How experiences leave emotional imprints on your baby's brain
Your baby has been learning about how to attract attention using movement and sound. They have been testing and comparing your responses to them, while becoming aware that looking at faces is a powerful way of sharing communication.
Why curiosity fills the gaps! Your baby's listening and laughing are signs of understanding
Since birth, your baby has been developing their understanding of the social world through interactions with you and other familiar people. They have been particularly interested in other people's facial expressions, talk and movements; they are able to communicate and are active participants in relationships. In short, your baby's brain has been making meaning from what you and other familiar people do.[1]
Your baby's vision, movement and touch are working in harmony
Your baby will have been able to focus on objects close to them, and as their vision developed will have started to look at and follow nearby objects with their eyes. Now, they are beginning to use what they see and their developing sense of their body to look at and reach towards an object.
How your baby learns to locate sounds and link them with what they know
Your baby was able to hear before they were born and has been becoming more aware of the sounds around them. They are now beginning to become more aware of the direction that a sound is coming from and will turn their head when they hear a sound.
Watching and turning when something sparks their interest
Your baby has been looking with increasing interest at objects that are close to them. They are now developing control of their movements and will be able to turn their head to continue watching a moving object.
Your baby is getting skilled at connecting now
Your baby has been listening to a wide range of words while you have been going about your everyday activities. Lots of common words will have been used during these times, like nappy, sleep, kiss and hello. Through hearing these on a regular basis, your baby will be becoming more interested in what you are saying to them as some of the words are beginning to make sense.
Seeing your baby's understanding of words blossom
By now you will have been chatting away with your baby and building a strong bond with one another. You will have naturally talked about some of the important objects in their lives, such as their nappy, bed, their favourite comforter and own name. Your baby will be babbling back to you and very early conversations will have begun!
Babbling is your baby's new voice!
Your baby has been paying attention to the sounds that they are hearing. They may be making eye contact with you and be trying to copy some of your mouth movements. They are becoming more aware they can communicate with you and are beginning to make more sounds and use gestures. They are exploring the sounds that they can make and will begin to experiment with ways to respond to you using their babble.
Try and try again: the process of reaching out for an object
Your baby will have been exploring movements of their arms and hands. They will be beginning to gain more control of these movements and will be able to move their arm so that they can grasp an object with their hand.
What putting their hands together opens up for your curious baby
Your baby has noticed their hands and has been exploring moving them in different ways. Now they can bring their hands together and will hold one hand with the other, exploring movements as they grip and move their fingers.
