Developmental calendar for a six-month-old baby. Child development in the sixth month of life What a child should know at 6 months

With each month of life, a newborn child acquires more and more new knowledge and skills. Young parents enjoy watching their baby and note all the skills he has mastered.

At 6 months, a special date comes in the baby’s life - six months from the moment of his birth. By this time, both boys and girls become very active and acquire new knowledge at an incredible speed. In this article we will tell you about the developmental features of a girl child at 6 months and what you should definitely pay attention to at this age.

Physical development of a girl child at 6 months

In most cases, girls develop slightly faster than boys. By the time she reaches six months of age, the future fashionista, as a rule, already knows how to easily roll over in both directions - from back to stomach and from stomach to back. This skill is very important for every baby, because with its help the baby can change the position of his body in space and becomes much more independent.

Very little time will pass, and the baby, driven by natural curiosity and interest in surrounding objects, will begin to pull up her body in her arms, and even later - In some cases, the level of development of a girl child at 6-7 months already allows her to move in the horizontal plane, so Now you can’t leave your baby alone even for a minute.

In addition, many six-month-old babies are already mastering the skill of sitting independently. If this skill is not yet available to your daughter, you can help her with this, but only after preliminary consultation with a pediatrician. The musculoskeletal system and spine of infants are not in all cases fully formed by 6 months, therefore, before placing the baby, it is necessary to assess the level of her preparation from a medical point of view.

Psychological development of a child at 6 months

Most six-month-old girls have active babbling during play, that is, in their speech fragmentary syllables consisting of vowels and consonants appear. The baby becomes very emotional, she tries to completely capture her mother’s attention and communicates with her in all available ways.

At the same time, in the presence of unfamiliar adults, many children begin to feel shy - when they see a new person, the six-month-old toddler freezes, carefully studies his face and only after that makes contact.

For the correct and complete development of a child at 6 months, various things are very important. Be sure to give your daughter a daily “mother’s” massage and light gymnastic exercises, which the doctor will recommend to you to strengthen the baby’s spine and musculoskeletal system, and also do not forget about the importance of finger games, which are a wonderful simulator for developing fine motor skills and active speech of a child.

The beloved baby has passed the first stage of his development and celebrated his first “anniversary”. During this time, he grew stronger, grew, and acquired many skills and knowledge. The development of a child at 6 months will bring new achievements.

The baby's muscles are strengthening, which will allow him to sit on his own and prepare to crawl. The baby's intelligence is rapidly developing. He learns to speak and overcomes new logical problems.

Table

By the age of six months, the baby doubles its body weight in comparison with the weight at birth and grows by an average of 15 cm. The width of the shoulders should ideally be ¼ of the length of the body itself. Indicators of height, weight, head volume depend on many factors, but heredity plays the main role.

However, there is a standard that pediatricians and parents are guided by. Below is a table with data developed by WHO. It shows that physical development Girls at 6 months are slightly different from the development of a boy. Indicators for both sexes correspond to the norm if height, weight, and head volume are in the range from “below average” to “above average,” inclusive.

Height, weight, head circumference of a six month old baby

Indicators	Boys
Indicators		Head circumference, cm	Head circumference, cm
Very low

Below average

Above average

Very tall

How to evaluate the correctness of development?

It is important for every mother that the baby grows up healthy. You can evaluate the physical development of a 6-month-old child yourself by conducting several tests. You should know that observations should be made when the baby is well-fed and rested. Tests to check:

If you lay the baby on his tummy, he, leaning firmly on his outstretched arms, raises his body and head at an angle of 45-90° to the plane.
While lying on your back, you need to let the baby tightly grasp your thumbs and pull them a little towards you. The development of a child at 6 months, in contrast to a younger age, will allow him to happily try to sit up. At the same time, the baby has good control of his head and can also touch his chin to his chest.
By placing the baby on his feet and supporting him under his arms, you can see a new skill that the baby has learned at 6 months. The development will allow him to support his body weight on his legs for a couple of seconds, while straightening his feet.
If you offer a child a beautiful toy, the six-month-old baby will be able to not only hold it, but also transfer it from hand to hand.
It is necessary to interest the baby in a bright new object on the table, then, as soon as the child reaches out to it, begin to mix it and throw it on the floor. Interacting with the outside world is a skill that a 6-month-old baby has already mastered. Development at the age of six months is characterized by the fact that the baby will follow the object that interests him until it disappears from sight.

