Baby Development at 6 Months

Memory and preferences are growing. Raising Children Network says babies around 6 to 7 months are better at remembering favourite people, toys, and books. Your baby may look for a familiar toy, light up for a regular song, or protest when a preferred person walks away.

Emotions can become louder. Your baby may laugh, squeal, scream when frustrated, or watch your face and voice for clues about how you feel. Calm, repeated responses help your baby learn that strong feelings can be held by a safe adult.

Attachment and stranger wariness can also become more obvious. Your baby might reach for you, lift their arms to be picked up, cry when passed to someone unfamiliar, or become unsettled when you leave the room. Stay close, let visitors warm up slowly, and avoid treating separation anxiety as bad behaviour.

Communication is busy now. Many 6-month-olds babble, copy noises, respond to their name, turn toward voices, and use gestures such as reaching up. Talk back in real words, copy a sound, pause, read short books, sing repeated songs, and give your baby time to answer with movement, noise, or eye contact.

Sitting practice changes play. Your baby might sit without help for a short time, use their hands for balance, or still need cushions and an adult close by. Keep sitting practice on the floor, stay within arm's reach, and expect sudden tips because balance is still new.

Rolling and early crawling make safety more urgent. Your baby may roll both ways, wriggle in circles, drag forward on their tummy, rock on hands and knees, or bounce when held standing. Use the floor for play, keep one hand on your baby during changes, and do not leave them on beds, couches, change tables, or other raised surfaces.

Object permanence starts to show in tiny ways. Your baby may look for a partly hidden toy or enjoy a simple peekaboo game. Keep games short and predictable; repeated hiding, finding, dropping, and retrieving can teach a lot without buying complicated toys.

First meals can stay tiny. Offer 1 or 2 teaspoons once a day when your baby is calm, often after a breastmilk or formula feed so they are not too hungry to learn. Breastmilk or formula remains the main nutrition while solids build gradually.

The 6-month health check is a useful checkpoint. Bring your baby health record and questions about feeding, growth, movement, eyes, hearing, sleep, skin, teeth, vaccinations, and parent wellbeing. A health professional can check weight, length or height, head circumference, development, and any concerns before they become bigger.

The 6-month vaccine visit needs current schedule checks. The Australian National Immunisation Program schedule lists a 6-month DTPa, hepatitis B, polio, and Hib combination vaccine, with pneumococcal and meningococcal B doses for eligible groups, and annual influenza vaccination from 6 months to under 5 years. Confirm the current schedule with your GP, nurse, council clinic, or immunisation provider.