Physical Development

The next six months will be among the busiest your baby will ever have. This is when she'll hone her large motor skills, which she needs for sitting, crawling, cruising, walking, throwing a ball, and (later) running, jumping, and riding a bicycle. To help exercise her developing muscles, frequently change her position so she can use different muscle groups. Stand her on your lap and let her bounce, pull her to a sitting or standing position, lift her in the air and fly her around--whatever strikes your fancy and hers.

As if all this activity isn't enough, your little one is simultaneously developing her small motor skills. Eventually these will give her the dexterity she needs to feed herself, draw, write, brush her teeth, and tie her own shoes. To help develop these skills, give her activity boards, blocks, small balls (as long as they are too big to swallow), stuffed animals, and board books or books with cloth pages. Anything she can twist, squeeze, turn, open, close, poke, or bang will fit the bill.

Social Development

Your child's relationship with her siblings grows increasingly important around this time. Older children provide unparalleled opportunities to touch, watch, imitate, and listen. They can distract baby when she's fussy, provide company during your temporary absences, and help her learn to build relationships with others. Because babies find their siblings so fascinating, they will often try new activities--such as listening quietly while someone reads to them--at an earlier age when siblings are present. And older children will benefit, as well. While they may sometimes find baby annoying, they will also enjoy the special love she lavishes upon them.

Intellectual Development

Most babies understand some language by this point, although they are unable to use words. It's generally believed that 6-month-olds understand tone of voice rather than specific words. For instance, the word "no" is understood from its negative inflection and tone. Starting around now, your child will actively try to imitate the sounds she hears, so try to phase out the baby talk and introduce clear, single-syllable words and simple phrases. Expose her to language through books, and don't worry if she holds the book upside down or tries to rip the pages out--she'll still enjoy the experience. Keep in mind that a child who is busy developing motor skills may be slower in learning language, but may still understand what is being said to her.

Note: The information above offers general guidelines, but all babies develop differently, and few hit their milestones precisely when the conventional wisdom says they should. If your child was born prematurely, you may want to use your due date as a baseline for following baby's development.