Four months
Throughout this month your baby will increase strength, muscle tone and co-ordination. Your baby will probably progress from holding up their head for just a few seconds at a time, to being able to hold it up for a few minutes.
You'll also notice improved hand-eye co-ordination - if you dangle toys, your baby may now enjoy batting them away and watching them swing. Likewise your baby's arm and leg movements are now smoother and more controlled.
Perhaps most importantly your baby's now at the stage where they will recognise you (and those who are involved in their day to day care). They'll still probably smile at strangers but now they definitely recognise who's important to them.
Now's a great time to start reading to your child. You may have already noticed your baby trying to talk back to you when you engage with them, and reading to your child is a fantastic way of helping them to develop language skills.
I'm often asked what sort of books should you read to babies of this age - really, you can read anything you like. What your baby will enjoy most is the interaction - so singing, using silly voices, accents etc will all delight your child. Picture books with simply text or rhymes work well, as do short poems, nursery rhymes and so on. As your baby's sense of touch is also developing quickly now you might find that your baby enjoys ‘touch and feel' books which have different textures which you can help your baby feel as you read.
Play & Pretend
Help your baby's language skills develop by singing some nursery rhymes.
