When Do Babies Play with Their Feet: Unveiling the 4-Month Milestone

17.08.202323.06.2023 by alexxlab

When do babies typically start grabbing their feet. How does this milestone contribute to overall development. What are effective ways to encourage foot play in infants. How does foot grabbing relate to rolling and other motor skills.

Содержание

The Significance of Foot Play in Infant Development

Babies reaching for and playing with their feet is a crucial developmental milestone that often occurs around the 4-month mark. This seemingly simple action is actually a complex interplay of physical and cognitive skills that paves the way for more advanced motor development.

Foot play indicates several key developmental achievements:

Improved hand-eye coordination
Growing body awareness
Increased flexibility
Strengthening core muscles
Preparation for rolling and other motor skills

Understanding the importance of this milestone can help parents and caregivers better support their baby’s growth and development.

The Timeline of Foot Discovery: When Do Babies Start Playing with Their Feet?

While every baby develops at their own pace, most infants begin to discover and play with their feet around the 4-month mark. This timeline can vary, with some babies showing interest as early as 3 months or as late as 5-6 months.

Factors influencing when a baby might start playing with their feet include:

Individual physical development
Amount of tummy time and opportunities for movement
Encouragement from caregivers
Overall health and well-being

Is it concerning if a baby doesn’t play with their feet by 4 months? Not necessarily. While it’s a common milestone, some babies may focus on other skills first. However, if you have concerns about your baby’s development, it’s always best to consult with your pediatrician.

The Connection Between Foot Play and Core Strength Development

Grabbing and playing with feet is more than just a cute behavior; it’s a powerful exercise for developing core strength. When babies reach for their feet, they engage various muscle groups:

Abdominal muscles
Lower back muscles
Hip flexors
Neck muscles

This engagement helps build the strength and coordination necessary for future milestones such as rolling over, sitting up, and eventually crawling and walking.

How does foot play specifically contribute to core strength? When babies lift their legs and reach for their feet, they’re essentially performing a modified crunch or sit-up. This action strengthens the abdominal muscles and improves overall trunk stability.

Foot Grabbing as a Precursor to Rolling: Understanding the Connection

The act of grabbing feet is intimately connected to the development of rolling skills. As babies reach for their feet, they naturally shift their weight from side to side, which is a fundamental component of rolling.

Key ways foot play contributes to rolling development:

Weight shifting practice
Increased body awareness
Development of cross-body movements
Building necessary core strength

Does foot play guarantee immediate rolling? Not necessarily, but it’s an important stepping stone. Babies who regularly engage in foot play often progress to rolling more smoothly and confidently.

Encouraging Foot Play: Exercises and Activities for Parents

Parents and caregivers can play a crucial role in encouraging and supporting foot play. Here are some exercises and activities to try:

1. Cradle and Lift Exercise

This exercise, as described by physical therapist Jennifer Gaewsky, involves gently cradling your baby’s hips and lifting their legs towards their chest. This action helps activate trunk muscles and brings the feet into the baby’s field of vision, encouraging exploration.

2. Side-to-Side Rocking

While holding your baby’s legs in the lifted position, gently rock them from side to side. This introduces trunk rotation, a key component in rolling, and familiarizes the baby with the twisting motion involved in rolling over.

3. Sensory Sock Play

Using socks with bells or rattles attached can make foot play more engaging. The added sensory stimulation can encourage your baby to kick and reach for their feet more frequently.

4. Tummy Time with Foot Focus

During tummy time, occasionally position your baby so their feet are visible. This can spark curiosity and encourage reaching for the feet from a different position.

How often should these exercises be done? Aim for short, frequent sessions throughout the day, always following your baby’s cues for interest and engagement.

The Role of Sensory Stimulation in Foot Play Development

Sensory experiences play a crucial role in encouraging foot play and overall motor development. Babies learn about their world through their senses, and incorporating various sensory elements can make foot play more engaging and beneficial.

Ways to incorporate sensory stimulation in foot play:

Use textured socks or foot rattles
Gently massage your baby’s feet
Provide toys with different textures for foot exploration
Use soft brushes or feathers to tickle the feet

How does sensory stimulation benefit development? It helps improve body awareness, encourages exploration, and can even aid in developing neural connections related to movement and spatial awareness.

