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What does a 4-6 month old baby know how to do?
Last reviewed: 08.07.2025

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At this age, the child already confidently "manipulates" his head. He already holds it for a long time, lying on his stomach, and when lying on his back, he easily lifts his head and happily turns it, watching what is happening around him. He likes to look at his hands, spreading them apart and bringing them together.
If you put him upright on his legs, he will bend and straighten them - dance. He especially likes to do this to music.
In the fourth month, the baby tries to "swim" while lying on his stomach. It may seem that he is trying to "swim" with a crawl. In fact, this is an attempt to crawl, which he does not really succeed at. He grunts, mumbles dissatisfiedly and even screams because he is not succeeding.
The baby can already be seated, but he sits only with support, and as soon as you throw your hand, he falls on his side. And he doesn’t need to sit yet - his spine is not strong yet. Therefore, use this movement only as a training one - pull him by the arms so that he sits, and then let go, saying: “Boom!” (or something like that). This will be a game, and an unsuccessful attempt to sit will not upset the baby too much.
At this age, the child can already grab a toy, hold it tightly and move his hand, but then he lets go of it. He watches it with pleasure, but not for long.
The child is already quite good at seeing objects at a distance of 20-30 cm. His eye movements are already more coordinated, and if bright objects "float" past him, he follows them with his eyes in all directions: up, down, to the sides.
If you tickle your baby while playing, he will no longer just smile at you, but laugh. This is an indicator of his social development. He especially likes it when you communicate with him. He smiles, coos, makes individual sounds. He already enjoys his own "singing" and repeats his vocal combinations over and over again. He also shows interest in musical sounds, preferring more melodic ones.
By the fifth month, the baby's motor activity increases. He can lift his head up while lying on his stomach, raise his arms and legs, arching his back. If you give him support for his legs, he pushes off from it and tries to crawl. And if he rests his head on another support, he arches, lifts his bottom and makes a "bridge". He can already pull his legs up to his mouth and suck his toes.
The baby moves so actively on a flat surface that leaving him alone on a changing table, sofa or bed is dangerous!
At six months, he can already crawl on his belly after you out of the room if you leave him for a long time.
He can already sit fully. At the same time, the back does not bend - it is straight. If the back is round, then it is still too early for him to sit. Consult a pediatrician: does the child have rickets?
At this age, the child can even stand with your help. He loves to squat on your hands and shows enviable endurance, constantly jumping, and if you are already tired, he gets angry and makes you help him jump again and again.
He can even walk with your help if you hold him by his two raised arms. But remember that his muscles and ligaments are not yet ready for walking, so you can't let him walk for very long. When in the crib, the baby tries to get up, holding on to the rods. He is already tired of sitting in his crib and from time to time he calls you to pick him up and let him out into the "wild".
But, letting him out into the wild, you run a risk. Firstly, when moving around the room, the child can hit himself or fall. Secondly, he will grab all the objects that he can reach. He already has enough motor skills and intelligence to open all the doors and drawers, especially if they open easily. So, when you enter the room after the "search" conducted by your baby, you may simply not recognize it! But the most dangerous thing is that by pulling the tablecloth or the wires, he can throw objects on himself that are on the table: a table lamp, a vase or even a TV. Now imagine what will happen if one of the listed objects falls on his head! Another danger is that the child can get to the drawer where you keep medicine. To avoid trouble, put the medicine away (higher)! Educating a child by explaining to him that he cannot climb on cabinets is useless at this age. Therefore, make sure that these cabinets do not open and do not leave the baby unattended. The baby carrier we have already talked about will help you with this. Put the baby on your back or chest (whichever is more comfortable for you) and, while communicating with him, calmly do your business.