Halfway to one! Life with a 6 month old…
Midway to bub’s first birthday!
Life with a 6 month’ old baby is all about new discoveries, your once-upon-a-time-newborn is now growing so quickly right before your eyes. One blink and you’ve missed their graduation – just kidding! Though, sometimes it probably feels that way. For now, you’re halfway to one! Well, bub is, but so are you.
There is something quite special about witnessing your little one’s development and how they discover the world and what is in it – namely mum and dad. You’ve probably noticed some small separation anxiety issue. You know the kind, where they don’t want to be held by anyone else, except you or dad. This phase is kind of nice, but can also be a little bit worrying for some parents. We know, what mum doesn’t want to be her child’s first choice? What mum wouldn’t secretly have a chuckle when her little one prefers to be in her arms rather than being held by anyone else? If you are a little concerned though, don’t worry, this stranger anxiety is quite normal for babies at this point in their progress and will come to an end. Friendly interaction with other mums, bubs, friends and relatives will see it passing in no time.
Your little one needs plenty of stimulation to encourage their development. A simple way to begin is to talk to them as often as possible. Communication is the cornerstone to any relationship, including the one you have with your new bundle of joy! Talking regularly to your baby will increase their language development. You’ll also notice them try to mimic the sounds they hear. All those cute babbling noises are attempts at singing along to your nursery rhymes or simply to say “Hey mum, I love what you did with your hair.” Studies have shown that children learn at a much faster rate, in the first 6 years of their life. Making these early years, prime ground to encourage a love of reading and to stimulate their speech development.
Babies love when you make animal noises. Moo-ing and woof-ing are pretty standard sounds that we associate with animals and make our little one giggle throughout the day. But did you know there is another reason beyond laughter and fun for these? Animal sounds encourage children’s first words and are generally easy for them to make in return. A good way to complement this fun is by showing them pictures of the animals. They will learn to associate each animal with its distinctive sound. Playing and stacking blocks or playing with shapes will encourage their hand-to-eye coordination.
Lastly, that smile may have sprouted a few pearly white teeth, making for an interesting experience during breastfeeding… If you and bub are ready to start the weaning process, now is a good time to introduce solids. Ironically, it looks pretty much like the opposite of anything solid. Baby food: a mushy mess of nutritious goo!
Just think, in another 6 months, you’ll be planning your little one’s first birthday party! So enjoy all these fun, milestones with your growing baby!