5-6 Months – Intensive exploration

Communicating

What’s New? 

In these months, you will see that your baby is communicating with you more intensively.  You will hear her coo, babble and make sounds - most often vowel sounds like “aaaa” and “eeee”....  But now she will probably be able to make sounds that resemble words (ba-ba, ga-ga).  Very often this will be in response to something you say to her.  Your baby might also try to imitate the sounds you produce as well as the expressions she sees on your face. Finally, during this time she will probably learn to recognize and respond to some words, such as her name or the word "no."

And What Can You Do to Help?

There is so much that you can do in your everyday routines. Encourage communication with your baby by looking into her eyes as you talk to her or as you listen to her “talk” to you. Encourage her with a smile or by repeating the sounds she made, so that you help the conversation between you last as long as possible. 

Talk to your child every day.  Encourage communication in many ways--sing to her, look with her at pictures in magazines, point to things in shop windows and describe them, read aloud simple books or tell her stories and make interesting sounds (the cat says “miaow,” the cow says “moooo”!). When your baby looks at something, talk about what she sees.  Say things to your child as you prepare for breastfeeding or as you prepare a meal (“Now I’m getting your fruit”); that’s one way that she will learn to wait a little and be patient.  Words help in many ways!

Feelings

What’s New?

In this period, most babies begin to recognize familiar persons, such as parents, other close family members, and familiar child care providers, and enjoy interacting with them. Your baby is learning to rely on these special people for comfort and help. She knows who is familiar and who is a stranger-- she may even show fear of new people. Your baby will be able to use sounds to clearly express feelings.  She shows her joy and happiness by squealing or making other delighted sounds.  And she is able to use sounds to show intense dissatisfaction, anger or indignation. 

And What Can You Do to Help?

Your baby needs your emotional support.  Therefore, it is important that you are there for her, especially when there are strangers around. Stay close to her, hold her in your arms, smile at her and talk to her in a soothing voice as you introduce her to new people. That way, she will feel safe and secure to make new contacts.  Interpret your child's moods. When she is happy, continue with the activity. If she is upset, take a break and comfort her.              

Thinking  

What’s New? 

Her intensive exploration is helping her develop her thinking skills.  She is looking curiously at objects and scenes in her environment.  If something is out of her reach, she tries to reach for it so that she can explore even more.  She is probably starting to move things from one hand into another, and to explore objects with her mouth. 

And What Can You Do to Help?

Your baby will find many ways to explore on her own, but you can also show her different, interesting ways to use toys or other objects:  moving them from hand to hand, shaking, banging, pushing, and throwing.  Be aware of safety, especially when your baby is exploring with her mouth.  You might also try active games in front of a mirror for some new perspectives! 

When your baby drops an object, pick it up and return it to her.  This helps her learn about cause and effect (“if I do this, that happens), and about how to think about the space around her.

Moving

What’s New?

In this period, your baby is probably able to lift and hold her head on her own.  She will probably manage to be in a sitting position for some time while you support her and maybe even on her own.  She will roll from one side to the other.  All of this gives your baby a whole new perspective on the world--now she can see things that she could not see while lying on her back.  Because she can now change her position, she becomes interested and curious about more and more things around her.  She looks carefully at objects that surround her, following them closely with her eyes if they move. During this period, she will also develop the skill of reaching for objects, and once she grasps them, she will enjoy exploring them by putting them in her mouth or passing them from one hand to the other hand.

And What Can You Do to Help?

Play on the floor with your baby every day. Every day, during your regular routines, give your baby a lot of opportunities to explore the environment and interesting objects around her. Let her see the environment in different ways by putting her in different positions. You can place your child's favourite object a little out of reach, and you can encourage her to get to it. Think about what safe, simple objects she can explore.  What can she pick up, touch, and turn over?  All of this is developing her movement skills and opening new opportunities to explore the world.               

To find many more ways on how to support child development through play, go to Playing Together section.

Parents’ concerns about development in the period from the 5th to the 6th month 

Because each child develops in her own particular way, it is impossible to predict exactly when or how your own child will perfect a certain skill. The abilities (developmental milestones) expected and listed for this period give you only a general idea of the changes you might expect as your child gets older.  Please do not be worried if her development takes a slightly different path.

However, to be sure, do talk with your pediatrician [or other health provider] if your child displays any of the following signs of possible developmental delay, if your child seems to have lost some of the skills she had at an earlier age, or if you have other reasons to be concerned:

• Your baby regularly cries for a long time and cannot be comforted  
• isn’t making eye contact with you or isn’t following moving objects with her eyes  

• isn’t babbling or turning towards the source of a sound  
• isn’t laughing or making squealing sounds  
• isn’t rolling over  
• has no control over her neck and head  
• cannot sit even with your help and support or  
• isn’t reaching for objects at all even when you encourage her to do so
• doesn’t try to get things that are within reach
• has difficulty getting things to her mouth.