I’m talking to you

By 6 months your baby is gaining more control of her body and can use various gestures and facial expressions to tell you how she's feeling.

‘Your baby's eyes and facial expressions are her first tool of communication,' says psychiatry lecturer Richard Smale of Bournemouth University. Towards the end of your baby's first year she'll probably start waving and pointing at people and objects.

‘By pointing, your baby is connecting her own internal world with ‘the world around her,' says Richard. ‘Through waving she's recognising she's separate from you and developing her own identity while at the same time keeping in touch.'

She'll discover other attention-grabbing behaviour too, such as repeatedly dropping her favourite teddy. ‘Babies are very clever manipulators,' says Richard. ‘They realise quite early on that if they pull strings something happens.'

5 ways to make her laugh

There's nothing better than hearing your baby giggle. Try these ways to start her off.

• When you're eating a plate of spaghetti, let her watch as you quickly suck in a strand.
• Touch her feet with your nose, wrinkling up your face into a funny expression while repeating: ‘Phwoar, smelly feet!' in a funny voice.
• Pretend to put on her coat or shoes in the morning when you're getting dressed. When she giggles, look confused and do it again.
• Pretend to be a variety of different animals, pulling funny faces and putting on silly voices.
• Put on some music and dance around, pulling a silly face. Or pick her up and spin her around in your arms.
  

DID YOU KNOW?

Babies all around the world babble in an identical way.

Source: How Babies Think (Phoenix, £7.99)

 

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