What is bonding at 3-12 months?

Bonding is the connection that develops between you and your baby. It’s how you think about and respond to your baby.

Your bond with your baby is shaped by the things you do together and the way you make your baby feel. For example, bonding is about things like:

• responding to your baby’s needs for food, sleep, clean nappies and comfort
• showing your baby warmth and love
• smiling and looking into your baby’s eyes
• touching or cuddling your baby
• playing with your baby
• talking to your baby.

When you do things like this, it helps your baby learn that their world is safe and secure and that they’re loved.

How is bonding with babies different from attachment?

You might hear people talk about attachment as well as bonding. Attachment is the emotional relationship your baby develops with you over time.

Your loving relationship with your baby is vital for your baby’s development. When your baby feels safe, secure and loved, your baby is more confident to explore their world. And this is how your baby learns and develops communication, social, physical and other skills.

What does bonding look like at 3-6 months?

Bonding at this age is all about responding warmly to your baby’s attempts to communicate with you. For example, when your baby smiles at you, they want you to look at them and smile back. Your baby will still cry to tell you they need something too, but by about 5 months you might also hear grunts, squeals and gurgles. Your baby might also start to laugh or make noises like ‘ah-goo’ to get your attention.

Tips for bonding with your baby at 3-6 months

• Place your baby on your lap, facing you. Look gently into your baby’s eyes and speak softly while you’re looking at each other. Respond to your baby’s reactions with smiles, words and encouraging noises.
• When you change your baby’s nappy, fold clothes or do other household tasks, talk to your baby about what you’re doing. The sound of your voice is soothing to your baby.
• Show you’re listening when your baby makes noises. Try smiling, nodding, widening your eyes, and lifting your eyebrows. You can also repeat your baby’s noises back to them or say things like ‘Is that right?’ or ‘Aren’t you talking well!’
• Help your baby to calm down after being upset or excited. You can do this by stroking your baby, saying gentle words and playing soothing music.

What does bonding look like at 6-9 months?

The way you bond with your baby at this age is influenced by your baby’s developing movement and communication skills. For example, your baby might crawl after you or reach out for you now, as well as trying to communicate through babbling and making sounds. This can make it easier to understand what your baby needs and work out how to respond.

Tips for bonding with your baby at 6-9 months

• Respond when your baby reaches for you or crawls after you. If you can’t pick up your baby or cuddle them straight away, you can smile and use a warm tone of voice to reassure your baby. For example, ‘Hello! Do you want a cuddle? I’ll just put down the laundry first’.
• Use words that show you understand how your baby is feeling when you respond to their needs. And repeat words to help your baby understand their meanings. For example, when you’re feeding your baby, you could say, ‘Are you hungry?’, ‘You’re hungry aren’t you?’ or ‘Oh, I’m hungry too’.
• Repeat your baby’s sounds. If your baby says ‘ba-ba’, say ‘ba-ba’ back and wait for a response. This encourages your baby to keep communicating with you, which is good for strengthening your bond. It also teaches your baby about conversations.
• Play peekaboo with your baby by hiding your face behind your hands and then popping out with a smile. This helps your baby understand that you still exist, even when they can’t see you.

At around 6-7 months, your baby might start having separation anxiety when you leave them with someone else. This is a typical part of development at this age.

What does bonding look like at 9-12 months?

By this age, your baby is starting to explore their world. This affects the way you interact and bond with your baby.

For example, your baby is probably on the move, which introduces them to new experiences and objects. But this can sometimes be scary for your baby, so warm and reassuring interactions with you give them confidence to keep exploring and learning.

And even as your baby explores and learns, you’re still the most important person in their world. This means your baby still wants to be near you, show you things and know that you’re interested in what they’re doing.

Tips for bonding with your baby at 9-12 months

• Respond to your baby’s emotional expressions. For example, you can say things like ‘Did the loud noise give you a fright?’ This helps your baby eventually understand and manage their own feelings. And empathising with your baby is good for your bond as well.
• Tune in to your baby’s interests. For example, if your baby shows you Teddy, you could say, ‘Yes, it’s Teddy. Is Teddy having a cuddle?’
• Make it easy for your baby to play and explore while still being near you. For example, you could put some of your baby’s favourite toys on a low shelf in the family room.