Likes to look in a mirror

Who’s that in the mirror? Your Child now develops an interest to play with mirrors and the “stranger” inside.

Babies love to look at faces, so a mirror is a great learning tool for them during this age of 4 – 8 months. The mirror sparks curiosity, teaches them a lot about light and reflections, and is a first tool for developing self-awareness. Note, however, that real self-awareness and recognizing their own reflection isn’t something that babies can do until around 18 months of age. 

How to support this development
Choose the right mirror for Your Child to play with. The mirror should be made of plastic with no sharp edges and preferably covered with fabric; if it’s made of glass, it needs to be safely installed onto the wall. Larger mirrors allow you and Your Child to see both of your reflections while playing or dancing together. Smaller mirrors are also good because they are mobile and allow Your Child to explore what’s below the crib and behind the curtain.

Note: All children develop differently and at their own pace. For children born preterm, the referred timeframe for achieving the various developmental milestones might be incorrect.

Sources: The information and graphs about when children reach specific milestones are taken from various sources, including the United States Center for Disease Control (CDC), the Denver Developmental Screening Test, and the State Institute of Early Childhood Research, Germany (IFP).