5 – 8 Months
General Behavior
- Sits up
- Reaches for objects
- Responds to sounds
- Some children may sleep through night, but varies greatly
- Fear of strangers
- Fascinated with faces, preferably parents’
- Feels, shakes, and bangs things
- Repeats actions that have interesting results
- Development of vision peaks at 8 months
- May take 2-3 naps a day
- May be getting first teeth (drooling and biting everything)
Positive Parenting Practices
- Continue to be responsive to infant (holding and interacting)
- Continue talking to infant
- Read small stories aloud
- Provide different sounds for infant to listen to
- Play pat-a-cake and peek-a-boo
- Provide for periods of solitary play
- Remove mobiles and bumper pads from crib
CAUTION: Infant will put anything available in his/her mouth.
8 – 14 Months
General Behavior
- Beginning to crawl and explore surroundings
- Curious, active, clumsy; imitates adults
- May say first meaningful words
- Interest in small objects by sucking, chewing, biting, and drooling
- Handles and touches objects
- Pulls self up on furniture and attempts to walk
- Beginning to remember simple events, form simple concepts
- Identifies themselves, body parts, voices, familiar people
- Understands own name, other common words
- Can find hidden objects
- Claps hands
- May show anxiety at separation from parents
- Starts to eat and sleep at regular times
Positive Parenting Practices
- Provide safe toys of varied shapes and sizes and containers as well as plenty of room to explore
- Provide drawer or cupboard for child’s enjoyment in kitchen
- Allow child to explore safe places
- Play is an important part of learning
- Talk to baby, describe things and actions
- Read to child, picture books
- Encourage self help in feeding; use finger foods
- Encourage use of cup with small amount of fluid
- Baby proof home for safety
Discipline Options
- Substitute a good behavior for one you find unacceptible (distract to a toy or to a different behavior, change environment, take to another room)
