8 Weird Stages of Baby's Development

Babyhood is full of Flip-worthy moments, like your child's first gummy smile, first spoonful of rice cereal, and first time rolling over. However, in between those adorable milestones are plenty of maddening ones, like the 3 a.m. wake-ups, the tears when you hand him to someone else, and the cascade of objects he hurls from his high chair. Learn what's behind eight common first-year stages -- and smart tricks to help your child get over them faster.

By Leslie Gross Klaff

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Phase: She loves to drop stuff over and over.

When it starts: Around 6 months

What's going on? When your child was an infant and she dropped a rattle, she assumed it was gone. Now she realizes that things exist even if she can't see them, a concept known as object permanence. You'll know it's kicked in when she looks down to see what she's dropped from her high chair. "It's a game for your baby, and it teaches him about cause and effect -- 'I drop it, you pick it up,'?" says Tovah Klein, Ph.D., director of the Barnard Center for Toddler Development, in New York City.

Get past it: Although it's tiresome to pick up utensils, toys, and Binkies all day, humor your child for a while. "She'll feel empowered every time you respond," says Dr. Klein. Feel free to end the meal once she knocks over her bowl of mushy carrots. Fortunately, the novelty of falling sippy cups will wear off by around 15 months.

Next: Phase: She gets more food on her face than in her mouth.

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