Beyond Foot Play: Subsequent Motor Milestones to Watch For

While foot play is an important milestone, it’s just one step in a baby’s motor development journey. Understanding subsequent milestones can help parents know what to expect and how to support their baby’s growth.

Key milestones following foot play include:

Rolling (usually around 4-6 months)
Sitting unassisted (around 6-8 months)
Crawling (typically 7-10 months)
Pulling to stand (around 9-12 months)
Walking (usually between 9-18 months)

It’s important to remember that these are general guidelines, and every baby develops at their own pace. Some babies may skip certain milestones entirely, such as crawling, and move straight to walking.

The Impact of Foot Play on Cognitive and Social Development

While the physical benefits of foot play are clear, this milestone also contributes significantly to cognitive and social development. As babies discover their feet, they’re not just exercising their bodies, but also their minds.

Cognitive benefits of foot play include:

Improved spatial awareness
Enhanced problem-solving skills
Development of cause-and-effect understanding
Increased attention span

From a social perspective, foot play often elicits positive reactions from caregivers, reinforcing the behavior and contributing to the baby’s understanding of social interaction. It can also serve as a form of self-soothing, promoting emotional regulation.

How can parents leverage foot play for cognitive development? Engage in interactive games, use descriptive language during foot play, and provide opportunities for exploration and discovery.

Addressing Concerns: When to Consult a Healthcare Professional

While variation in developmental timelines is normal, there are instances where professional advice may be beneficial. If you have concerns about your baby’s development, it’s always best to consult with a pediatrician or physical therapist.

Potential red flags to watch for include:

Lack of interest in feet or other body parts by 6 months
Asymmetry in movements or preferences
Unusual stiffness or floppiness in the body
Failure to meet multiple developmental milestones

Remember, early intervention can be crucial in addressing any potential developmental issues. If you’re unsure, it’s always better to seek professional advice for peace of mind and to ensure your baby is receiving appropriate support.

The Evolution of Foot Play: How It Changes as Babies Grow

As babies develop, their interaction with their feet evolves. What starts as simple discovery and grasping can progress into more complex play and eventually contribute to advanced motor skills.

Stages of foot play development:

Discovery (around 4 months): Baby notices and reaches for feet
Grasping (4-6 months): Baby holds feet and may bring them to mouth
Exploratory play (6-9 months): Baby manipulates feet, may play with toys using feet
Integration into motor skills (9+ months): Foot awareness contributes to crawling, standing, and walking

How does foot play contribute to later skills? The body awareness and strength developed through foot play lay the foundation for more advanced motor skills. For example, the core strength developed helps with sitting and standing, while the flexibility can aid in crawling and walking.

Cultural Perspectives on Infant Foot Play and Development

The importance placed on foot play and other developmental milestones can vary across cultures. While it’s universally recognized as a part of infant development, the emphasis and interpretation may differ.

Cultural variations in approaches to foot play:

Some cultures encourage early motor development through specific exercises
Others may focus more on social or cognitive milestones
Certain cultures have traditional games or activities centered around foot play
The use of restrictive clothing or swaddling in some cultures may impact foot discovery

How do cultural practices impact development? While core developmental processes are universal, cultural practices can influence the timing and expression of certain milestones. It’s important for healthcare providers to be culturally sensitive when discussing developmental expectations with families.

The Role of Genetics in Developmental Milestones

While environment and encouragement play significant roles in a baby’s development, genetics also contribute to the timing and progression of milestones, including foot play.

Genetic factors that may influence development:

Inherited muscle tone and flexibility
Predisposition to certain body types or proportions
Genetic conditions that may impact motor development
Inherited temperament affecting interest in physical exploration

Does genetics determine when a baby will play with their feet? While genetics can influence development, it’s the interplay between genetic predisposition and environmental factors that ultimately shapes a baby’s developmental journey. Every child is unique, and milestones should be viewed as general guidelines rather than strict rules.

Foot Play and Its Impact on Future Athletic Abilities

While it may seem like a stretch, early foot play and awareness can have implications for future athletic abilities and physical coordination. The foundations laid during these early months can contribute to later physical prowess.

Potential long-term benefits of early foot play:

Enhanced proprioception (body awareness in space)
Improved balance and coordination
Greater flexibility
Strong core muscles as a foundation for various physical activities

How can parents nurture these potential benefits? Continuing to encourage physical play and exploration throughout childhood, providing opportunities for diverse physical activities, and fostering a positive attitude towards movement and exercise can all contribute to long-term physical development.

