At what age do children typically start to monitor gaze?

Children typically start to monitor gaze around 4 months of age. At this stage in their development, infants become increasingly aware of the social cues around them, which includes tracking the direction of others' gaze. This ability is part of their social-emotional development and indicates that they are beginning to understand that others can have different perspectives and interests.

By the age of 4 months, infants are usually capable of following objects visually and can also respond to the direction of someone else's gaze, thus demonstrating the beginnings of joint attention. This is a crucial milestone, as it lays the foundation for further social interactions and communication skills as they grow. Gaze monitoring is vital for engaging with caregivers and interacting in a social environment, facilitating language acquisition and emotional development.