Pointing at Everything He Sees: If Baby Does This Gesture, It's Not by Chance!

But why does baby consistently point at every object he sees? Ah, that’s a good question! Well, this gesture actually reveals a crucial stage in his development…

Pointing: A Key Step in Language Development
Pointing at everything he sees… The first time your baby did this, you probably wondered what it meant… Pointing is actually the first way your child attempts to interact with you and grab your attention. Sure, it’s a quick and trivial gesture for us, but for baby, it’s a real thought process! Pointing at something shows that he is aware of his surroundings and is trying to understand the events happening before his eyes. Pediatricians actually assess a baby’s intellectual development level by asking him to point.

At What Age Does He Start Pointing at Everything?
Around one year old, approximately. But this is just a guideline. Because yes, we can’t say it enough: not all children develop their intellectual or motor skills at the same pace. You might see baby start pointing a little earlier, or perhaps you’ll see him begin this interaction a bit after his first birthday.

What’s Important to Know
This gesture will precede speech. It signals the arrival of baby’s first babbling words. From this stage on, your child will start to truly develop his linguistic abilities. He will learn to name what he sees, which will help expand his vocabulary.

Sometimes This Stage Takes a Bit Longer…
At 18 months, Michal still doesn’t point at things to interact with us. So we preferred to see the pediatrician. He referred us to a speech therapist for an assessment. Instead of pointing at the desired object, if he can’t grab it, Michal starts to scream. You can feel his frustration rising, and he can quickly start to cry or even hit the ground or throw whatever he has in hand. This is his only way of communicating right now. Even when we show him how to do it, he finds it difficult to replicate the gesture.

Charlène

While not all children develop at the same pace, it may sometimes take baby a bit longer to master this gesture. It’s best to meet with a pediatrician to discuss your concerns and see if your doubts are valid or if, in fact, there’s no rush. Perhaps baby simply isn’t ready. Just like walking, not everyone starts standing up and running around at the same age. But it’s true that you know your child better than anyone else. So if you feel that baby needs to see an expert, don’t wait.

Your pediatrician will be there to detect any potential issues. If he thinks that your child needs to see a second expert, he will refer you to a speech therapist for a complete evaluation. The speech therapist can then set up regular rehabilitation sessions to help develop his linguistic skills.