Technological Aids in Tracking and Encouraging Foot Play

In our digital age, various technological tools have emerged to help parents track and encourage developmental milestones, including foot play. While these can be helpful, it’s important to use them as supplements to, not replacements for, personal interaction and observation.

Types of tech aids for developmental tracking:

Smartphone apps for milestone tracking
Wearable devices that monitor movement patterns
Interactive toys that respond to foot movements
Video monitoring systems for observing play patterns

How beneficial are these technological aids? While they can provide useful data and reminders, they should be used judiciously. Nothing replaces the value of direct parent-child interaction and the insights gained from personal observation. Always consult with healthcare professionals for concerns about development, rather than relying solely on tech-based assessments.

Foot Play and Its Connection to Language Development

Interestingly, foot play isn’t just about physical development. It also plays a role in language acquisition and cognitive growth. As babies discover their feet, it provides opportunities for language exposure and learning.

Ways foot play contributes to language development:

Naming body parts during play (e.g., “toes,” “feet”)
Using descriptive language (e.g., “wiggle,” “kick”)
Singing songs or reciting rhymes related to feet and toes
Encouraging vocalization during play

How can parents maximize language learning during foot play? Engage in rich, descriptive talk during play sessions. Use this time to introduce new words, sing songs, and encourage your baby to vocalize. Remember, early exposure to diverse vocabulary, even before a baby can speak, lays crucial foundations for later language development.

The Psychology Behind Baby Foot Fascination

The intense fascination babies often have with their feet is not just cuteâ€”it’s a critical part of their psychological development. This self-discovery plays a role in forming early concepts of self and body image.

Psychological aspects of foot play:

Development of self-awareness
Understanding of body boundaries
Early experiences of cause and effect
Building a sense of agency and control

How does foot play contribute to psychological development? As babies manipulate their feet, they’re learning that they have control over their body parts. This builds a sense of agency and contributes to the development of self-awareness. The joy and fascination they experience during this discovery also contributes to positive associations with their body and physical abilities.

Foot Play in Premature Babies: Special Considerations

For premature babies, developmental milestones, including foot play, may occur on a different timeline. Understanding these differences can help parents and caregivers provide appropriate support and avoid unnecessary worry.

Factors affecting foot play in premature babies:

Adjusted age considerations
Potential physical therapy interventions
Importance of gentle stimulation
Monitoring for developmental delays

How should foot play be approached with premature babies? It’s crucial to work closely with healthcare providers to understand appropriate developmental expectations. Gentle encouragement of foot play, when the baby is ready, can be beneficial. However, it’s important not to rush or force development, allowing the baby to progress at their own pace while providing supportive interventions as recommended by medical professionals.

In conclusion, foot play is a fascinating and crucial milestone in infant development. It serves as a cornerstone for physical, cognitive, and social growth, paving the way for future milestones. By understanding its importance and knowing how to encourage it, parents and caregivers can support their baby’s development in meaningful ways. Remember, every baby is unique, and while guidelines are helpful, it’s essential to celebrate each child’s individual developmental journey.

When Your Baby Starts Grabbing Their Feet — Physical Therapy For Infants

On BackRolling

Jun 30

Written By Jennifer Gaewsky

While certain gross motor skills take the spotlight as milestones, there’s one skill therapists adore but often goes uncelebrated:

when your baby starts grabbing their feet.

In this article, we’ll explore the significance of this milestone, its connection to rolling, and how you can encourage your baby’s development. After all, who decides which skills deserve “milestone” status, right?

The Importance of Grabbing Feet

When your baby begins grabbing their feet, it serves as a clear indicator that rolling is on the horizon. This newfound ability plays a crucial role in their overall gross motor development. Here’s why:

Core Strength Development: Grabbing their feet requires your baby to engage their core muscles, which are vital for achieving rolling milestones. It contributes to building strength in their abdominal muscles, promoting stability and coordination.
Momentum for Rolling: As your baby grasps their feet and rolls from side to side, they generate momentum that aids in the rolling process. This movement helps them practice weight shifting and coordination, preparing them for more complex rolling maneuvers.

