My Life and My Child

8 MONTHS GROWTH & DEVELOPMENT

At eight months your baby may:

Sensory / Intellectualsystematically investigate toys, people and her surroundings
Languagetry standing up
Social /Emotionalplay social games
Playing Detective

Your eight-month-old is like a detective on an important case. Clues about how the world works are everywhere. She's suddenly fascinated by everything; a scrap of paper, a human face, a tree moving in the wind. Your baby will spend this month systematically looking, listening and touching.

By eight months, your baby can see objects at a distance. Try standing at the doorway when someone familiar comes to visit. See how she starts to smile and wiggle in greeting? Her improved vision gives her more information about her surroundings.

This month your baby will start investigating toys by turning them around in her hands. You can imagine her thinking, "Hmm, this is interesting." Examining is a fine motor skill. It's also an incredible developmental milestone. Focusing her attention on an object allows her to learn more about it.
Standing Up

Your baby has focused on using her arms and hands during the past few months. Now she's turning her attention to her legs. Expect to see more ambitious crawling. You'll notice her sitting for longer periods, even standing up. She will achieve these feats because of her stronger, more limber muscles.

Her hip and knee joints are starting to "lock" in, instead of collapsing under the weight of her body. Soon she will be pulling herself up on the sofa or even standing in place.
Peek-a-boo

At eight months, your baby will love games like "Peek-a-boo." Another favorite is "Pat-a-cake". Experts call these games social play. They're fun for the whole family. And they're also a great learning opportunity.

Even simple games have rules. Your baby will discover how to coordinate her part of the game with yours. She will also learn that games have a sequence of events. You cover your eyes with your hands. You open your hands and say, "Peek-a-boo." Then everybody cheers and laughs.

The stimulation of being in different environments is good for your baby. Take him with you to the supermarket, museums, the zoo, and other busy places.
Make funny, unusual noises and encourage your baby to copy you.
Play music designed especially for babies and children.
Lift your baby to a standing position and let him dance, bounce, or walk.
Crawl with your baby. Give him a round of applause and lots of kisses for his efforts.
Put toys in a net bag, and show your baby how to take things out and put them back.

Krispy Kreme! Yummy!