Your baby at 8 months
He’s becoming more mobile now and is having a ball exploring his surroundings and finding life utterly fascinating.
What’s happening with your baby?
By 8 months, he may have reached the following stages:
Ready, steady, go: Brace yourself. This is the month he may learn to balance on his hands and knees and master the art of crawling. All babies are different, of course, bottom-shuffling may be is his thing, or perhaps rolling around on the floor feels the right way to get where he wants to go. Some babies even bypass the crawling stage altogether and go straight from sitting up to standing and walking.
Balanced baby: He’s now a confident sitter and a dab hand at leaning forward and sideways now. It’s a pretty amazing feat of balance. He may also have a go at getting himself up into a sitting position from his tummy.
How you can help your baby this month
Making mealtimes fun: What with everything else going on during your busy day, it may be tempting to insist on feeding your baby entirely yourself, just to get a job done. But allowing him to spoonfeed himself is great for his independence. Why not give him one spoon and sneak yourself another? That way, he’ll feel ever-so-clever for being a big boy, and while he’s gloating, you can slip a spoonful in his mouth almost without him noticing.
Tippitoes: Although your baby can’t stand up by himself, if you hold him upright under his arms, he’s stretch out his legs to touch the floor. He’ll now begin to try to push off the floor with his feet, as if in the early stages of taking his first steps.
Your baby’s health
Baby-safe: Now she’s on the move and into everything, it’s time to make sure your home is healthy and baby-safe. The best way to do this is to literally get down on your hands and knees, so you can view the world from your baby’s perspective. This means you can see what looks interesting from her view and where she can reach up to, so you know what to put out of reach. Check the floor for splinters or sharp objects and fit electric plug covers, soft guards on sharp table corners, cupboard locks, fireguards and stair gates.
Play ideas for your baby
Baby in the bath: Splashtime play can be great fun now he’s happily sitting up unaided. Get coloured beakers and jugs and let him fill and pour. He’s fascinated by water and what he can do with it, and these type of games help develop his hand-eye co-ordination too.
Your baby’s development may not be exactly the same as these descriptions since all children will develop at their own pace. This is an approximate guide of some of the new skills your little one may be developing. If you have any concerns, always speak to your health visitor or GP.
