When do babies wave bye bye

This preoccupation with developmental milestones cuts two ways: For every braggart celebrating her little Einstein's first wave bye-bye, there's another worrying that her Fiona or Oscar ought to be keeping up with the Davids. Especially in a baby's first months, when there's not a lot of evidence to go by, parents like Kelly Marcus, a Philadelphian whose daughter is just over a year old, read and reread the relevant passages in their baby manuals—Marcus has six—for clues that their child is on track.

I was waiting for things to happen," Marcus says. Actually, that's a lie; I just read the chapter on walking. Two recent trends are to blame, says Jerry Brodlie, Ph. On one hand, he says, our accomplishment-oriented society is no longer satisfied to wait for grade-school report cards to quantify a child's achievements. If you say, 'Well, my child started to talk at 8 months,' you can one-up your neighbor. Plus, he says, a torrent of news and debate about pervasive developmental disorders such as autism has parents seeking reassurance that their babies are growing and thriving on schedule.

Says Dr. Brodlie: "I think people are looking for hard empirical data to prove that their kids are okay. Smart parents are also aware that early interventions like speech evaluation and occupational or physical therapy can help a child with a developmental delay get on track with his peers, so they keep their eyes hyper-peeled for signs of trouble.

But in medical terminology, intervening "early" usually means taking action when a child is a couple of years old, he says, not a couple of weeks. Today's new parents can easily check their babies' progress against development charts in dozens of books and Internet sites—a good thing, in moderation.

The problem is that parents risk taking too literally this wealth of literature, expecting their baby to crawl at precisely 8 months and to walk at 12 because the guidelines say those are the norms rather than the averages. Excessive chart-watching is not likely to harm an infant's well-being, according to Dr. Brodlie: "At that age, I think it's the parents who are actually harmed.

For mothers and fathers in the throes of milestone madness, the reassuring truth is that individual babies will show a tremendous range of normal development, says Stephen Boris, M. Second-children boys are often a little bit delayed. Moreover, the developmental goalposts sometimes move.

Until recently, for instance, it was expected that many children would roll over from their backs to their bellies by 4 months of age, but the successful "Back to Sleep" campaign against sudden infant death syndrome has produced many babies who are disinclined to do so until several months later.

Barbara Howard, M. She does, however, usually recommend 20 minutes of daily tummy time, starting in a baby's first week, to condition muscles for crawling , walking , and other motor skills. On the whole, pediatricians concern themselves more with the rate of a baby's growth and development than they do with her individual percentile scores. In fact, because height and weight are largely determined by genetics, it's normal for a child to fall almost anywhere on the charts.

What's not normal is for any child whose height or weight has registered consistently in one range to show a significant change, unless he's recently been sick. Because many parents worry unnecessarily about even small fluctuations, some pediatricians, including Dr. Boris, don't address percentile scores unless specifically asked. There is no need, he says, as doctors are unlikely to overlook a baby who is way too big or way too small for his age.

Indeed, real problems—which may be nutritional or behavioral, among other causes—tend to be obvious at a glance. The bottom line is that parents shouldn't ignore developmental milestones—just keep them in perspective. Saphir says, especially if a parent has a nagging sense that his or her child is somehow different—a feeling you should always report and one that should be welcomed and respected by your child's physician.

Current findings in early childhood development should offer some relief to parents who worry that their baby is not keeping up with the Joneses' progeny.

Published by Mary Ross3 on September 16, One of the most thrilling moments in our lives is watching our babies gaining new cognitive skills as they grow up. During the first year, babies tend to master different kinds of tricky movements, like kicking, movements of the limbs and arms. You will also discover that she often smile, claps and even will wave at you.

But that isn't the first time she started communicating with you as this nonverbal communication skills such as kicking, moving of legs, and arms started right from birth. These cognitive gestures are just some natural steps that show her innate ability to communicate effectively. Learning how to wave is part of an infant developmental process and a crucial milestone for children between months.

The truth is that every baby develops these nonverbal communication skills at their own pace and developmental timeline. Some babies may start waving earlier, while others may pick up the ability to wave at a later date. On average, considering the total votes of parents, experts concluded that most babies start waving at You don't have to beat yourself up if your baby hasn't mastered waving or clapping yet, even when she is 9 months old. Just make sure that you keep communicating with her and teach her the gesture.

Effective communication is the best way to help babies reach this milestone faster. Till then, continue to work with your baby patiently and lovingly. Has your child reached the hand-waving milestone yet? How did you help her achieve it? Share your tips and help other mums! Sign in. Forgot your password? Get help. Create an account. Password recovery. FirstCry Parenting. Baby Development Month by Month. Milo Name Meaning and Origin. Xavier Name Meaning and Origin. Chair Sleep Training Method for Babies.