Your Three Month Old
No longer a newborn, she's stronger, more awake, more alert and her personality is bubbling over. She's eager to smile, definitely recognizes people and reaches out to interact with smiles, voice and hands. Whether it's because the baby is more organized or the parent more comfortable with her cues, this month is often described as easier and baby as more fun!
Jump to these developmental stages:
Social/Emotional | Language | Cognitive | Large Motor Skills | Fine Motor Skills
Social/Emotional Development
He greets caregivers with a smile and a wiggle, and might even reach and flap his arms! Intense eye contact and an expectant smile invite play. Make games a part of your routine. Cover your eyes and ask, "Where's baby?" Move your hand, exaggerate surprise and exclaim, "Oh, there he is!" Did his smile become a whole body giggle?
He might laugh out loud when you tickle him. Be gentle and watch closely for signals he has had enough. The line between giggles and cries is narrow. If you've played games like "itsy-bitsy spider, he's beginning to remember the ending -- and anticipates a tickle.
Language Development
As you speak, she watches intently, working hard to changing the shape of her mouth to mimic different sounds.
Does she talk and wait for your reply? Already she knows that conversation is a verbal ping-pong game. First she has a turn and then is quiet until you lob the conversation back to her. Answering her coos and sounds like ah-goooo or en-gaaaah hardwires her brain and encourages languages.
A new ability this month -- she sputters and blows bubbles!
Cognitive Development
Binocular vision gives him better depth perception. Improved vision enables accurate tracking. Besides seeing better, he also sees farther. What's interesting? People, ceiling fans, light and dark contrast all hold his attention. Try slowly rotating a cube with contrasting pictures on each side about two feet in front of his face. How long will it hold his attention? Last month would have been second...this month he might be fascinated for minutes!
He is aware things and people have labels. Do you end each diaper change with an exaggerated intake of breath and a raspberry to his tummy? He knows what to expect when given such a cue, will tense up with excitement and might even start giggling before you touch him!
Large Motor Skills
She sits quite well when supported and loves to help with such chores as "clearing the table" with a single swipe of her arm! As an alternative offer a bright mobile or dangled toy. When it catches her eye,. she'll bat at it with both hands and kick her feet. Interestingly, many babies have have better aim with feet.
On her tummy, she can lift her head to 90° and is able to scan 180°. It's an entirely new world when you can see way out in front of you! Make tummy time interesting with changing toys and activities. Her elbows even get a workout since she uses them to prop herself up. She rolls tummy to side now. Has she shock herself by plopping completely over?
She's been building muscles by pushing with both hands and feet. Three-month-olds love standing but their legs aren't strong enough to support much weight. This dilemma certainly give the caregiver an opportunity to develop awesome biceps!
