My Baby Isn't Waving
The short answer
Waving typically develops between 9 and 12 months as a social imitation skill. It's a sweet milestone, and while its absence alone isn't usually a major concern, waving is a sign your baby is learning to communicate through gestures. If your baby is engaging socially in other ways, the wave will likely come.
By Age
What to expect by age
Waving isn't expected yet. Your baby is still learning about social interactions - smiling at people, laughing, and starting to imitate facial expressions. These are the foundations that waving builds on. You can start modeling a wave during hellos and goodbyes, but don't expect it to click just yet.
This is when many babies learn to wave, usually by imitating you. Some babies wave enthusiastically right away, while others need to see it dozens of times before they try it themselves. You might see a partial wave - a hand opening and closing - before it becomes a full wave. All of that counts.
Most babies are waving by now, but if yours isn't, look at the bigger picture. Is your baby imitating other things you do (clapping, making sounds, banging toys)? Are they engaging socially - making eye contact, smiling at people, showing you things? If so, the wave itself is less important than the social skills behind it.
If your toddler still isn't waving and also isn't using other gestures (pointing, reaching up to be picked up, shaking head no), it's worth mentioning to your pediatrician. It's not that waving alone is a concern, but the absence of gestures as a group can indicate that social communication development needs a closer look.
What Should You Do?
When to take action
- Your baby is under 12 months and uses other social gestures like smiling, reaching, or clapping, even if they haven't figured out waving yet.
- Your baby waves inconsistently - they do it sometimes but not every time you prompt them. This is completely typical for a new skill.
- Your baby waves at objects, their reflection, or the wrong direction - they're learning the concept, and accuracy comes later.
- Your baby imitates other actions (clapping, peek-a-boo, making sounds) but hasn't picked up waving specifically.
- Your baby was premature - adjusted age applies to social milestones too.
- Your baby is over 12 months and doesn't wave, clap, or use any imitative gestures at all.
- Your baby doesn't seem to imitate any of your actions or expressions - imitation is a fundamental social learning skill.
- Your baby isn't waving and also doesn't seem interested in social games like peek-a-boo or pat-a-cake.
- Your baby was waving and other gestures and has stopped - any loss of previously acquired social skills needs prompt evaluation.
- Your baby is over 15 months with no gestures of any kind (no waving, pointing, reaching up, head shaking) combined with limited eye contact and no words.
Sources
Related Resources
Related Speech Concerns
My Baby Is Losing Words or Skills
If your child was consistently using words and has truly stopped, this is something to act on promptly. Regression - the genuine loss of skills a child previously had - is different from a normal plateau or a toddler being too busy to talk, and it always warrants a conversation with your pediatrician sooner rather than later.
Baby Not Babbling
Babbling with consonant sounds like "ba," "da," and "ma" typically begins between 6 and 9 months and is an important building block for speech. Babies develop at different rates, but if your baby is not making any consonant sounds by 9 months, a hearing check is a good first step.
Baby Not Laughing at Peek-a-Boo
Most babies start showing delight during peek-a-boo between 6 and 9 months, when they develop "object permanence" - the understanding that things still exist when hidden. If your baby isn't laughing at peek-a-boo yet, consider their age and overall social engagement. Some babies prefer other games, and some show enjoyment through smiles or excited movements rather than laughter. What matters most is whether your baby is socially engaged with you overall.
Baby Not Making Vowel Sounds
Most babies begin making vowel sounds - those lovely "oooh," "aaah," and "eee" sounds - around 2 to 3 months of age. This early cooing is one of the first steps in language development. Some babies are naturally quieter than others, but if your baby isn't making any vowel sounds by 4 months, it's worth checking in with your pediatrician to make sure hearing and development are on track.
Baby Not Responding to Own Name Consistently
Most babies start recognizing and responding to their own name between 5 and 7 months, though consistent response may take until 9 months. It's common for babies to sometimes ignore their name when they're focused on something interesting - this is normal. However, if your baby rarely or never turns when you say their name by 9 months, it's worth discussing with your pediatrician to check hearing and development.
Baby Not Turning to Sounds
Babies typically begin turning toward sounds around 4 to 6 months of age. If your baby isn't consistently looking toward voices or noises by 6 months, it's worth having their hearing checked. In many cases, something as simple as fluid in the ears can temporarily affect hearing, and early identification leads to the best outcomes.