What Infants Are Learning
After learning to recognize your voice, your face, and your
touch, and to associate them with comfort, your baby will start
responding more to you during these months. Your baby will even
give you a smile!
Babies this age spend more time awake and alert and become
more curious about their parents and about objects that they
see. They also start getting physically stronger and better able to
coordinate movements. Encourage the learning process by talking to
your little one, responding to his or her vocal expressions, and
providing colorful age-appropriate toys.
You'll now see your baby's personality emerge. In
the first month or two of life, newborns depend on others to
initiate interaction. But by the end of the third month your baby
will engage you with facial expressions, vocalizations, and
gestures.
As their eyesight improves, babies become better able to
distinguish between different sights and sounds. Your baby will be
carefully watching your facial expressions and listening to your
voice, responding to you with coos and gurgles, and around 2
months, respond to your smile with a smile. Between 3 and 4 months,
most infants can squeal with delight and laugh out loud.
Babies will learn to open and shut their fists and can hold a
rattle placed in their hands. They'll soon discover that
they're the one that caused the rattle to make noise.
Babies also start to explore their surroundings with
their hands, reaching out, swatting at, and grasping for a
favorite toy. They'll also begin to notice their hands and
feet, and they'll become a source of amusement. They
enjoy staring at their hands, playing with their fingers, and
bringing their hands or a toy to their mouth.
Encouraging Your Baby to Learn
Respond to your baby's coos and gurgling with sounds of your
own so that your baby will be encouraged to keep using his or her
voice for expression. Through these exchanges, your infant hears
the sounds of language and learns about conversation.
Your baby's sense of touch is also getting better. Provide
colorful objects of different textures, shapes, and sizes for your
infant to hold and explore. This is a good age to introduce an
infant gym with interesting objects that dangle for your baby to
swat at. Or hold a toy just out of reach for your baby to reach
for, swat, and grab hold of. But don't string up toys on cribs
or other baby equipment - your baby could get tangled in them.
At times your baby will have had enough stimulation.
Watch for signs that your little one might be
overstimulated and ready for a break.
Other ideas for encouraging your baby to learn and play:
- Gently clap your baby's hands together or stretch arms
(crossed, out wide, or overhead).
- Gently move your baby's legs as if pedaling a
bicycle.
- Use a favorite toy for your baby to focus on and follow,
or shake a rattle for your infant to find.
- While awake, let your baby spend some time on his or her
tummy to help strengthen the neck and shoulders. Always supervise
your infant during "tummy time" and be ready to help if
he or she gets tired or frustrated in this position. Never put a
baby to sleep on his or her stomach. Infants should sleep on
their backs to reduce the risk of
sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)
.
- Make different facial expressions for your baby to
imitate.
- Talk to your baby and let your baby respond.
There's a wide range of normal among babies. If you're
concerned about your little one's vision or hearing, or your
baby doesn't seem to be developing well in other ways, talk
with your doctor.
Reviewed by:
Steven Dowshen, MD
Date reviewed: August 2008
Note: All information is for educational purposes only. For specific medical advice,
diagnoses, and treatment, consult your doctor.
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