At 6 months, your baby is halfway through their first year! This is an exciting time of rapid development across all areas: physical, cognitive, and social-emotional.
Physical Development
Most 6-month-olds can:
- Roll over in both directions
- Sit with support, some without support
- Bear weight on legs when held upright
- Rock back and forth on hands and knees
- Transfer objects between hands
- Rake small objects with fingers
Cognitive Development
Your baby's brain is making incredible connections. They're beginning to understand cause and effect, showing curiosity about the world around them.
Cognitive abilities:
- Recognize familiar faces
- Begin to understand cause and effect
- Show curiosity about surroundings
- Respond to their name
- Start to understand 'no'
- Look for dropped objects
Language Development
Babbling becomes more complex and varied. Your baby is learning the rhythm and sounds of language, even though they can't speak words yet.
Communication milestones:
- Babble chains of consonants ('babababa')
- Respond to sounds and voices
- Make sounds to show joy or displeasure
- Begin to copy sounds
- Take turns 'talking' with you
Social-Emotional Development
Your baby is becoming a little person with distinct preferences and personality traits. They show clear emotions and form strong attachments.
Social milestones:
- Recognize familiar people
- Enjoy looking at self in mirror
- Laugh and show excitement
- May show anxiety around strangers
- Enjoy social play and attention
Supporting Development
Encourage growth through:
- Tummy time for strength building
- Reading books together
- Talking, singing, and narrating your day
- Providing safe toys to explore
- Playing peek-a-boo and interactive games
- Responding consistently to their cues
Remember, all babies develop at their own pace. These milestones are general guidelines. If you have concerns about your baby's development, discuss them with your pediatrician.