GRAND Magazine - May/June 2018 - 24

0 to 3 months

Possible milestones during this time:
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*

Lifting head briefly when on tummy
Holding head steady when upright
Focusing on a face
Cooing, squealing, laughing
Reacting to a sound, begin to turn in that direction
Beginning to reach for an object and trying to grasp it
Bringing hands together
Smiling, usually randomly

* In addition to talking -- read and sing.
But, be aware of when to take a break. When a baby has had
enough, he or she may start looking away or turning away or get
fussy.
* New things to see, hear and touch
During the first three months of life, your grandbaby's brain is
developing at a rapid rate. What's happening is sometimes called
"brain wiring" - connections between brain cells are being made.
* Introduce colorful objects.
* Use books but don't worry about following the story. Books
with texture offer a chance to feel new things
* Follow your GRANDbaby's gaze. A fluttering curtain? I light
fixture? Talk about it.
* Is the baby noticing a bird chirping or a car zooming by.?
Stop and listen - talk about it.

3 to 6 months

Possible milestones during this time:

What babies at this age like:

* The sound of your voice
Start talking to your new GRANDbaby immediately and continually. In their book titled Meaningful Differences in the Everyday
Experience of Young American Children, Betty Hart, Ph.D., and Todd
Risley, Ph.D., stress the important influence of talkative families,
concluding children in those families had a higher IQ at age 3 and
better test scores at age 9 than those in less talkative ones.
* Talk about what you're doing and what's in front of you.
* Give names to objects and body parts.
* Change your pitch and tone of voice.
24 GRAND

MAY JUNE 2018

* Sitting with steady head, needing support at first, then less
support
* Keeping head aligned with back when pulled to sitting
* Bearing some weight on legs and eventually, pulling himself or herself up when holding on to someone
* Rolling over
* Grasping items and passing them from one hand to the
other
* Trying to hold on to a toy or object (your keys, sunglasses, etc.) when you try to take it away
* Babbling, expanding range of sounds
* Smiling back when you smile
* Developing the ability to eat solid food
* Extending periods of continuous sleep at
night.

What babies at this age like:
* Sing-song melodies

* Funny faces
* Their own face in a mirror
* Making adults laugh
* "Raspberries" on the tummy or the feet
(SOME babies love this)
* Dancing in your arms
* Watching things
Babies tend to like sharp contrasting colors or black and white
designs, rather than muted colors. Typically, babies like gazing at
things from the side, instead of looking straight up. To encourage
tracking of moving objects, move a toy or other item from some
one side of the baby's sight line to the other.
* Reaching for things
When your grandbaby starts reaching for objects, remember
that young babies will only reach for an item offered from the
side, not from the front.

Keep Talking

At this age, continue to talk to your grandbaby and, especially, as he or she nears the
age of six months, add to your repertoire.
Point out qualities of the objects in
front of both of you. "This blanket is
soft." "This light is bright."
Describe what objects are for. "Socks
keep your feet warm." "The spoon stirs
the food."
Tune in together to sounds. "The
dog is barking...woof, woof." "Look at
the truck...vroom, vroom."
Begin asking the baby
to respond to commands.
"Wave bye bye." "Give
Grandma a cuddle." (But
don't expect the appropriate response just yet.)

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GRAND Magazine - May/June 2018

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of GRAND Magazine - May/June 2018