Month Six

Babies First Year: Month Six

How Baby Is Changing

Teething often begins during the sixth month. Baby may drool more than usual, and be uncomfortable and fussy. Teething rings can soothe sore gums. Try rings that are cold or warm, smooth or bumpy, and different shapes.

Your baby may be able to roll from his stomach to his back and then over to his stomach again, with a rest in between. Some babies can get across a room this way.

Baby's legs are strengthening. He probably loves to stand up, with you holding under his arms. He may bounce up and down. These exercises help his legs prepare for crawling and walking.

Some babies will begin learning to sit up. Be sure he has soft surfaces to fall on. Keep an eye on him, he may get stuck in an uncomfortable position.

Is your baby showing more fear of strangers? This is a good sign. It means he can tell people he knows from people he doesn't.

Hold your baby when he meets people. Let him get used to them slowly, especially child care providers. Or you could have the new person hand him a favorite toy.

Baby Wants You To Know

How I Grow

• I turn and twist in all directions.
• I sometimes sit up for several minutes.
• I creep backwards and forwards, with my stomach on the floor.
• I hold onto an object with one hand, and then put it in the other hand.
• I hold one building block, reach for a second one, and look for a third one right away.
• I grab for an object when it drops.

How I Talk

• I still babble a lot, but I have more control of sounds.
• I may begin to understand some words by your tone of voice.

How I Respond

• I pick up things, shake them, and then listen to the sound they make when I drop them.
• I play games with people I know.
• I get upset when I'm around grown-up strangers, but I'm friendly to children I don't know.
• I coo, hum or stop crying sometimes when I hear music.
• I keep very busy doing something all the time.

How I Understand

• I know that I have to use my hands to pick up something.
• I look at and study things for a long time.
• I turn objects upside down just to get another view of them.
• I turn when I hear my name. I may have one favorite toy or blanket.

How I Feel

• I haven't learned how to control my feelings yet.
• I complain and howl when I don't get my way.
• I giggle, coo and squeal with joy when I'm happy.
• I may have very strong likes and dislikes about food.

How You Can Help Me Learn

• Take me to see other babies.
• Blow soap bubbles for me to watch on a sunny day.
• Give me things that make noise to play with. A crinkly paper bag or some blocks I can bang together are great.
• Float a toy in my bathtub for me to play with. I'd like something to pour water out of, too.
• Read nursery rhymes and stories to me.
• Sing me lullabies.

Fun Activities

When you are around town, you will meet other parents with their babies. Notice how much the babies like to look at each other? Babies really like other babies. Make a date to meet another parent and baby at the park or at your home. Make it a fun time. See what the babies will do with each other. It's great to watch another parent and baby together. You can learn a lot just by watching, and they learn from you. Sometimes it's just fun to laugh together about the good times and the hard times with a baby!

Feeding Baby

Most babies are ready for three meals a day plus snacks sometime after 6 months of age. If your baby has been introduced to eating baby cereal and purA snacks sometime after 6 months of age. If your baby has been introduced to eating baby cereal and pureed vegetables, you can start giving him some soft mashed fruits such as bananas, peaches, apricots, prunes, plums or pears, or apple sauce. You may also mash canned fruits packed in juice or light syrup. Start out slowly, one new mashed fruit at a time -- as you did for cereals and vegetables.

Finger Foods ( Give just a few bits at a time -- no more than you're willing to pick up off the floor.)

• Try crackers
• pieces of soft flour tortilla
• mild cheese cubes or strips
• cooked noodles or rice
• pieces of soft-cooked vegetables like potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, green beans, peas or zucchini
• pieces of soft peeled fruit such as bananas, peaches, pears, melon (no seeds), or chopped mandarin orange segments.

Prevent Choking
Some foods can easily slip into a child's throat and cause choking. Do not give foods that are hard, round and slippery. These include peanuts, raisins, whole grapes, hard candies, popcorn, raw carrots, and circles of hot dog. Cut hot dogs the long way for children under 4 years old. Never let a child walk or run with food in his mouth. Don't let your baby lie on his back with food in his mouth.

Building Good Food Habits
Did you ever stop to think why you don't like some foods? Food habits are usually formed during childhood. If a variety of foods is offered in the early years, most children will eat a variety of foods throughout life. Children copy their parents, brothers and sisters. If your baby sees her family eating healthy foods, she probably will, too.

Ways To Help Your Baby Develop Good Eating Habits

• Provide a pleasant, relaxed mealtime.
• Feed her with the rest of the family.
• Baby will feel like she belongs, and can see family members eating different foods.
• Feed her only as much as she wants to eat.

Your Baby's Appetite Will Vary From Day To Day.

Avoid making meals a battleground. Give her a variety of foods as you introduce them. She may only be eating baby cereal and soft vegetables by now, and may be ready for soft fruits, apple or pear juice, and cheese. But by the time she is 2, she should be eating some foods from the food groups of the Canada Food Guide: grains; vegetables; fruits; milk, yogurt and cheese; and meat, poultry, fish, dry beans and eggs. Note: Plain fruits are more nutritious than cobblers or combinations.

Read Baby Food Labels.

• Wait until your baby is about a year old to try orange or tomato juices.
• Use colorful foods to make eating more interesting.
• Give different textures to help develop chewing skills.