Encouraging Your Baby’s Foot-Grabbing Milestone

To support and enhance your baby’s progress in grabbing their feet, try the following exercise:

Cradle and Lift: While your baby lies on their back, gently cradle their hips in your hands. Lift their legs off the floor, folding them toward their chest. This action activates their trunk muscles and brings their feet into their field of vision, fostering an awareness of their feet and encouraging the desire to grab them.
Gentle Side-to-Side Rocking: While holding your baby’s legs in the lifted position, gently rock them from side to side. This subtle movement introduces trunk rotation, a crucial component for rolling. It helps your baby become familiar with the necessary twisting motion involved in rolling over.

Adding Sensory Fun with Rattle Socks

To make the foot-grabbing activity more engaging, consider using socks that feature bells or rattles on the toes. These sensory socks add an extra element of excitement to the experience. As your baby kicks and reaches for their feet, the sounds and sensations stimulate their senses and create a delightful association with foot exploration.

While not always recognized as a milestone, the act of your baby grabbing their feet holds great significance for their gross motor development. By encouraging this skill, you help them build core strength, develop momentum for rolling, and foster an appreciation for their own body and movement. Remember to incorporate gentle exercises like cradling and lifting their legs, along with rocking from side to side. And don’t forget to introduce sensory socks for added fun and stimulation during this exciting phase of their development.

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P.S. This information is for educational purposes only. It is not medical advice and is not a substitute for skilled physical therapy intervention. While I am a physical therapist, I am not your child’s physical therapist. If you have questions or concerns about your child’s health and/or development, please contact your pediatrician.

When you shop using the links above, Physical Therapy for Infants earns a very small portion of what you spend at no additional cost to you.

Baby milestonesGross motor skillsGrabbing feet milestoneCore strength developmentRolling abilitiesEncouraging baby milestonesBaby foot grabbing exercisesTrunk muscle activationTrunk rotation for rollingSensory socks for babies

Jennifer Gaewsky

Your Baby at 9 Months | Patient Education

Development

At 9 months of age, many babies are beginning to pull themselves up to standing and may be starting to walk while holding on to furniture. They may look bowlegged or may walk with their feet turned out. Their feet also look quite flat. Your baby will outgrow this, but please ask your baby’s doctor if you have any questions or concerns.

Baby shoes are mainly intended to protect their feet and do not help babies learn to walk. Shoes should be very soft, flexible and wide enough to give your baby’s toes lots of room. You do not need to buy high-top shoes.

Around 9 months, your baby is beginning to develop his or her own identity and starting to enjoy the independence of crawling or walking away from you. Your baby is learning by exploring every area of his or her environment, and it is very important to childproof your home.

Language

Your baby may say “dada” or “mama” at this age, but may not yet know what those words mean. To help your baby learn the meaning of different words, respond when he or she says something. You can also help your baby learn words by pointing to objects or pictures in books and naming them.

Babies at this age are beginning to understand what you say, but their vocal cords are not developed enough to allow them to say words. However, they can communicate with sign language. If you use the same sign each time you say a word, your baby may begin to connect the sign with the word. Then your baby can use the signs to communicate his or her needs, such as “hungry,” “thirsty” or “more.”

Sleeping

At around 9 months of age, some babies begin waking up again at night. They may be practicing standing or they may have realized they can call for their parents. If your baby begins to wake up at night, do not start any habits now that you don’t want to continue for months. Just talk to your baby quietly and remind him or her that it is nighttime. Do not feed, pick up, hold or rock your baby, or your baby will expect this every night.

Discipline

Your baby now can understand the word “no.” If you tell your baby “no,” he or she will look at you to see if you really mean it. Now is a good time to consider the rules of your home. To help your baby learn how to behave:

Talk with everyone in your home to decide on the most important rules that everyone can agree on. Often these are safety rules.
Once you decide on a rule, enforce it consistently. Babies will quickly become confused if you allow them to touch the television, for instance, and then discipline them for touching it later.
Expect your baby to try to touch something even after you have said “no” — your baby is trying to see if you really mean it.
When your baby doesn’t seem to be listening to you, try moving the baby to a different location, offering a different toy, or holding and talking to your baby.

Babies this age feel more comfortable if they know you will protect them from hurting themselves. This allows them to explore and learn more easily.

Know that even at this age, babies understand when they have pleased you. Praise your child every day. It is best to be specific about an action you appreciate, rather than giving general praise. For example, say “I like how you picked up the ball” rather than simply saying, “You are a good baby.”

