Newsletter signup
  • Developmental Toys & Products
    • By category
      • Gymini® & Activity Mats
      • Baby Gear
      • Mobiles & Soothers
      • Activity Toys
      • Stroller Toys
      • Tiny Princess™ Collection
      • Best Sellers
      • Tiny Smarts
      • Fruity Pals
    • By Age
      • 0-1m
      • 1-3m
      • 3-6m
      • 6-9m
      • 9-12m
      • 12-18m
      • 18-24m
  • Grow with Knowledge
    • 7 Elements System™
      • EQ-Emotional Intelligence
      • Fine Motor Skills
      • Cognition
      • Gross Motor Skills
      • Language & Communication
      • The Senses
      • Imagination & Creativity
    • Articles
    • Glossary
    • Posts
  • About
    • Philosophy
    • Product Development
    • Corporate Ethics
    • Quality & Safety
    • Awards
    • Press Room
    • Media Kit
  • Contact Us
    • Contact Us
    • Worldwide Distributors

About the Element

Your Baby Becoming a Social Butterfly 

At this age, your baby is a much more active participant, and even initiator, of interpersonal relationships with those around him. He can recognize and distinguish between the people who care for him, and begins to react specifically to each one, through laughter and other forms of communication.

Family and Friends versus Strangers 

By about five months of age, your baby may stop smiling at unfamiliar faces. He may gaze at someone new quite seriously for a second, as if studying his or her features, and then burst out crying. The smile is now reserved for those he knows. These are the first signs of stranger anxiety. He is also now aware of how his actions cause reactions and, for example, expects you to smile back at him. 

Exploring and Gaining Control 

Baby begins to touch your face, exploring facial features, pulling hair, or sticking his fingers in your mouth – or his own. Through these actions he learns to distinguish between different sensations. Now that he can control his head movement he can regulate the degree of stimulation that he accepts. For instance, he will turn his head away when he becomes bored or if the stimulation is too intense.

Expanding the Emotional Repertoire 

As your baby's emotional repertoire expands and develops, you will become familiar with his basic feelings (joy, anger, sadness and surprise). These feelings make it possible for your baby to communicate his needs more effectively. You, in turn, react more precisely with the correct action to answer his needs. 

Related Products: 3 in 1 Rocker-Napper, Gymini Move & Play, Take-Along Mobile  

Read More

EQ - Emotional Intelligence, 3-6m

    • Smiles with enjoyment at social interactions and familiar people.
    • Becomes suspicious of strangers (at approximately 5 months).
    • Starts to regulate feelings. For example, when over-stimulated, moves her head to the side to reduce the intensity surrounding her. When bored, moves her head searching for new stimulation.
    • Basic feelings begin to manifest themselves such as happiness, anger, dislike, sadness and surprise.

    • Pay attention to your baby’s signals and react accordingly. If you force your baby to interact when she is not attentive or ready, she will turn her head away and not cooperate. 
    • Let your baby lead the way. When she initiates communication, repeat the sounds she makes, and show interest in the toy she is playing with. This will help develop the baby's self-awareness and confidence.
    • Answering your baby's unique needs is not spoiling. It is the cornerstone of her emotional development. As you answer her needs, you are teaching her to express emotions. 
    • When you try to calm your baby you are also teaching her ways to calm herself. 
    • Encourage your baby to experiment with new things. This communicates confidence in her abilities. 
    • Be verbal, even though the baby does not yet understand words. Express the feelings that she may be experiencing, by saying out loud, "You are frustrated because you wanted to get to that toy and it was hard," or "You are so happy now playing with Mommy." The baby is attentive to your tone, which reflects her feelings as she gradually gets to know herself better
    • Help make your time together into a two-way, interactive experience. This can be a "dialogue" of sounds and expressions, or different body movements. You must initiate and lead these early interactions. Be certain to wait until the appropriate time when your baby is relaxed and attentive and be responsive to her reactions. These experiences help your baby enjoy interactions with others, and enable longer interactions as well.
    • In order to encourage greater awareness of her body, play games that integrate touching different parts of the body. Take her hand and place it on her facial features, explaining what she is touching. Place her in front of a mirror and let her gaze at her image.
Close
Guidelines and tools created by child developmental experts to help you choose stimulating toys and support your baby's development