even when he means, "yes".
11 months
- A baby can hold a pencil or crayon and make marks on paper.
- A baby uses one word to mean a whole thought such as - "cup" to mean, "I want a drink".
- A baby may bark or meow when he sees a cat or dog. He is learning how animals, people, and things work.
12 months
- A baby is usually walking at this age, however, may prefer to crawl because it’s faster.
- A one-year-old grows out of his shoes every 6-8 weeks.
- A baby has nearly tripled his birth weight.
- A baby usually speaks two or three words.
- A baby starts to have sense of humor. She thinks certain things are funny.
- A baby can solve problem through trial and error.
- A baby’s memory is getting better. She may remember something she did the day before.
|