1. Gross Motor Development:
- 4 Months: Lifts head and chest while on tummy, supports some weight on arms, rolls from back to stomach (and vice versa).
- 5 Months: Sits with support, pushes down on legs when held in standing position, rolls in both directions.
- 6 Months: Sits without support for short periods, reaches for and grabs objects while sitting, starts to transfer weight from foot to foot.
- Encourage: Tummy time, supervised bouncing on lap, providing safe spaces to roll and explore, offering toys that encourage reaching and grasping.
2. Fine Motor Development:
- 4 Months: Reaches for and grasps objects with both hands, transfers objects from hand to hand, mouths objects to explore.
- 5 Months: Picks up small objects using thumb and index finger, holds objects and brings them together, bangs objects together.
- 6 Months: Holds objects steadily, begins to transfer objects from one hand to the other, starts to explore objects with fingers rather than mouth.
- Encourage: Offer safe, age-appropriate toys with different textures and sizes, play finger games, engage in peek-a-boo with small objects.
3. Speech and Language Development:
- 4 Months: Babbles with combinations of consonants and vowels, responds to name, laughs and squeals with delight.
- 5 Months: Makes sounds like "ba-ba" and "da-da," understands simple commands like "no" and "come," enjoys listening to different voices and music.
- 6 Months: Uses consonant-vowel combinations more frequently, babbles with intonation, shows excitement with vocalizations, starts to understand basic words and phrases.
- Encourage: Talk and sing to your baby frequently, read aloud with animated voices, respond to their babbles and sounds, narrate your daily activities.
4. Social and Emotional Development:
- 4 Months: Shows clear preference for familiar faces, smiles and coos at strangers, enjoys social interaction and playtime.
- 5 Months: Shows excitement when interacting with familiar people, imitates facial expressions and gestures, expresses displeasure through fussiness or crying.
- 6 Months: Recognizes familiar objects and people at a distance, shows separation anxiety when caregiver leaves, plays simple interactive games like peek-a-boo.
- Encourage: Provide plenty of social interaction with family and friends, play face-to-face games, respond to their emotions with warmth and comfort, offer opportunities for independent play.
5. Cognitive Development:
- 4 Months: Follows moving objects with eyes, reaches for and manipulates toys, shows interest in mirrors and their own reflection.
- 5 Months: Starts to understand object permanence (knowing objects exist even when hidden), enjoys exploring different textures and sounds, shows interest in cause-and-effect relationships.
- 6 Months: Transfers objects from one container to another, plays simple sorting games, begins to develop object categorization skills.
- Encourage: Play hide-and-seek with toys, offer safe household objects to explore, describe objects and actions during daily routines, engage in simple cause-and-effect games.
Additional Tips:
- Remember, every baby develops at their own pace. These are general guidelines, so don't worry if your baby doesn't meet every milestone exactly on time.
- Focus on providing a loving and stimulating environment full of interaction, play, and exploration.
- Talk to your pediatrician if you have any concerns about your baby's development.
- Celebrate each and every milestone, big or small!
Useful Resources:
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/milestones/index.html
- American Academy of Pediatrics: https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/
Enjoy this special time of watching your little one blossom and explore the world around them!