Changes in behavior

A six-month-old baby begins to understand what emotions are. He manifests them in accordance with the situation and subtly senses the mood of loved ones. If the parents have a fun conversation and joke, then the baby also smiles and perks up happily. But an angry tone in communication spoils his mood. The baby frowns, becomes wary and may even cry.

Laughter, joy, animation, tears, gestures, changes in facial expressions - this is a normal reaction to the world around us, which a 6-month-old baby can exhibit. The development of a six-month-old child, in contrast to an earlier age, has another striking feature - he can clearly distinguish between strangers and close people in the environment and reacts differently to them. If children at 3-4 months old go into the arms of everyone indiscriminately, then at the age of six months they perceive strangers with caution. At the sight of a stranger, the baby freezes, carefully studies the new person, and then reacts with a smile, animation, or crying. He always greets the appearance of loved ones, especially his mother, with delight and babble.

Intelligence

The baby begins to understand the meaning of human emotions and look at the world consciously. The development of a child at 6 months is characterized by the fact that the baby knows the names of him, his brother (sister) and everyone else from his close circle. With this comes understanding simple words(“on”, “give”, “no”, “bye”) and expressions (“let’s go eat”, “let’s go for a walk”, “it’s time to swim”). It recognizes objects that are used every day or found in the same place, such as a pacifier, a bottle, a clock on the wall. At this age, passive vocabulary. Over time, after repeated study, hearing the name of the object repeated, the baby will look at it. Receptive speech skills come earlier than the ability to pronounce words itself, so communication and activities with the baby are extremely important.

Speech

Starting from the age of six months, the child begins a new period in the development of speech. At this time, he is already trying to take part in communication with loved ones. The baby doesn’t just babble, but begins to practice intonation. He raises or lowers his voice in response to the other person's reaction. The development of speech at 6 months allows the baby to consciously pronounce the first sound formations. He produces various syllables consisting of vowels and consonants. The combinations “me-me”, “da-de”, “pe-pa”, “ge-he” and other similar formations make up the sound “repertoire” that a baby pronounces at 6 months.

Development correct speech at the age of six months is not the presence of all the vowels and consonants listed above, but a changing height of intonation and tone, as well as stress in sound formations.

Developmental problems

All parents want their baby to develop correctly. But, unfortunately, there are some deviations that require correction and the attention of a specialist. For example, if a baby cannot pronounce any vowel sounds at six months, this is a reason to consult a pediatrician. Parents should be wary of the following results of monitoring their baby:

his humming and babbling stopped;
the baby does not react at all to the facial expressions of those around him, does not look him in the face when communicating with him;
constant negative reaction to physical contact: the baby not only disgruntledly pushes away loved ones when he is dissatisfied, but does this always;
the child does not show emotions: no smile, gestures, animation;
lack of reaction to different intonations of the mother’s voice or inadequate perception of them.

Features in the development of girls

In an upright position, the baby discovers the world in new colors. Sitting is one of the main skills that accompanies the development of a 6-month-old child. Girls differ in their physiology from boys, so parents of daughters ask specialists a completely logical and timely question: “When can you sit your baby down with support?”

According to pediatricians, healthy six-month-old girls with normal development can sit with the support or support of a parent, and by seven months they are already able to do this independently. Under no circumstances should a baby be placed artificially until she is 6 months old. If at the age of five months her muscles have become stronger and she will independently take a semi-sitting position, there is no point in putting the baby back into a horizontal position. The baby will still take the pose in which she is interested. Leaving your daughter half-sitting for a short time, then you can distract her with something interesting, put her on her tummy or pick her up. It is necessary to ensure that a girl at this age sits no more than an hour a day.

Baby 6 months: development, nutrition and first feeding

At six months of age, the baby may begin to have its first teeth. Most often, the lower incisors grow first. It happens, of course, that teeth are delayed, but a striking feature in the development of a baby is his interest in the food that the whole family eats.

Now the moment of the first complementary feeding has come. According to research, today pediatricians recommend first introducing a one-component puree of white or green vegetables into the child’s menu. Zucchini, broccoli or cauliflower are perfect for introduction. You can choose a special ready-made product or make puree yourself. A new dish can only be offered to a healthy baby in a good mood. It is better to do this in the first half of the day. You need to start with one teaspoon, gradually increasing the portion to 180 g and replacing one milk feeding. When meeting anyone new product It is mandatory to control the body's reaction (character of stool and skin condition).

