month 6:

Practice serve and return

Greetings

Is your baby making funny faces? Around six months of age, infants start to mimic facial expressions and show their feelings with different sounds. It’s important to encourage your baby by being close and showing them your own facial expressions. It’s fun for both you and your baby, and all part of the essential early childhood learning process known as “serve and return.”

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Activities that you can do

Here are some activities that you can try with your baby this month.

1. Baby sit up and look [PDF]

Sit your baby on your lap, upright and facing forward like you. Point at things that are happening around you—children playing, cars driving, birds singing, rain falling, etc. Talk to your baby about what you're seeing. Notice how your baby pushes and strains to sit upright, and perhaps reaches and points at the activity. This is good for building core strength to sit upright unassisted.

2. Clapping

The sound and sensation of hands clapping is exciting for babies. Try holding your baby's hands in your hands and then clapping them gently. Then encourage your baby to clap on their own while you clap along. If you practice clapping while singing, you will also stimulate your baby’s language development. This activity helps your baby to develop control of arms and hands, and it also develops a positive attachment between you.

And, if you've noticed your baby is eager to start moving and grooving after all that singing, here are 8 tips for helping your baby crawl, walk, roll, and more!

Remember: If your baby begins to fuss or cry during any of these activities, it might be a sign that they're hungry or need a rest.

Tips for your own self-care

When’s the last time you took care of you? I know, I know: when you’ve got little ones, “me” time can be in short supply. Just going to the bathroom alone can feel like a challenge some days! How can you find time for self-care when you can barely find five minutes for yourself? The good news is, there are some super simple things you can do in five minutes or less that will help you re-energize your day.

Things to watch for this month

These are some of the things that your baby might be doing this month:

Holding head steady
Sitting with back straight when propped up
Grasping small objects and studying them
Rolling in both directions
Understanding that objects may be hiding behind one another

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Disclaimer: The activities provided in this newsletter are for educational purposes only. If you choose to proceed, do so with caution and at your own risk.

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