Knowing your baby's growth

Your baby

• Responds to sound by becoming still 
• Recognizes parents' voices 
• Sees well at 6-12 inches from a person or an object 
• Prefers to look at the face of another person 
• Follows slowly moving toys part way to the right and the left 
• Needs support of the head and neck when being moved 
• Loves to be held closely and touched gently 

You help your baby when you

• Massage the baby gently all over with unscented lotion or baby oil 
• Hold the baby close 
• Look into your baby's eyes and talk with the baby in soft, moderate tones 
• Read books with your baby 
• Rock and walk with your baby

Your baby

• Uses a big smile to attract you for play and care
• Follows you or others with her eyes as you move 
• Has better head control but still needs your help with support 
• Opens her hands about half the time 
• Turns to where a sound comes from
• Is awake a lot more often and is interested in things around her
• Coos and makes throaty sounds 
• Imitate the baby's sounds, taking turns with the baby

You help your baby when you

• Give the baby tummy time when the baby is awake, making it a fun time 
• Talk and read to the baby often 
• Imitate the baby's sounds, taking turns with the baby 
• Give the baby changes in toys and objects to look at each day 
• Take the baby to new locations in your home or outside your home each day 
• Cuddle and rock your baby often 
• Give the baby things to touch that are soft or hard, smooth or fuzzy 

Your baby

• Laughs and chuckles 
• Makes a wide variety of sounds 
• Lifts her head and chest by pushing up with the arms when on the stomach 
• Bring her hands together
• Reaches for and holds toys and objects 
• Rolls front to back 

You help your baby when you

• Give the baby safe toys to reach for and hold 
• Hold the toys still for the baby to reach for them rather than moving them
• Let the baby explore safe toys with the mouth
• Read to your baby every day 
• Take turns with the baby imitating your baby's sounds 
• Tell your baby about pictures, objects and people the baby sees 
• Make sure the baby's play area is safe and the baby cannot fall 

Your baby

• Babbles a lot!
• Sits with good head control when you support his or her hips 
• Rolls back to front
• Moves objects from one hand to the other hand 
• Wants to feed herself cookies or crackers
• Shows interest in your food 
• Eats from a spoon without using the tongue to push food out 
• Prefers parents for care

You help your baby when you

• Read books every day with your baby
• Tell the baby names for how she feels 
• Describe the things in your baby's life, giving words for what the baby sees and hears 
• Make sure the whole house is a safe place for your baby to explore
• Give your baby a chance to feed herself even when it's messy 
• Take the baby to different places inside and outside the home to vary what the baby sees and hears 
• Give the baby a range of toys to play with that differ in color, sound and feel

Your baby

• Knows his or her name
• Loves to play simple games with you such as peek-a-boo
• Makes recurring sounds such as "Da-da" and "Ba-ba" 
• Sits without the need for support 
• Crawls and may pull up to stand 
• Uses thumb and index finger to pick up objects
• Uses index finger for pointing and poking
• Feeds self with fingers, begins to use cup 
• Love affair with toys 
• Is afraid of strangers 
• Does not want to be away from parents

You help your baby when you

• Give your child a soft toy or blanket, a "lovey," to hold and be comforted with whenever the baby is upset 
• Say goodbye and are calm and reassuring when you leave the baby 
• Read with your child every day 
• Follow the baby's interest in toys and activities 
• Give the baby a chance to feed herself and learn to use a cup, even though it is messy
• Give the child a variety of toys that make sounds, flash lights or move when your child plays with them 
• Do not force your baby to deal with things that are scary, such as clowns 
• Make sure the play areas inside and outside your home are safe enough for the baby

Your baby 

• Waves bye-bye
• Say mama or dada and know it means you!
• Walks holding on to your hand or objects or by themselves 
• Picks up objects with thumb and first finger 
• Has at least three words you know when your baby speaks
• Throws a ball forward 
• Can stack two cubes
• Drinks from a cup
• Feeds with spoon, spilling about half 
• Searches for hidden objects

You help your baby when you

• Read books with your child every day 
• Give the baby the chance to point to things in the book the baby knows, such as a cat 
• Teach the baby the names of animals and the sounds that they make 
• Give the baby lots of time to play hard walking running and climbing 
• Give the baby toys that the baby has to control to make them work
• Make the baby's play areas inside and outside the home safe 
• Give the baby words for the new feelings a one-year-old has, such as anger and frustration
• Give the baby the chance to feed herself with a spoon and cup