Problems with introducing complementary foods

The baby does not always happily accept new food. He may get upset and spit out the puree.

What should a mother do? There is a lot of advice, but each baby is individual. You can offer another vegetable the next day, for example, instead of broccoli you don’t like, give it zucchini to try. Some mothers add a little breast milk to the puree to make the taste of the dish seem familiar to the baby. If this does not help, then it is better to postpone the introduction of complementary foods for a few days and then try again. The most important thing is not to scold or force-feed the baby. The main food product for a six-month-old baby is breast milk or formula, so it is wiser to postpone introducing new foods for a while rather than rushing and causing negative emotions in the baby. 3-4 weeks after the successful introduction of vegetables, you can try porridge.

Entertainment and activities

The proper development of a child at 6 months is influenced not only by a balanced diet, quality care and sleep, but also by play-based activities aimed at improving movements and developing intelligence. Constant communication with loved ones is also very important during this period. You can sing songs to your little ones, read funny children's poems, watch picture books and just talk about everything, highlighting key words. For example, a bus passed by, you need to indicate: “Look, a bus. Where's the bus? When communicating, a passive vocabulary develops.

At the age of six months, the baby will be interested in floating bathing figures, lockable boxes with contents, thick picture books, balls, a spinning top, a pyramid, soft animals with a sound effect, a plastic mirror, and chewing toys. You should not give small objects into your baby's hands. Any toy purchased for him must be safe and certified.

Results

The first half of the year in the life of a baby is a turbulent and difficult period. By the end of it, the six-month-old baby had achieved a lot:

freely controls the head and body;
can turn in any direction;
With a precise and coordinated movement of the handle, he takes the toy he likes;
easily rolls over from stomach to back and vice versa;
knows his name;
sits confidently with support or support;
he gets teeth;
he utters conscious sound formations involving consonants for the first time;
receives first adult food;
demonstrates your mood and emotions;
compares objects and their names.

All of the above skills are inherent healthy child 6 months. Development, nutrition, care and love of parents played a major role in all the achievements of the baby. The care and support of mom and dad will help the baby overcome all difficulties and grow up to be a healthy and smart child.

Six months is one of the most important stages in the physical and emotional growth of a baby. A child at 6 months begins to more consciously manipulate toys and tries to communicate with people around him. The baby tries its first complementary foods and even develops taste preferences.

Baby's height and weight at 6 months

The physical characteristics of an infant depend on many factors, including heredity and gender, so they vary widely. Baby's height at 6 months:

boys - from 63 to 71.9 cm;
girls - from 61.2 to 70.3 cm.

Allowable baby weight at 6 months:

boys – 6.4-9.8 kg;
girls – 5.7-9.3 kg.

Baby nutrition at 6 months

In order for the baby’s height and body weight to be within the above norms, he must eat well and regularly. The main nutrition of a baby at 6 months is still breast milk or an adapted formula, but towards the end of the first half of life it is necessary to introduce complementary foods. Pediatricians allow both basic and pedagogical methods. In the first case, new dishes are offered to the baby on a schedule and in limited quantities. The second option is for the child to independently try tiny portions of dishes from the “adult” table, in which he or she develops a food interest.

Mother's milk remains the main thing in the diet of a six-month-old baby, but for lunch you can offer him a new dish. Complementary feeding for a 6 month old baby with normal body weight should start with. Hypoallergenic products that grow in the region where the child lives are better suited for their preparation:

zucchini;
light pumpkin;
broccoli;
squash;
cauliflower.

The puree is made from only one vegetable and water. You cannot add salt, sugar or butter, this is too intense a load on the baby’s digestive system. If tolerated, you can diversify the baby's menu at 6 months. It is better to introduce them 10-15 days after sampling vegetables. Simple one-component purees from the following fruits are suitable:

peach;
apple;
banana;
pear;
plum;
apricot.

corn;
buckwheat;

Complementary feeding begins with a trial to track the baby's reaction to a new product. For the first time, it is advisable to give the baby 0.5-1 teaspoon of the dish. You can gradually increase the portion to the maximum limit. Daily complementary feeding rates for 6 months:

vegetable puree – 10-120 g;
porridge – 10-150 g;
fruit puree – 5-60 g.

