Your baby’s sixth month is the period wherein there is a definite increase in mobility, strength, fine motor skills, and communication. Teething usually also starts at this stage.
Clear indicators of strength manifest as your child begins to creep, a motion which develops into crawling; and makes jumping motions when aided in a standing position. Objects are handled in more complicated ways, passed from one hand to another.
Actions and speech cues such as intonation begin to be associated with meanings and glimmers of personality begin to show such as preference for certain types of food.
Snooze-time stories At six months old, your baby’s sense of hearing will become more finely attuned to its surroundings. He’ll instantly be attracted to any interesting sounds and will react to common noises in the household. Moreover, a heightened sense of communication is fostered through your special time with your little one.
During this period, as your child settles into a more or less predictable sleeping pattern (usually sleeping throughout the night), enrich his pre-snooze time extra by establishing a bedtime routine. Babies will build a sense of safety and trust in their surroundings by knowing what will happen next.
Start reading him bedtime stories. An-Marie Bartolome-Villarin, managing director of the Terrific Tots Preschool Program at The Little Gym in Taguig City, and mother to Santi, uses a variety of books that have different textures, even smells, and pop-up features, which stimulate his visual, auditory, and even olfactory development. They can also build as language skills together with vocabulary. “You can touch the furry characters,” shares Villarin excitedly. “There’s smell; you can smell the flowers, there’s a part where you can play peek-a-boo with the characters.”
Cloth books also provide that touch of interactivity. “There’s peek-a-boo with characters and texture also; the raincoat, the scarf, a floppy hat, and then books with mirrors. They like that. Books with babies!” she suggests. Six-month-old babies, in fact, start to smile at other children at this point of development, and they also like to touch their reflections in mirrors.
Bedtime ballads Music can be a reliable source of calm and comfort to make your tot drift off peacefully to dreamland, and it also enhances his auditory development.
Whether classical, pop, other genres, or better yet, your own lullaby, the sound of gentle music or your familiar soft, soothing voice will help put baby to sleep.
Pop in a CD of your choice mix of tunes and leave it playing for your child to enjoy.
SOURCE: - Websites http://www.robynsnest.com/develope6-7.htm and http://www.robinbest.com/auditory.html - “Why your baby needs routine” by Anna Santos-Villar, Smart Parenting September 2007 issue - An-Marie Bartolome-Villarin, managing director of the Terrific Tots Preschool Program at The Little Gym in Taguig City, and mother to Santiago
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