Month six – Let’s get chatty …

At six months, your baby is active and sociable in many ways. He literally gives you a lot of work to do anytime he is awake because he is learning to eat, talk, sit and move around. Since your baby’s social antennae is up at this stage, he starts to build his social capital by wanting to be around people most of the time.

You will also notice that he develops a habit of playing ‘face-to- face’ with you. This is a sign that his sense of trust is developing well. Your baby also becomes so aware of his surroundings that he recognises his name when it’s called by turning to whoever is calling it. When he wants to be carried, he will raise his arms, and if carried will show excitement by smiling or giggling.

More details on your baby’s development at this phase include:
More energy
He becomes so active and arches his back with a lot of strength when you hold him. This means he prefers being on the ground doing his business.

His motor (movement) skills are advancing. Help him sharpen them further by encouraging him to play with appropriate toys for his age. Some parents place their babies in water to play. This is ideal for improving coordination and motor skills-as long as the child is supervised while in water.

If his toy disappears maybe under a chair, table or bed, he will frantically look for it himself until he finds it. However, if he becomes agitated with not finding his toy, it could be of help to distract him by introducing another toy or even another idea of play.

Physical
This is the month your baby is able to recognize you and your spouse by appearance and voice and begin fearing strangers.

He will also sit upright by himself without lagging his head. However, if he is not able to, practice with him. You could sit on the floor propping your baby in between your legs to help him get used to the upright position. If your baby can’t do this yet, don’t worry much because some babies delay up to even nine months before they master the sitting skill.

Your baby will also be keen to reach out for anything to play with it; comfortably transferring them from one hand to the other, if not to the mouth.

Speech
Month six is also when your baby begins to speak single consonants like ‘baba.’ You can help him develop his language skills by speaking to him slowly and clearly. Use objects as you say their names. Repeat back the sounds he makes and wait for him to repeat them. You may also focus on repeating or reciting a song several times to help him learn as well as to entertain him. Make reading a part of your baby’s daily routine, you could ask him simple questions about certain pictures in the books you read. Always remember that when you are chit chatting with your baby, give him time to respond. It matters less what they say, as long as there is feedback.

Feeding
At this stage, your baby may be feeding on both breast milk and some formula. This tends to make babies add a lot of weight, in some cases even doubling their birth weight. Likewise, your baby may suffer appetite loss that will take a toll on his weight. You can make sure that he is fed during family mealtimes to encourage him to feed more. Seize the moment to slowly start solid foods like fruits, mashed potatoes and the like too. You will realize that your baby starts showing preferences for some food, lets you know when they want to eat and sometimes attempt to feed themselves.

Gradually replace the bottle with a brightly coloured feeding cup. Of course your baby may not be able to hold the cup by himself, but with a little practice, you will soon realize he does. Be patient with him. Avoid giving him the likes of peanuts, popcorns, hotdogs or sausages, raw carrot sticks among others. These may choke your baby. Make sure that he is under supervision when he is feeding.

Teething
Your baby may be getting ready to cut teeth. You will notice that he gnaws on everything. Therefore, it is appropriate to give him toys or play things that are well cleaned to save him from diarrhoea. You also need to understand that the process of teething is normally difficult for some babies. Therefore, discuss with your doctor what you can do in case your baby’s teething becomes problematic.

Parenting tips

• Chitchat with your 6 month baby while dressing, bathing, feeding, and playing walking to encourage speech development
• Set some disciplinary limits for the future, like establishing routine
• Teach him self- soothing techniques especially to be used for bedtimes.

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