Children's menu for IV at 6 months

Children receiving an adapted formula are better adapted to digesting new foods. Children of 6 months continues, but is not the main component of the baby’s diet. Milk formulas are included in the menu in quantities of 400-500 ml. The rest of the food is complementary foods. Its variety and portions depend on how much the child weighs at 6 months, what foods he has a food interest in, and whether he has allergic reactions to certain foods. Approximate recommendations for the amount of complementary foods per day:

vegetable puree – 150 g;
porridge – 160 g;
fruit juices and purees – 60 g each;
cottage cheese – 40 g;
meat puree – up to 30 g;
yolk – 0.25 pcs. (not every day);
whole milk – up to 200 ml (in dishes if tolerated);
biscuits, crackers – 3 g (for testing);
creamy, vegetable oil– up to 3 g (in dishes).

Baby mode at 6 months

From six months onwards, the baby’s amount of continuous, night and daytime sleep changes. At six months, a child’s schedule becomes closer to an adult’s schedule. The baby still wakes up regularly to feed, but does it less often. With normal development, health and a stable emotional state, a 6-month-old baby can rest at night without awakening for about 7 hours in a row.

How much should a baby sleep at six months?

The total duration of sleep for a baby at this age is about 12-14 hours. More than half of this time occurs at night (up to 10 hours). A child's daytime sleep at six months is 3-4 hours:

in the morning, after feeding – 40-60 minutes;
at lunch – approximately 2 hours;
in the evening - about 60 minutes.

6 month old baby doesn't sleep well

Sleep disturbances and anxiety are common during the described period, especially after 19-20 hours. A 6 month old child does not sleep well at night due to... At this stage of development, the lower incisors grow, which causes itching of the gums, pain and swelling of the soft tissues in the mouth. Other factors that provoke poor sleep in six-month-old babies:

staying awake for too long;
many new impressions and emotions;
stress;
lack of fatigue;
vigorous activity, games before going to bed;
features of biological rhythms;
separation anxiety (fear of separation from mother);
new sleeping conditions (another room, crib);
bloating;
increased body temperature;
any health problems.

Six months – significant date little things in life. At this point, the baby acquires many new physical and emotional skills, makes his first attempts at communication, and learns to control his body. When a child turns six months old, parents need to purchase educational toys and devote more time to the baby for joint entertainment. Additionally, you need to take care of safety in the premises; the baby can already move independently.

What can a 6 month old baby do?

A six-month-old baby can freely roll over from his back to his stomach and back; many children like to spin around like a spinning top. There is a list of basic skills that a baby should be able to do at 6 months:

sit with support;
hold your head and control its position;
lie on your stomach with support on your hands;
stand for a short time with support under the arms;
open your mouth at the sight of a spoon;
remove food with lips;
support the breast with your hands while sucking;
eat thin food from a spoon;
transfer a toy from one hand to another;
attempt to crawl (by any means).

What should a six-month-old child be able to do emotionally:

imitate adults;
watch the toy for a long time and interact with it;
get to know people;
show emotions (laugh, frown, get scared);
respond to words and music;
pronounce repeated syllables;
express desires using sounds;
have preferences (favorite toy, cartoon, person).

Parents must take into account that each baby is unique in its development. Some babies begin sitting, crawling and other expected activities at 6 months, others a little later, and some babies skip certain stages and move straight on to more complex tasks. It is important to allow the child to grow up in accordance with his personal rhythm, and not force him to do anything “through force.”

How to develop a baby at 6 months?

Both mom and dad should take part in raising a six-month-old baby. When a child turns 6 months old, he understands the difference between “friends” and “strangers”, enjoys attention from family members and behaves warily around strangers. For your child to grow up properly, you should spend time improving physical, emotional, and social skills. Baby development at 6 months involves:

age-appropriate toys;
educational entertainment;
use of modern technologies (gadget games, cartoons);
performing gymnastics.

By the first half of the year, the baby has already mastered the grasping reflex well, but fine motor skills need improvement. Suitable toys for 6 month old babies:

beanbag;
large soft cubes;
large foam puzzles;
cups;
musical, interactive toys;
big cars;
nesting dolls;
large balls, balls;
soft toys;
plastic tableware sets;
inflatable, soft books with bright pictures;
labyrinths;
beepers;
spirals with balls;
soft bags with different fillings;
Velcro and others.

