Developmental Milestones - Seven & Eight Months

Physical Development

  • Reaches for cup or spoon when being fed. Smiling baby
  • Drinks from a cup with help.
  • Enjoys some finely-chopped solid foods.
  • Closes mouth firmly or turns head when no longer hungry.
  • May sleep 11 to 13 hours at night.
  • Needs 2 to 3 naps a day.
  • Develops a rhythm for feeding, eliminating and sleeping.
  • True eye color is established.
  • Sits alone without support.
  • Can "rake" objects with hand.
  • Transfers objects from one hand to another.
  • Hair growth begins to cover head.

Social & Emotional Development

  • Responds to own name.
  • Recognizes family member's names.
  • Responds differently to family and strangers.
  • Distressed if a toy is taken away.
  • Shows fear of falling off high places (table, stairs).
  • Shows mild to severe anxiety at separation from parent.
  • Imitates sounds, actions and facial expressions.
  • Raises arms as a sign to be held.
  • Likes to be tickled and touched.

Intellectual Development

  • Learns by using all five senses.
  • Makes noises to show displeasure or satisfaction.
  • Focuses eyes on small objects and reaches for them.
  • Enjoys dropping objects over edge of chair or crib.
  • Looks for a ball rolled out of sight.
  • Babbles as if talking.

Developmental milestones associated with feeding

  • Refuses food by keeping lips closed: has taste preferences.
  • Holds a spoon and plays with it during feeding.
  • May drink from a straw.
  • Drinks from a cup with assistance.

Additional guidelines

First Connections with Families - Birth to 18 Months

First Connections with Families provides information about child development, reading to your child, and child health and safety.

PDF icon Birthto18months.pdf
The Early Learning Guidelines for Ages Birth to Three

This exciting new resource is being written to assist early childhood caregivers/teachers, parents and other adults with information about supporting the learning and development of young children. The Guidelines provide information related to seven domains or areas of learning and development:

PDF icon Social & Emotional Developmentment
PDF icon Approaches to Learning
PDF icon Health & Physical Development
PDF icon Language & Literacy Development
PDF icon Mathematics
PDF icon Science
PDF icon Creative Art