Especially as she gets older, your baby will need distractions to keep her entertained.
As she starts to spend less time sleeping, she has more opportunity to grow bored. For this reason, you should make sure that she has a plentiful supply of stimulai, such as: toys, books, music, and things to see and do.

Bright, cheerful colours are stimulating to a baby and she will not grow tired quickly of playing with (appropriately aged) colourful baby toys, watching pretty mobiles turning above her head or hearing music or stories. These things are important for her educational development as they encourage her to have an interest in the outside world. Taking your baby out on trips, whether a walk in the park, a supermarket visit, or a day at a farm, will be both entertaining and educational.

Your baby is fascinated by other babies and children, but the most interesting human around, in her eyes, is her mother. After the age of six months, it is likely that your baby will go through a phase of separation anxiety, which means she will become very upset if you go out of her sight. It can be slightly exasperating that you cannot leave the room for a few seconds without initiating a bout of stricken tears but try to remember that this is just a phase and your baby will, in time, realise that you will always return to her.

What should I do if my baby suffers from separation anxiety?

• Reassure her that you are coming back.

• Ensure you are leaving her with familiar people and environs.

• Try to build up the time that you spend away from her, so it is not too much of a shock when you need to be away for a longer period of time.

• Make sure you have a good routine in place for your baby, one that ensures she is fed, bathed, changed, comforted and played with at predictable times. This will mean your baby will have little time to get bored or upset about the raft of daily needs she has.
  

Why not chat to other mums about this, or other topics, by leaving a message on our chat forum. Alternatively, if you want to meet other mums in your area with similar age babies, visit our people section of the site to find out what is happening in your area, or join or start one of our groups.

If you have any unanswered questions, use our questions page to gain wisdom from other mums or our resident experts for all those pregnancy or baby-related niggles. Also, have a look at our Kit section where we list our top-rated baby equipment.

The information in this feature is intended for educational purposes only. If you have any concerns about your health, the health of your child or the health of someone you know, please consult with a doctor or other healthcare professional.

Last Modified: 20/06/2007