It is very easy to entertain a six-month-old baby; he will even like everyday things - a saucepan with a lid, a rustling bag, clothes with large buttons. If a child is given a lot of educational toys for 6 months, parents should help the baby master them. Together you can assemble and disassemble a pyramid, a nesting doll, a puzzle. The main thing is to comment on your baby’s movements and actions in clear words, calling him by name (“Dasha put the ring on, took off the ring”). During such games, it is important to show the baby how to move his hands correctly and what to do with objects.

Nursery rhymes occupy a special place in the development of young children. They not only have fun, but also teach the child to understand words, feel the rhythm, and establish a connection between them and subsequent actions. Nursery rhymes for 6-month-old babies can be practiced in the morning, supplemented with exercises and washing:

We woke up. We woke up. They reached out sweetly and smiled at mom and dad.
Who's already woken up? Who reached out so sweetly? Stretch and stretch, from the toes to the top of the head. We will stretch, we will stretch, we will not remain small. That's how fast we grow, that's how we walk with our legs.
They washed their cheeks. The nose was washed. And the eyes were forgotten.
Give me your hands and get out of bed. Let's go wash up. Where's the water? Let's find it!
Ay, okay, okay, okay. We are not afraid of water. We wash ourselves clean and smile at mom.

Nursery rhymes for fine motor skills:

Thumb-boy, where have you been? I cooked borscht with this brother, went to the forest with this brother, ate porridge with this brother, sang songs with this brother(bend your fingers).
One, two, three, four, five! Let's count fingers. Strong and friendly, everyone is so necessary. Fingers are fast, dexterous and clean. This finger wants to sleep, this finger wants to jump into bed! This finger took a nap, this finger fell asleep. This little finger doesn’t sleep, it tries to run away.
The fat and big finger went into the garden to pick cherries. A pointer from the threshold showed him the way. The middle finger is the most accurate; it knocks cherries off the branch. Nameless collects and fills buckets with cherries. And the gentle little finger plants seeds in the ground.

When a child turns 6 months old, he knows how to laugh sincerely, so he definitely needs to read funny, entertaining nursery rhymes:

Two firefighters ran (to stroke one and the other cheeks of the baby), and pressed the button (touch the nose): beep!
Sunshine, sunshine, look out the window. Shine a little light, I’ll give you some peas.
Rain, rain more fun. Drip, drip, don't regret it. Just don’t get us wet, knock on the window.
The sun is looking out the window, shining into Masha’s (child’s name) room. We clapped our hands, very happy about the sun.
What kind of legs, what kind of legs? These are our baby's legs. We will not give such legs to a dog or a cat. These legs, our legs, will run along the path.

Children are entertained by the simplest games, for example, “peek-a-boo”, and old nursery rhymes, which also contribute to the development of motor skills and spatial orientation:

magpie-crow;
over bumps;
the bunny went out for a walk;
bears and others were riding.

Cartoons for 6 month old babies

Not all modern pediatricians advise introducing a child to gadgets, TV or computers at such an early age. A child's development at six months fully occurs even without cartoons; most experts say that they have no value. If parents decide to show their child entertainment programs, viewing them should last no more than 10 minutes a day. At 6-7 months, a child can be shown the following cartoons:

Smeshariki;
Wooden pieces;
Tiny Love;
Luntik;
Clever;
Baby Einstein and others.

Exercises contribute to the normal development of the musculoskeletal system and strengthen muscles. In order for a 6-month-old baby to develop properly, you need to regularly do simple gymnastics:

“Hovering” with support on your hands on your stomach.
Crawling with help.
Flexion and extension of the legs (one at a time and together).
“Flying boat” with support (handles move to the sides).

Over the past six months, the baby has noticeably gained in weight. Now he is not a helpless toddler, but a little person who has learned a lot and can already understand a lot.

Physiology

Child development at 6 months and nutrition The baby starts feeding. If new food is spat out, it means that the child is not yet ready for the new menu. The mother's task is to understand this and introduce innovation later.

Overweight children should start with pureed vegetables. And for thin people, porridge made from rice, buckwheat and corn, cooked in water without salt and sugar, is best suited. From the first feeding, the baby should be accustomed to a spoon. Use bottles with nipples only when necessary (on the road).

