Developmental milestones include:

• Between 2 – 4 months, he begins to laugh out loud
• By 4 months, he loves to by played with
• He shows recognition of you and other family faces
• is interested and engaged in the activity around him
• He shows pleasure by smiling, cooing and making excited jerky movements
• You know what activities he enjoys
• He recognises objects and shows pleasure at seeing them

What can I do to encourage his social and emotional development?

• Blow raspberries on his belly – it will tickle him and he’ll think it’s hilarious
• Involve him the daily activities of the house – make sure that he is in a position to see what’s going on (don’t leave him on the floor)
• Play with him – lots and often!

Signs that suggest a developmental problem:

• He doesn’t seem to get any pleasure out of interacting with other people
• He doesn’t make eye contact
• He doesn’t appear to recognise familiar faces

All children are different and develop at different rates, so don’t be overly concerned if your baby is acquiring new skills at a different rate to those around him. But if you are worried about him development, talk to a health professional for a little reassurance.

Read more

• 3 – 6 months baby routines
• 3 – 6 months physical development

This article was written by Ella Walsh for Kidspot.