7 to 9 Months
Until now, your baby was unable to recognize herself as an individual; however during this period, your baby will begin to recognize her own existence. The concept of “object permanence” is yet to be understood at this age. This means that your baby believes that what disappears from her sight will vanish from this world.
At this time, your baby will begin to notice not only the existence of her own feelings, but the fact that there are a number of different feelings, such as loneliness and sleepiness among others. Your baby will gradually intellectualize and understand these different feelings from her experience: having someone there by her side when she is lonely and being put to rest when she is tired.
Furthermore, this is a period of exploring her world. Your baby will begin to have an interest in becoming the cause of an effect. For example, your baby will knock over building blocks after they have been stacked or built up. Do not assume that your baby is unintelligent if she knocks down something only to build it up again. She is experimenting to discover what happens when building blocks are pushed over. Let your child try and learn until she becomes satisfied.
Milestones: 7-9 Months
- Your baby can understand simple questions and requests (e.g. “Where is the toy?”)
- Your baby tries to mimic sounds.
- Your baby can make two-lip sounds, such as “P” and “B” and combine them with vowels to make sounds such as “papapa.”
Share your child’s story to enrich this period’s information!