The appearance of complementary foods in the diet does not exclude, because mother's milk, rich in antibodies, is still needed by the baby at this age.

Psychology

In the sixth month of life, a serious breakthrough occurs in psychological development. The baby turns around when his name is pronounced, he recognizes his close surroundings, and may react negatively to a stranger. This cannot be called a complex; the body’s defense mechanisms come into play.

A child may show friendliness towards a stranger, but the main people for him will be those whom he knows well. And only mom and dad can calm a crying baby.

A small family member, as always, is the center of the universe, around which relative planets revolve. He listens carefully to everything, looks closely and tries to imitate the actions of adults. So, over time, his sounds form syllables, but the real words will not be pronounced soon.

What can we do?

Crawl
Use both hands, throw toys and clap hands
Pronounce syllables while trying to explain yourself
with the help of adults
Sleep all night long. A child at six months is very active, so his sleep is deeper and longer.

You can start reading books to your baby and amusing him with funny rhymes and songs. If a child smiles at the beginning of reading a rhyme that he is already familiar with, this indicates that the child is successfully developing memory.

Nutrition

Can sit up independently and even crawl baby at 6 months, development and nutrition at the same time, it should be increased (complementary feeding is introduced).
At the age of 6 months, the baby should eat the 7th or 8th part of his body weight (approximately 1000 g) per day.

From 6 to 7 am - feeding with milk (breast) or formula (adapted)
From 10 to 11 in the first half of the day - complementary feeding, which is a good idea to start with lean kefir and cottage cheese.
Kefir. We start with 3-4 spoons per test (washed down with breast milk or formula). Until the next day, observe the reaction of the child’s body and stool. Is everything calm? We continue feeding, only we give twice as much, bringing it up to 150 ml per feeding. You can sweeten it a little with sugar. Then add a little low-fat cottage cheese (1 teaspoon) to the kefir. We watch the reaction. Increase to 30 g. On average, a 6-month-old baby will receive 180 g of kefir-curd mixture at a time.
From 2 to 3; 6 to 7; 10 to 11 afternoon - no change (formula or breastfeeding).

This is quite enough for 6 month old baby development and nutrition does not burden parents to create children's culinary masterpieces.

Motor development

Now manipulations with toys have become much more diverse than a month ago. The baby learned to transfer objects from one hand to another, throw them away, and knock on the crib. Vision makes it possible to see very small objects; the baby will even try to grab with his fingers a square drawn on a pillow that he had not noticed before, or a speck of dust flying in a ray of sunlight.

Child development at 6 months continues to improve in rolls from back to tummy. This gives him great pleasure, because now he can reach the desired toy and grab it. These movements involve not only motor skills, but also the functioning of the brain.

Games

At a younger age, the baby tapped an object with his hand to feel new sensations. Then he grabbed it and put it in his mouth. Now the toy is picked up for the purpose of immediate examination and study.

Especially at this age, children are attracted to new and unusual things. For example, the doll “Vanka-Vstanka” (or “tumbler”). The kid watches, enchanted, as the doll gets up on its own after falling.

By six months, the child becomes a little tracker. He wants to touch, twist, feel everything. Therefore, toys must have lids to open, a specific button to squeak, and that can be squeezed or stretched.

Initial speech development

By six months, the baby can babble for a long time and loudly, repeating the same syllables. Thus, he remembers what he has acquired.

If the parents support him, expressing joy and approval, the baby repeats these words again and again. This is how the chain from children’s chattering to conscious speech is built. And although the baby does not yet understand what he is saying, his speech exercises are absolutely necessary for future mastery of speech.

Over time, a little person accumulates information about his surroundings; he is very attentive to the sounds that surround him. It is very important for him to learn to distinguish people by their voices.

When the baby's mother enters the room, he begins to smile joyfully and enthusiastically wave his arms and legs, making it clear that he recognizes her by her voice. If a stranger appears in the room, he will become wary and make an incredulous face.

A child at this age really likes games - with his mother, with some water, with a toy. Many children enjoy bathing in a large bathtub because they can splash with water. They are especially delighted by clapping with both hands at the same time, when the splashes fly out like a fan and flood his face. At this moment, the baby seems to recognize his own reaction to water getting into his eyes, nose and ears. And, apparently, he really likes it!

