7 Months
Developmental Milestones
Movement: At this age, babies will begin to start sitting up without your help. In the same way, they can support their whole weight with their legs. Watch out for bouncing. They’ll be able to do little baby “push-ups” and try to move forward. With their hands, they’ll love to reach for items and move them from one hand to the other.
Eyes and Ears: Their eyes are now fully mature. This means they see everything in full color. They are also able to recognize the distances of objects better. Also, if an object moves, they can follow it with their eyes. They’ll turn their heads when they hear a sound or hear their name.
Language: They’ll know their names and will respond when called. They will also start becoming a little rebellious and will respond with the word “no”. You might find them responding by making sounds. They’ll still love to babble to themselves and start combing their vowels and consonants. You might hear a lot of “aah”, “ohh”, and “ehh”.
Brain Development: Their brains are developing. If you partially hide an object, they will still be able to find it. They will struggle to reach that object that is out of their grasp. It is also important to note that babies love to explore using both their hands and mouth. Make sure there are no dangerous or dirty items around.
Sleeping: Babies will sleep at about 11 hours at night straight and take 2 daily naps that result in about 3 to 4 hours of sleep per nap.
Social-Emotional Milestone
Babies will love to look at mirrors and enjoy looking at their reflection. They can tell emotions by the tone in your voice and will often respond to them. They’ll use their own voice to let you know if they are happy, sad, or angry. They might shout to get your attention.
Action Items
Remember to practice taking turns when talking to your baby, even if they just respond with babbling sounds.
Let them practice grasping for items, dragging items close to them, and passing them between their hands. Soft graspable blocks are a great toy to practice this with your baby.
Make sure to set aside a safe space for them to practice crawling and exploring. It’s also good to play along with your child on the floor.
Praise your baby. Put your hands together when your baby does something worth cheering for. Clapping is a way to practice hand-eye coordination.
To help build their social skills, try having a new plush friend or sock puppet for your child. This can help with learning opportunities such as helping with those who often don’t like to eat or take a bath.
Make music a part of the child’s day.
Developmental Milestones