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First Stepping Stones to Differentiation and Imagination
During this period, your baby begins to actively explore her world. The senses and newly-gained hand control enable her to explore her surroundings and begin to understand the basic idea of imagination.
Telling the Difference between Objects
At this stage your infant begins to differentiate between things. For example, when she shakes a particular toy, she hears a bell ring, but with another toy, there is no sound. In this process, she slowly learns that each object has its own unique characteristics. Having said that, her memory is still quite limited. For example, after she has learned how to make a certain rattle ring, she will be able to repeat the action a few days later. However, if she is given a different rattle, she will have to learn how to use it from scratch.
Object Permanence: Stepping Stone to Imagination
Another cognitive ability that begins to develop at this stage is object permanence. This means that your baby begins to understand that an object which has disappeared from her view continues to exist in another place. This understanding is imperative for later emotional development and growth and is an important stepping stone in developing the ability to imagine: being able to think of something even when it is out of your sight.
Milestones
- Grasps and shakes toys.
- Puts objects into his mouth for exploration.
- Enjoys playing with people.
Tiny Tips
- When your baby tries to bang a toy, grasp it or do other things with it, encourage him and praise what he is doing.
