02/16/2026
🎉Our next milestone - Responding to Name 🎉
This milestone means your child turns, looks, pauses, or otherwise acknowledges you when their name is called. This milestone often emerges around 6–9 months and becomes more consistent by 9–12 months.
❓Why it’s important:
Responding to their name is an early sign of:
- Listening and attention skills
- Social awareness
- Early receptive (understanding) language
- Readiness for following directions and learning words
🧑🧑🧒How to support it at home:
- Say your child’s name often during play and daily routines
- Get face-to-face before calling their name
- Use a happy, engaging tone
- Call their name, then immediately interact (smile, talk, play)
- Limit background noise when practicing (TV, music)
- Praise or respond right away when they look or turn
If your child doesn’t respond every time, that’s okay—consistency and repetition help build this skill over time.
