[ Baby’s Developmental Needs ]
Your Growing Baby
Moving and Exploring
0-3 Months
Most important tasks for your baby:
• develops head and neck control
• tracks objects with eyes
• turns to source of sound
How you can help:
• provide support as neck muscles develop
• offer rattles and hang mobiles
• play daily with baby
3-6 Months
Most important tasks for your baby:
• supports own weight on forearms while on tummy; rolls over
• swipes at objects; reaches out, grasps
How you can help:
• watch as baby plays on tummy to strengthen shoulder & neck muscles
• encourage reaching out for toys
6-9 Months
Most important tasks for your baby:
• sits without support
• moves around on belly, gets onto hands and knees
• picks up/manipulates objects; puts things in mouth
How you can help:
• play with baby in sitting position
• offer toys with texture, sound and movement
• stack and knock over toys as a game
9-12 Months
Most important tasks for your baby:
• crawls
• pulls up to a standing position; “cruises” around the furniture
• develops pincer grasp, more precise use of hands
How you can help:
• baby-proof the house for baby’s safety
• clear surfaces of small or breakable objects; cover pointed corners
• hand baby toys to explore and manipulate
Interacting & Feeding
0-3 Months
Most important tasks for your baby:
• smile responses, first nonspecific and then social
• communicates needs by crying
How you can help:
• cuddle/hold baby; infants cannot be spoiled by attention
• respond to cries, meet baby’s needs
3-6 Months
Most important tasks for your baby:
• spontaneous social smiles
• cries to get parents’ attention when in need
• responsive to words and sounds
How you can help:
• show delight in baby while cuddling, feeding and changing
• let baby touch your face and look into your eyes
• talk and sing to your baby; play music
6-9 Months
Most important tasks for your baby:
• interested in people and many objects; more playful
• will touch mirror when seeing own image
• may begin to show fear toward strangers
How you can help:
• smile and laugh together; enjoy baby’s wonder at the world
• talk to baby while pointing to image in the mirror
• take baby places with you to increase comfort with others
9-12 Months
Most important tasks for your baby:
• enjoys social interaction with others
• may show normal anxiety toward strangers, or when separated from caregivers
How you can help:
• play and have fun together
• try not to be away for extended periods
• let baby cuddle a blankie for security
Communicating & Talking
0-3 Months
Most important tasks for your baby:
• communicates needs through crying
• hears, sees, feels, coos, burps and gurgles
• associates parents’ voices with comfort
How you can help:
• respond promptly to baby’s cries
• imitate baby’s sounds and say them back
• talk and sing to your baby
3-6 Months
Most important tasks for your baby:
• experiments with new sounds, such as coos, gurgles, and “baba”
• chews, sucks and bites on rattles
How you can help:
• imitate baby’s sounds; take turns making sounds
• offer rattles with variety of textures
6-9 Months
Most important tasks for your baby:
• responds to own name
• makes more sounds and imitates gestures
• listens more selectively
How you can help:
• call baby by name
• “talk” with baby by repeating sounds
• sing nursery rhymes; sing along with children’s music
12-18 Months
Most important tasks for your baby:
• copies sound combinations
• recognizes and begins to point at common objects
• repeats animal sounds; says “dada” and “mama”
How you can help:
• play gesture games such as “pat-a-cake” and “so-big!”
• point to and label simple objects at home and in books
• identify animals, mommy and daddy
Thinking & Learning
0-3 Months
Most important tasks for your baby:
• inborn motor and sensory reflexes (sucking, grasping, seeing, hearing)
• moving to regularity in eating, sleeping, urinating and bowel movements
How you can help:
• stimulate baby’s senses with varied textures, objects and soft sounds
• adapt to your baby’s patterns of eating, sleeping and wakefulness
3-6 Months
Most important tasks for your baby:
• mouths and touches everything
• more interest in things beyond self
• looks at place from which a moving object has disappeared
How you can help:
• introduce soft, colorful toys with different textures and feels
• give baby a rattle, show how to shake it
• play peek-a-boo; drop a noisy toy and let baby look for it
6-9 Months
Most important tasks for your baby:
• transfers toys from hand to hand
• pulls, bangs and shakes, play actively
• explores and investigates
How you can help:
• play on the floor with toys
• let baby imitate what you do with toys
• praise baby for accomplishments
9-12 Months
Most important tasks for your baby:
• begins to show intentional behavior; manipulates objects for different effects
• looks for toys he sees being covered
How you can help:
• demonstrate use of toys and encourage imitation
• play pointing/hiding games with toys
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