Anniversary! Reaching six months of age is incredibly important for parents. How grown up the baby has become, how much he has grown, how much he can do now! But what are they, the right skills that characterize the healthy development of a child at 6 months? In fact, there are not many of them!

Parents accustomed to relatively long and restful sleep may remember sleepless nights after the maternity hospital. The baby's teeth begin to actively bother him, or rather, the lower incisor, which appears by 6-8 months. Evidence of this will be drool, which will suddenly become incredibly abundant. The baby is capricious, puts everything in his mouth, and his lower gum may look swollen, with white swellings on the surface.

Features of physiological development

A six-month-old baby whose development meets the norms easily learns new movement skills. He already sits freely, leaning on his back, so walking in a stroller while sitting becomes possible. You should not tire your baby by sitting too straight, as his back is not yet ready for such a significant impact on the spine. Quite a bit of time will pass and the baby will sit up on his own (he will confidently do this by ). Then you can practice long walks and learn new games.

A mandatory point characterizing the healthy development of a 6-month-old baby is the introduction of complementary foods. Even if before this your baby only ate breast milk from the breast, and you want to continue breastfeeding him, it is necessary to get acquainted with new food. Breast-feeding at the same time, you can save it for up to a year, and even longer.

A 6 month old baby's total sleep time is about 16 hours. Of these, he sleeps 8-10 at night, and divides his daytime rest into 2-3 doses. If the frequency of sleep is 2 times a day, the duration of each period should be up to two hours. With a three-fold “approach”, morning and evening rest will be shorter, and daytime rest will be the longest.

The baby's weight increases steadily at 6 months, despite the fact that the baby is constantly on the move. This suggests that breast milk or formula is still quite enough, but this will remain so for another month, no more. We give the norms for weight, head circumference and height of a child at 6 months in the table below.

5 Essential Skills for a 6 Month Old Baby

So, what should a 6 month old baby be able to do? As we said above, sit confidently and move actively: spin, somersault, roll over. Therefore, if a child of 6 months does not roll over, you should consult a neurologist, which your local pediatrician will definitely recommend. Although if the baby is cheerful and healthy, has mastered the skills of sitting and actively demonstrates a desire to crawl, perhaps you should agree that this is an individual characteristic of your baby. But these words should not come from your grandmother or friend, but from a specialist - a pediatrician or neurologist.

Other skills that a 6 month old baby can do include the following.

The baby sits in a high chair or stroller, and from a lying position makes attempts to sit up on his own. If a baby is not sitting at 6 months, this is not a cause for concern. If there are no other violations, you should calmly wait another month until the baby sits down.
The baby tries to crawl and does it well on a flat surface. Encourage this useful skill! While crawling, the baby's muscles strengthen and develop, and his body prepares for walking. And the longer and more actively a child crawls, the less likely there are problems with the spine in adulthood.
The child accurately takes objects, plays with them, and tries them out. Be sure to try how each toy “works”, experiment: ring them, throw them, hit each other. At this age, cause-and-effect relationships begin to form: you pulled the handle - the toy rang, threw it out of the crib - it disappeared. Be sure to comment on the actions and their consequences for the baby. This way you will help him quickly understand the essence of things not only in infancy, but also in adulthood.
The baby laughs loudly, screams, attracting attention, mutters and even sings. Imitation of speech becomes more and more confident, it contains more vowel sounds, but consonants also appear.
The baby really loves playing with mom and dad, especially swinging, tossing, and jumping on his knees. Do not deny him and yourself this pleasure, especially since such exercises are excellent gymnastics for children 6 months old. While the baby is small, practice real “space flights”: let dad swing him by the arms and legs, throw him up on outstretched arms.

Useful educational games

New games with a 6 month old may include water treatments. Since the baby is sitting confidently, put floating figures, rubber toys, and plastic cups into his bath. Ordinary household items are also suitable for everyday use, in which the child is even more interested in them than in his toys. Offer him a teaspoon, a pan lid, a sieve, a wooden ladle. Another option for keeping a 6-month-old baby occupied is a plastic mirror in which the baby can study his reflection. Or a small basket with toys without small parts, in which he will be happy to dig.

Every day you will come up with new activities with your 6-month-old baby, and he will definitely help you. The little explorer has grown up to actively study everything that surrounds him!

In this video, a music development expert teaches a lesson to 6-month-old babies.