Baby Development
Posted by Lizz on May 12th, 2008
A baby’s development can be the most important time in a child’s life. This is when your child learns all of the basic motor skills that they will be using for the rest of their lives. During this short period of time, your child will go through several developmental stages in which they are learning more and more about their motor skills and their mental abilities.
Development Stage 1 – The First 3 Months
The first 3 months of a baby’s life are spent learning about themselves and their surroundings. Later on in the development stage your child will react to sights and sounds. They may begin trying to imitate your voice as she reaches the end of the stage. Physically, your baby will gain more control over their body and begin kicking their legs, holding up their head, and being able to keep a hold on their toys. This is also when they will develop hand-to-eye co-ordination, and will begin following moving objects with their eyes. Cognitively, they will begin reacting to familiar sounds, like your voice, and they will begin to develop different sounds for different emotions (examples: the hungry cry, the scared cry, etc.). As you get more adjusted to your parenting role, you will be able to hear the differences in their voice and know exactly what your baby needs.
Development Stage 2 – 3-6 Months Old
From 3 months to 6 months old, your child is getting more confident and curious. They now understand their surroundings more, and want to explore the area. Because of this they learn to crawl, either on all fours, or just by dragging themselves around. They will also now be able to support their weight when upright. They will still need to be supported, as they are still developing their balance, however, they will enjoy looking around when upright, seeing things from a different angle. They will not cry as much, but rather will make different “ooh” and “ahh” noises as they learn to copy the sounds that others make. They will also begin to reach for things with both hands and have enough control to roll.
Development Stage 3 – 6-9 Months Old
This stage is often seen as the most fun for parents. This is when your child learns the most, and really has the most fun with playing. Although you should never neglect your child, you should give them some alone playing time. Make sure to supervise during this time, but give your child the chance to examine their toys on their own, and devise new (and safe) ways to play with them. This is also when your child learns repetition, so games like peek-a-boo are great to keep your child entertained. Your child will enjoy knowing what’s coming, therefore feeling more in control. This is also the stage where your child begins to develop their balance and get more comfortable standing up on their own.
Development Stage 4 – 9-12 Months Old
Although this is different for every child, this is generally the stage in which they learn to walk, run, and overall become more mobile. This means that you should be very careful to keep an eye on your child, as they may not be in the same place as they were when you turned your back. In order to facilitate this amount of mobility, you need to childproof your house. Cover all outlets, hide all wires, put up gates at the top and bottom of stairs, and keep all hot and sharp items out of reach. Also when cooking, remember to turn all pot handles in, however, your oven itself will be hot so do your best to keep your child away from the stove in general.
Development Stage 5 – 1-2 years
This stage is generally when your child learns all about themselves. They will learn that they are a separate being, and will develop self esteem. With this self esteem however, come possessiveness and the word “no”. You need to be patient with your child at this point and set limits. These limits will teach your child discipline, and they will then adopt this as their own self discipline. Children at this age are learning how to express emotions, and therefore do not necessarily use the most effective methods. Temper tantrums often occur simply because a child is frustrated that they cannot express their emotions. They also may express their anger in a physical way by biting, scratching and hitting. This can be prevented through both discipline, and lots of physical activity. Children also develop their vocabulary and their sentence structure in this stage, which you can aid by making sure that books and television shows/DVDs are at the appropriate level for your child.
When looking at these stages, remember that every child is different. There is no guarantee that your child will develop according to these stages, as everyone learns at different speeds. Some children may learn one thing extremely quickly, and then something else is more difficult for them. It’s best that you remember this, and don’t put pressure on your child if they are not learning as quick as expected.
This entry was posted on Monday, May 12th, 2008 at 9:26 am and is filed under General Parenting Tips. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.