Normal Development: 6 Months Old

Here's what you might see your baby doing between 6 and 9 months of age.

Daily Activities

• Adores playing with rattles and squeaky toys.
• Sleeps through the night.
• Usually starts teething.
• May prefer some foods to others.
• Likes to play with food.
• Loves games like peek-a-boo and pat-a-cake.

Language Development

• Babbles and squeals using single syllables.
• Loves to jabber.
• May recognize own name.

Emotional Development

• May show sharp mood changes.
• Displays especially strong attachment to mother.
• Develops deeper attachment to father, siblings, and other familiar people.
• Distinguishes children from adults.
• Smiles at other children.
• May show fear of strangers.
• Continues to like seeing himself in a mirror.

Motor Skills

• Rests on elbows.
• Begins to sit alone.
• Sits in high chair.
• Moves from sitting to up-on-all-fours.
• Bounces when held in standing position.
• Reaches with one hand.
• Bats and grasps dangling objects.
• Holds objects between thumb and forefinger.
• Passes objects from one hand to another.

Each child is unique. It is difficult to describe exactly what should be expected at each stage of a child's development. While certain behaviors and physical milestones tend to occur at certain ages, a wide range of growth and behavior for each age is normal. These guidelines show general progress through the developmental stages rather than fixed requirements for normal development at specific ages. It is perfectly natural for a child to reach some milestones earlier and other milestones later than the general trend.

If you have any concerns about your child's own pattern of development, check with your healthcare provider.