Promoting your baby's development

For babies of any age, learning and play are inseparable. To support your budding adventurer:

• Create an exploration-safe environment. Keep only safe objects within your baby's reach. Move anything that could be poisonous, pose a choking hazard or break into small pieces. Cover electrical outlets and use stairway gates. Gates between rooms can help keep your fast-moving baby in safe areas too. Place cords from blinds or shades out of reach. Install child locks on doors and cabinets. If you have furniture with sharp edges, remove it from rooms where your baby plays. The same goes for lightweight objects your baby can use to pull up into a standing position, such as plant stands, small tables, potted trees and floor lamps. Anchor bookcases, televisions and their stands to the wall.
• Keep chatting. You've likely been talking to your baby all along. Keep it up! Describe what you're doing, and give your baby time to reply. After you say something, wait for your baby to repeat the sounds. Sing simple songs. Ask your baby questions that involve more than a yes or no response. You might not be able to pick words from your baby's babble, but you can encourage a back-and-forth conversation.
• Teach cause and effect. Push the button on a musical toy and dance to the tune. Open the door on a toy barn and listen to the cow say "moo." Help your baby do the same. Self-confidence will grow as your baby realizes how to make things happen.
• Take time to play. By now, you and your baby might be very good at games you've been playing, such as peekaboo, patty-cake and itsy-bitsy spider. Get creative. Arrange cushions and pillows on a carpeted floor and encourage your baby to creep or crawl over them. Stack blocks and invite your baby to knock them down. At bath time, provide small containers and plastic utensils for pouring and mixing.
• Pull out the books. Set aside time for reading every day — even if it's only a few minutes. Reading aloud is one of the simplest ways to boost your baby's language development. Make it more interesting with facial expressions, sound effects and voices for various characters. Store books within easy reach so that your baby can explore them whenever the mood strikes.