• Recognize familiar faces and knows if someone is a stranger
• Like to play with others, especially parents
• Respond to other people’s emotions. You may notice that they smile or laugh when you are playful and happy and may cry if you seem angry or upset.

• Talking to your baby to help them understand and have language for their feelings. For example, say, “You seem upset. Are you tired? Is it time for your nap?”
• Learning to read your baby’s moods. If he’s happy, keep doing what you are doing. If he’s upset, take a break and comfort your baby.
• Showing your baby how to self-comfort when they are upset. For example, they may suck on her fingers to self soothe.

• Talk back by responding to your sound by making a sound back
• Say consonant sounds such as “eh”, “ah” and “oh”
• Respond to their name
• Make sounds to tell you that they are happy or unhappy
• Uses their voice to get attention and express feelings

• Talking, reading and singing to your baby throughout the day
• Having “conversations” with your baby by replying to their babbles. Repeat the sound and wait them to make another.
• Placing baby in a highchair or somewhere they can watch your everyday activities. Explain what you are doing and let baby see, touch and hear common objects.
• Using “reciprocal” play—when baby smiles, you smile; when they make sounds, you copy them.
• Repeating your child’s sounds and say simple words with those sounds. For example, if your child says “bah,” say “bottle” or “book.”

• Baby talk is fine but also speak real words to your baby to helps them learn language and meaning.
• When you ask your baby a question, give them plenty of time to respond. It takes a while for the baby to think and then make a sound back.

Safety tip:

• When seating baby so that they can watch you, use a highchair with safety straps, a play pen or a baby chair on the floor. Never place a child seat on a raised surface such as a table.

• May be curious and try to get objects that are out-of-reach
• Look around and notice more things
• Bring items to mouth
• Pass things from one hand to the other

• Reading books to your child every day. Praise her when she babbles and “reads” too.
• When your baby looks at something, pointing to it and talking about it
• When baby drops a toy on the floor, picking it up and giving it back. This game helps them learn cause and effect.
• Pointing out items around your home to your baby and name them

• If you have older children, make sure that toys, toy parts and other items that baby can reach are large enough that baby can’t choke on it. If there are older children in the home, be sure to keep their toys with small parts safely away from baby. See Prevent Choking for more information on how to keep your baby safe.
• Avoid letting your baby watch the television, smart phone or computer screen. Screen time is not recommended for children under two years of age.
• Model healthy screen use by turning off screens when not in use and avoid having the TV playing in the background.

• Roll both ways – from front to back and from back to their front.
• Sit without support
• Support weight on legs and may bounce when standing
• Pick up small toys with one hand and transfer them from one hand to the others.
• Rock back and forth, or crawl backward before moving forward

• Playing on the floor with your baby every day
• Encouraging rolling by placing a toy within sight and a little bit out of reach so they can roll to get the toy
• Holding your baby up while they sit or support them with pillows. Provide only as much support as baby needs. Let your baby look around and give them toys to look at while they balance.
• Many babies will enjoy playing with “shakers” that make noise. To make a shaker for your baby, fill a small plastic bottle (e.g. a medicine bottle with a child proof cap) with beans or rice. Let your baby shake it to make noise. You can then create another shaker with something different inside. See if your baby prefers one sounds over the other.

• Babies roll. Always keep one hand on your baby when they are on high surfaces like change tables to prevent a fall.
• Use harness straps on car seats, change tables and other baby equipment
• Small items are a choking hazard for babies. Keep small things safely away from baby.
• Babies need to sleep in a safe sleep environment – placed on their back in a crib, cradle or bassinet with a firm mattress, with no pillows, blankets, toys.
• Once babies learn how to roll, they soon figure out how to get from one place to another. Remove items which could be within baby’s reach and that could be dangerous. Use baby gates, close doors and supervise your baby’s play to keep them safe.
• Baby walkers with wheels are no longer sold in Canada as they are very unsafe and they do not help babies learn to walk. Stationary exersaucers are safer options.