Development & Milestones

Crawling

Crawling typically starts between 7-10 months, but range is wide (6-12 months is normal). Many styles: traditional hands-and-knees, army crawl (belly on floor), scooting on bottom, crab crawl (backward first).

Some babies skip crawling entirely and go straight to walking - this is normal!

Once mobile, serious baby-proofing is essential. Baby can get into dangerous areas quickly.

What to Do

Give lots of floor time - can't learn to crawl in bouncer or swing
Create safe crawling space free of hazards
Baby-proof NOW: Cover outlets, lock cabinets, secure furniture, remove choking hazards
Check floor level - see what baby can reach (cords, small objects, plants)
Use baby gates for stairs (even 1-2 steps need gate)
Supervise constantly once mobile - babies move FAST
Keep bathroom doors closed and toilet lids down
Remove or secure items baby could pull down (tablecloths, lamp cords)

When to call a doctor

Call doctor if baby isn't showing any form of mobility by 12 months, only uses one side of body to move, or seems to have lost previous motor skills.

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Babbling & Early Speech

Speech development: Cooing (2-3 months), laughing (3-4 months), babbling single sounds "ba ba" (4-6 months), babbling with variety "ba da ma" (6-9 months), first words around 12 months. Babbling is practice for real words! Babies experiment with sounds and learn language rules by listening and repeating. Responding to baby's sounds encourages more talking. Have 'conversations' by mimicking sounds back.

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Hand-Eye Coordination & Reaching

Hand-eye coordination develops gradually: Batting at objects (3 months), purposeful reaching (4 months), grasping successfully (5-6 months), transferring objects between hands (6-7 months), pincer grasp (8-10 months). Early reaching is inaccurate - baby swipes at objects and misses. With practice, becomes more precise. Grasping starts as whole-hand "raking" motion, progresses to thumb-finger pincer grasp. Crucial for self-feeding, playing with toys, and later writing skills.

Development & Milestones

Object Permanence & Peek-a-Boo

Object permanence is understanding that things continue to exist even when you can't see them. Develops around 4-7 months, fully established by 8-12 months. Before object permanence: Baby thinks objects cease to exist when hidden ("out of sight, out of mind"). After: Baby knows you still exist when you leave the room, will search for hidden toys. This cognitive leap explains why separation anxiety starts around 8 months - baby now knows you exist elsewhere and misses you!