understanding child development 6 12 months

Upon crossing 6 months, babies become more aware and involved with their surroundings. At this age, they know who their family members and caregivers are. They become more confident, but they tend to have separation anxiety at this age. It means that they feel upset, sad and even threatened if they are separated from their mom or any other caregivers.     

They are susceptible to noise and certain actions. This is the best age for you to communicate with your baby and help them understand you. You can incorporate the use of actions and commonly repeated sounds to let your baby know it is you.

They mimic at this age and feel really happy about it. It is adorable and fun to watch them do all their funny tricks. Your baby’s muscles are now in their developmental stage, where they can sit, crawl, stand and crawl. They might take their first steps sometime during this age.

Here’s everything you need to know about your baby’s development between the age of 6-12 months.

1. Cognitive

They have become smarter with time and experience in the world. So, they try to make different noises to attract their caregivers. They do it for nothing but attention!

They function on the principle of trial and error. They love trying out new things and they are absolutely delighted to see smiles and laughter from the others around them.

They are absolutely surprised by novelty. As in, they have a short-term memory, which is not even that well developed. So, if you show them a red ball, they will be surprised when they see it for the first time. When you show them the same red ball after a few hours, they will still be super shocked and react as if they have seen it for the first time in their life.

2. Social, emotional and personal

They are at such an age where their vision is clear and they are able to understand their surroundings better. They become more aware of people around them and start enjoying their company. You will see your baby trying to communicate with smiles and they will expect the same kind of reaction from you.

They love seeing different facial expressions and love looking into mirrors at any given point of time. It is fun and a kind of an entertainment for them.

By this time, your baby will not cry as much. They will cry only if they are hungry or sleepy, or if they have soiled their diapers.

Your little one may show signs of anxiety and stress if they feel like they’re out of their comfort zone. Soft toys, familiar clothes or a favored blanket can be given to him/her in such cases. They will feel calmer and at peace.

3. Motor skills and physique

This is the most important aspect of growth at this age. Your baby’s muscles begin to develop and they learn how to sit, stand and make attempts to walk.

The whole pincer movements occur during this time. Pincer movements are the ability to touch and face another finger. It enriches their basic clasping and grabbing activities.

The muscles are still under the process of developing. Thus, they are able to sit up and control their body while sitting. These aid in performing activities that enhance eye-hand coordination.

They crawl at this age, which further strengthens their motor skills, and they are able to regulate their posture while doing any activity.

They become strong and gain a certain amount of physical control over their body.

4. Speech and communication

At this age, children initiate conversations with people around them and this becomes their gateway to socialize.

Although they are quite non-verbal at this age, they are able to communicate. Babbling is the one source of communication for these little ones.

If you notice your child is babbling, encourage them more by talking to them and trying to understand what they are saying.

5. Babies and the world

They will be in a position to understand their surroundings. Like if they find something missing from their toy box, they will feel agitated and annoyed.

Since they are able to sit up by themselves, they can explore the world on their own. By now, they would have established a sense of control over themselves.

They love babbling and forming bonds with their close ones like grandparents or other baby friends. So you will find yourself getting a lot of affection from their side.