Feeding

Your baby has probably been enjoying solid foods for several months now. Meals should continue to be a fun time for both of you, so don’t force your baby to eat when he or she isn’t hungry.

Babies this age really enjoy feeding themselves. It is a way for them to learn and explore different textures of food. Let your baby feed him or herself as often as you can. Your baby will make a big mess, but it is a great learning experience. Placing a sheet of plastic underneath the table or high chair can help with the clean-up.

Around this age babies are also learning how to let go of objects, and they love to drop things and watch you pick them up. They are not trying to make you mad. If you get tired of the game, just take the object away and move your baby to the floor.

Between 9 and 12 months of age, solid foods will begin to provide more nutrition for your baby, which means your baby will need less breast milk or formula. By 12 months, most babies are eating three meals a day with their families, but they usually need snacks in between meals and before bed.

You can now introduce your baby to a cup. One way to help your baby get used to using cups is to let him or her practice while in the bathtub, where spilling will not make a mess. During the next few months, encourage your baby to use a cup for most liquids.

Remember, babies can choke very easily. Some important safety tips:

Don’t give your baby small, hard objects to eat, like popcorn, peanuts, small candies like M&Ms, grapes or raw carrots.
Hot dogs cut into circles are a choking hazard. If you feed your baby hot dogs, cut the circles into much smaller pieces.
Your baby should always sit down when eating to help prevent choking.
If you are still taking prenatal vitamins, make sure to keep them out of your baby’s reach. Too much iron can be very dangerous for babies.

Safety

In the coming years, your child will depend on you to protect him or her from dangerous situations. Children cannot see the possible dangers, so it is up to you to change your home to make it safe for them. For more information, please read Childproofing Your Home.

Make sure you always secure your baby in a car seat when traveling by car or taxi. Keep the car seat facing backward until your baby is at least 1 year old and weighs at least 20 pounds. Studies show that children are safer if they continue to travel facing backward, even if they meet the guidelines to face forward. Consider keeping your child facing backward until he or she weighs 35 pounds. You will need to check the guidelines on your car seat to see if this is possible. If needed, consider buying a different car seat that allows older children to face backward.

Used by permission of Jane E. Anderson, M.D.

Physical development of a child up to a year

All parents are worried about whether their baby is developing normally, whether it is gaining enough weight and whether the baby’s growth is normal, whether he is acquiring all the skills appropriate for his age. In the first year of a child’s life, these indicators of the physical development of children are very important. To make it easier for you to assess the pace of development of the baby and the main points of raising children of early age, we have collected the main indicators by month.

First month of child development

During the first month, the baby’s movements are not coordinated, he almost constantly moves his arms and legs randomly, stretches. The fingers are clenched into fists, the arms and legs do not fully straighten. However, by the end of the first month, he can hold his head for a short time, fix his gaze on the face of an adult or on a bright toy, listen to the conversation and make separate vowel sounds.

The second month of child development

An inquisitive baby can raise his head and hold it for a while, although it still takes a lot of effort. Lying on his stomach, he manages to tear his chest off the surface and look at the world in surprise, rising. On his own, the baby will not soon take the toy, but, squeezing it tightly in his palm, he can hold it for a while. Gradually depart involuntary movements, now the child is able to lie down calmly, completely relaxed.

Bright, colorful and new items may arouse his interest. At this time, singing and sparkling nightlights and mobiles appear above the cribs, with a light parental hand, the movement of which will be monitored by the baby. The child distinguishes the faces of relatives, happily responding with a smile to the appearance of mom and dad in his field of vision. In connection with the discovery that the world is full of interesting noises, the baby will begin to build relationships of cause and effect. He will begin to understand that someone is sure to come to his indignant crying.

The third month of the child’s development

A new period in the child’s life begins, which brings some relief to the parents. Intestinal colic by this time usually disappears, the child begins to play with his own hands, brings great joy to parents! The kid experiments a lot with sounds. Have a camera or video camera ready, because some of the “pearls” are definitely worth capturing for the family archive.

The child actively begins to contact with adults. You can observe the child’s reaction to familiar faces, he recognizes “his own” and knows who is “alien” (this is reflected in facial expressions). The child reacts quickly enough to the sound source, he likes to listen to music.

We advise you to be especially vigilant now, do not leave the child on the changing table, sofa, from which you can roll and fall. After all, yesterday the baby was lying almost motionless, but today it can easily roll onto the barrel. If you need to move away urgently (even for a few seconds) – put the baby in a crib or spread something on the floor, and put the baby there.

