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Brain Builders

Stimulating Activities for Your 7-month-old Baby

By Tammy Morey

In the 7th month of your baby's life, you may observe some of the following milestones:

• He sits with and without the support of his hands, but the length of time will vary.
• He transfers objects within his hands, using a raking grasp when reaching for objects. He can manipulate objects in his hands and bring them to his mouth with more controlled movements. He now focuses his attention on how to retrieve objects that are out of his reach, as his attention span and determination mature.
• He now may support weight on his legs while you hold him upright. He might also be pulling himself from a seated position onto anything that he can grasp that is at his eye level (crib railing, furniture, your leg, etc.).
• He may walk while you walk behind him holding his hands. He may even be "cruising" around the room while holding onto furniture and moving his hands one over the other.
• He may wave and play pat-a-cake and peek-a-boo. Life begins to develop for him through his own social play, as he becomes interested in his image in the mirror, notices other babies and children around him and responds to their expressions of emotion.
• He may begin to demonstrate expressions of stranger anxiety and even cry when you leave the room. This is why object permanence games, such as peek-a-boo, are significant because they help him understand that when Mommy leaves the room it does not mean that she is permanently gone.
• Much to your delight, he may say "Ma-ma" and "Da-da." He may also respond delightfully when he hears his own name. He has now developed the ability to comprehend and distinguish your emotions by tones of your voice. He may often engage in a conversation with you by making sounds that are connections of consonants, which express his joy and displeasure. Take time daily to have a face-to-face talk with him. Begin by saying something to him and then waiting for him to respond. When he responds, deliberately mimic his sounds to show interest and engage him a conversation.
• His eye color may change. The pigment in his iris becomes fully developed between 7 and 12 months of age. His eye color may turn from green or blue to brown, but brown eyes cannot change from brown to green or blue.
• His vision is now in full color, and his ability to see objects out of finger's reach has increased. He also will be able to track moving objects.
  
  
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  Want to see more?

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  • Brain Builders: Stimulating Activities for Your 8-month-old Baby
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