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Writer's pictureDr. Hughes, The Pediatric Mama

6 Month Milestones Checklist

My Baby is 6 Months Old: What should he/she be able to do?

Your baby is now approaching 6 months of age and continues to surprise you day by day with his/her new skills. Here are the things you should expect your child to do by 6 months of age.


By 6 months of age, your child should be able to:

Gross Motor/Physical Movement

  • Roll in both directions (tummy to back and back to tummy)

  • Sit with support (with something behind his/her back or with his/her hands down for support)

  • Bear weight on legs and may bounce when feet are on flat surface

  • May get up on all fours and rock back and forth (usually not crawling yet)

Fine Motor/Hand-Eye Coordination

  • Pass toys from one hand to the other

Social/Emotional

  • Recognizes familiar faces and may begin to show stranger anxiety

  • Likes to play with others, especially parents and siblings

  • React to other people’s emotions and often seems happy

  • Likes to look at self in mirror

Language/Communication

  • Respond to sounds by making sounds and likes to take turns making sounds

  • Respond to his/her own name (by turning his/her head or looking at you)

  • Make different sounds to show joy and displeasure

  • Babble using long vowel sounds (“aaah,” “eee,” “ooo”)

Cognitive/Learning & Problem-solving

  • Look around at things nearby

  • Bring toys to mouth

  • Show curiosity about things and try to get things that are out of reach (may roll, squiggle, or wiggle, to try to get to something out of reach)

If your child is 6 months old and is doing all of these things, great!!

Tips to Help Your Child Reach Their 6 Month Milestones

  • Play time: Create time each day for your child to play with toys and let them explore (a playmat on the floor is a great place to do this).

  • Talk and respond: Talk to your baby as much as possible and respond when he/she talks or makes sounds. Showing your baby that their vocalizations will get a response helps to foster social and conversational skills and encourages your baby to continue "talking".

  • Smile and play: Smile at and play with your child often. Make lots of facial expressions. Your child is still studying and learning the differences in the tone of your voice and the facial expressions you make.

  • Read: Read simple books to your child and use a lot of expression in your storytelling. This will help to keep your child engaged and they will likely smile and giggle along if they see you are enjoying it too.

When to Be Worried

If your child is already 6 months of age and is not meeting these milestones, talk to your child’s pediatrician. You know your child better than anyone else. If you are concerned your child may have a delay in his/her development, it is better to intervene sooner rather than later. This gives your child the best chance of catching up to his/her peers by the time he or she reaches school age.


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All content on this website, including medical opinion and any other health-related information is for informational purposes only and should not be considered a specific diagnosis or treatment plan for any individual situation. Use of this website and the information contained does not create a doctor-patient relationship. Always seek the direct advice of your own doctor before starting any specific treatment plan.

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