You may be able to tell whether your baby is right or left handed by her preferences and she is able to pick up smaller items using her fingers, so watch that little objects don’t end up in her mouth. She loves standing upright because her whole view of the world changes.
She’s quite the performer enjoying your attention and praise, so encourage and reward her progress. Introduce her to the world outside and explore your backyard, a neighborhood park, or public gardens during one of your walks together.
Motor Skills : Month 8
Gross Motor Skills
Your baby is more confident crawling and standing. She may crawl upstairs and walk while you hold both her hands. She may stand briefly on her own or with her hand being held and may use the furniture to move or sidestep while keeping her balance. She is not yet able to move from standing to sitting but showing her how to do this will improve her confidence. She gets herself into a sitting position easily from lying but can’t yet move from sitting to standing without help, but will often use furniture to pull herself up. She sits quite happily while unsupported and pivots her body. She leans forward while sitting when she reaches for an item, and can lean back without losing her balance.
Fine Motor Skills
She is more coordinated and may be able to build a small tower of two blocks. She may start to favor one hand over the other, and pick up small items using her thumb and index finger. She can see almost as clearly as an adult now so her movements are more precise, and she may be able to drink from a beaker with a spout.
Coordination leads her to explore more with her fingers and less with her mouth. She uses her fingers individually, often poking them into holes or pulling on hooks so make sure all unused power points are covered with child safe plugs.
Language : Month 8
Your baby uses words meaningfully, knowing who “mama” and “dada” are. She may respond to several words other than her name, the word “no”, and be able to follow simple commands.
She will enjoy this new ability so remember to reward her and show you are pleased. She will add “t”, “d”, and “w” words to her repertoire and will imitate coughs, sneezes and hisses.
She makes up her own words for objects and people. Encourage her by repeating the word she used and then make the correct sound so she can copy. When she stares at an object with interest, tell her its name and then repeat it so she can listen and repeat the sound.
Emotion : Month 8
Your baby is shy when confronted with new faces and may not want to be picked up by strangers but she will remember familiar people. She will fear heights, is aware of vertical space, and may become scared of the bath where previously she was not because she is becoming increasingly conscious of her surroundings and that she is capable of getting hurt.
She enjoys performing and will repeat an act if she is applauded or rewarded. She evaluates other people’s moods and may be sensitive to other children’s emotions, like crying when they cry.
What Your Baby Enjoys : Month 8
Standing and Moving
She may not be able to walk confidently but is enjoying her mobility and a new view of the world. Encourage her to stand by placing a toy on a chair and having her stand up unaided or with your help to reach the toy. You can also place an object at the opposite end of a couch so that she can “cruise” or sidestep along to the object using the furniture for support.
She may not be able to sit back down so stay close to catch her falls. You can also help her by using your extended hand, a broom handle or pole that she can hang on to for support as she lowers herself to the ground.
Hiding Games
She has realized that objects don’t just disappear when she can’t see them. Play hiding games where she has to find an object that has been hidden, or you can disappear behind a couch and then pop up again.
How Can You Help : Month 8
- Turn objects upside down and get her to turn them the right way up.
- Play “peek-a-boo”.
- Hide toys and get her to find them.
- Play with stacked objects of increasing size to teach her coordination and order.
- Create a mini sandbox and let her shovel and dig sand. You can show her how to make a sandcastle.
- Let her help when you dress her – ask her to raise her arms or give you her foot.
- Read books and ask questions related to the stories such as “Where is Jane going?” and “Does Jane have a brother or a sister?” She may initially just smile, point or babble back at you when you ask questions but this is good language practice and it will help her learn how to answer questions, as she gets older.
- Tell her when the next activity is going to happen, so she learns about routine.
- Repeat words that start with “t”, “d”, and “w” so she can learn new words and sounds.
- Get her to bang objects both powerfully and softly to show her how she can control her actions and their effect.
- Reward her achievements: even the smallest actions take a great deal of effort, and she loves feeling appreciated. She will want to repeat these actions and learn skills when she feels loved.
