At about the 6-month mark, you can begin introducing your baby to a sippy cup.

Starting at this time means your baby may accept the cup more readily and it will give him plenty of time to master it before you need to completely wean him from the breast or bottle.

At first, he’ll do little more than play with the cup (and sputter and spit as you dribble a few drops into his mouth). But soon he’ll learn that his fascinating new toy can be a source of delicious drinks.

To help him make the leap, start with a lightweight, unbreakable plastic cup. You may need to try a few different shapes, sizes and styles before you hit on the one he likes best.

If you choose a cup with a spout, remove the spill-free valve before you offer it to your baby. It will be messier, but he’ll get the idea of drinking much more quickly.

Most babies can’t yet muster the powerful suck they need to get liquid through the valve (plus studies show that extended use of a sippy cup can lead to tooth decay because of the way the liquid is extracted and then pools in the mouth).

Serve up water first — it’s the easiest, least messy option.

Your baby’s language skills are soaring. He isn’t ready to form words, but he’ll happily practice making lots of sounds, imitating what he hears.

And he’ll use his growing repertoire of sounds and movements to let you know what’s on his mind (whether you can understand what he’s getting at is another story).

With his burgeoning communication skills ripe for the learning, now’s a good time to begin teaching him some simple sign language.

He’ll soon connect your hand movements with the wants and needs he’s trying to express (“more,” “eat,” “milk,” “all done”), and it won’t be long before your baby can make the signals himself.

He also loves games and finger-plays like itsy bitsy spider and patty-cake — or any silly song or sound you care to repeat (and repeat and repeat). Don’t be surprised if your baby tries to chime in on the chorus.

When it comes to dining, make room for baby because he’ll probably want to belly up to the table now when you’re sitting down to a meal, and he can safely begin eating solid (well, teeny, mushy and/or goopy) food. 

He’ll continue to get the vast majority of his nutrients from breast milk or formula, so don’t pay too much attention to whether the tidbits on his plate actually make it into his tummy.

His meals now are more for learning (small-motor skills, swallowing!) than for calories and nutrition, although you should, of course, offer him nutritious foods.

You might also want to stock up on paper towels as he digs in — and flings every other bite!

Has baby been waking up often during the night?

First, make sure he finishes his last feeding of the evening before dropping off to sleep and that he’s getting enough to eat throughout the day too.

You might even try gently waking him just before you go to bed for an extra feeding.

The idea is to maximize the number of calories he takes in during your waking hours, so he doesn’t need to interrupt your sleep — and his — for more food.

If he continues waking, chances are at this stage that he’s searching for comfort. So instead of offering the breast or bottle right away, attend to him in other loving ways, like patting him or cuddling him.

Another disincentive to those night feedings: Make those undesired night feedings, well, undesirable, by shortening nursing sessions or cutting back the formula in his bottle.

Second, make it boring. Don’t give your baby the idea that nighttime is playtime. Dim the lights (or turn them off completely where you can), and keep bubbly conversations and sing-songs to a minimum. Soft lullabies are the exception!

And unless his diaper is especially dirty or sodden (or if he’s prone to rashes), leave it on until morning — even a diaper change is just too much activity!

Vitamins, minerals and fatty acids boost your baby from top to bottom, promoting healthy brain and nerve development, as well as proper functioning and development of his eyes, skin, immune function and more.

The secret to getting them into your little one’s diet: Feed him the rainbow!

Carrots and sweet potatoes are loaded with vitamin A; green veggies, bananas and beans are packed with B vitamins.

Turn to tomatoes, strawberries and cantaloupe for C; and cereal and grains for E.

You may cringe if you see your little one chugging bath water that’s dirty or (worse) has been peed in.

But don’t worry: Dirty bath water (and your baby’s pee) doesn’t contain anything his body hasn’t already been exposed to and therefore won’t make him sick.

A bit more of a concern is the soap in the water. If you’re using products made for infants and kids, you have nothing to fret about. But if you used an adult shampoo, bubble bath or essential oil, you might want to give the Poison Control Center a call (800-222-1222) to see if you should expect any diarrhea or an upset tummy, depending on how much your little mischief gulped down.

Still, your little bather would need to guzzle a whole lot of bath water to get really sick. If it’s just a sip or two, there’s no need to disrupt the routine.

Here are two fun ways to exercise with your little one.

1) Dance with your darling to some favorite tunes (you won’t even notice you’re getting in a workout!). And not only will your little one love the movement, you’ll also foster a passion for music. (No head-banging, Mommy, no matter how radical the song might be … and don’t pump up the volume too much — tiny ears are extra sensitive.)

2) Stream a video. There are plenty of postnatal videos for moms to choose from these days but even a Barney movie has enough singing and dancing to do the trick. (Just because that big, lovable dinosaur is purple and sappy doesn’t mean the kids’ TV star can’t inspire some calorie-burning movement!)

It’s halftime in your baby’s first year (wow, already?), and your little one may be sitting on his own, eating solid foods and possibly even sporting his first tiny tooth.

He’ll be working harder than ever at communicating with you — and commanding your attention (so put down your cellphone and start giving baby his due).

Physically, your 6-month-old baby is moving closer to moving around (if he isn’t already). He can probably roll over from both front to back and back to front, and he may surprise you by wriggling all over the room this way.

Soon, your baby may begin to crawl, or to prepare for all-fours forays by hoisting himself up on hands and knees and rocking backward and forward (or often, just hilariously back — diaper-first into the nearest corner).

He probably enjoys being held in a standing position so he can bounce up and down (this mini-workout is strengthening those leg muscles to prepare them for the real thing: walking).

If you place baby in a sitting position, he may be able to hold himself upright. From here, he’ll love grabbing anything he can get his paws on — and stuffing it directly into his mouth.

Make sure he has plenty of safe toys to chew on, because mouthing objects is one of the wacky yet wonderful ways he learns about the world around him.