Fourth month of the child’s development

At the end of the 4th month, when the child lies on his tummy, he holds his head quite confidently. Even if he is lying on his back, he can easily raise his head to look at his legs. The kid is happy to turn his head in all directions, he watches with interest your actions and you, examines everything around.

At 4 months, the baby can already roll over from the back to the tummy. The baby, when lying on his tummy, holds his body when he leans on the forearms of both hands. To grab something interesting, he can already free one hand and, holding on to one handle, can reach for the toy.

Fifth month of child development

The child rolls well from back to stomach, crawls a little on his stomach. In the supine position, when pulling up by the arms, he immediately jumps to his feet and leans quite well on them. Sits more confidently with support, with a more straight back. For the first time he sees and begins to take an interest in his legs: he raises them high, holds himself by the feet, pulls them into his mouth. Shakes the toy and listens to how it rattles; hums, laughs when played with him, reacts to various intonations.

The sixth month of a child’s development

The sixth month of a child’s life is very important. The baby tries to sit up and by seven months this skill is already formed in most children. Trying to seat the child is not worth it. The child must sit up by himself. What does it mean? Usually, the child rolls over from his back to his stomach, gets on all fours, stretches his leg, pushes off and sits on his ass. And this is the main achievement of children of this age. The baby cannot sit for a long time, but 10-15 minutes of playing in this position capture any baby.

Seventh month of child development

At this age, children are very fond of swimming. This is due to the fact that they already sit quite confidently and can play with toys in the bathroom. While bathing, tell the baby what the parts of his body are called, pointing to them. This contributes to memorization, and soon the child will easily show where his leg is, where his finger is.
Changes are observed in the diet of the baby. At this age, cottage cheese and meat are useful for him, which replenish the supply of calcium in the body, which is necessary for the growth and formation of teeth, as well as potassium, which is important for good heart function. In addition, the child needs protein for muscle growth. During the seventh month, the baby will gain about 700 grams in weight and 2 centimeters in height.

The eighth month of the child’s development

At eight months, while in a sitting position, the child independently leans forward and returns to its previous state. Independently changes the position of the body, then sits, then lies. Can crawl on its stomach and stand holding on to something. Holds an object in each hand, learn to grasp them with your index fingers. Vision is better developed, and the child already distinguishes an object at the other end of the room.

Ninth month of child development

From the age of nine months, some children begin to walk. But it happens that the child takes the first steps much later. Also, children at this age are already beginning to climb on low chairs and sofas and go down, this process brings them special pleasure. The development of speech at this age is most active, the baby connects syllables, unconsciously of course, but very confidently, shouts “MA-MA-MA”, “BA-BA-BA” and others.

The tenth month of a child’s development

At ten months, the child already prefers certain toys and objects, knows how to use them for their intended purpose: to roll a car, to eat with a spoon, to drink from a cup, etc. Moves quickly, holding on to a support.

Makes first attempts at independent walking. Likes to dance to music. Usually it is rocking, stomping, slapping, “spring”.

Fine finger movements become more coordinated, allowing you to hold several small objects at the same time.

A 10-month-old child listens to the speech of an adult, tries to imitate him. The first words like “give”, “na”, “am-am”, etc. appear in the child’s speech.

Eleventh month of child development

At the age of 11 months, the child actively moves around, tries to do everything independently: walk without support, eat with a spoon, drink from a cup, dress. Performs elementary requests and instructions such as “bring”, “give”, “put”, “take”.

Knows what he wants and what he doesn’t, expressing it with an affirmative nod and a negative shake of the head. Understands and knows what actions should be taken when meeting and parting.

Reacts quite vividly and emotionally to events, the situation around him, new toys, acquaintances and strangers. Likes to be praised. Can only be used with adult approval.

Twelfth month of child development

The child continues to change. He needs less and less sleep, and a couple of hours of a day of rest is enough to restore strength. There is a growing interest in adult food, many mothers are thinking about replacing the traditional table with breastfeeding. It is important that the new menu of the one-year-old gourmet is balanced.

The child stands up on two legs, slowly walks without holding onto a support. Tries to quickly rearrange his legs, especially if he is holding on to someone’s hand. Gradually masters the spoon and drinks from the cup. It turns out to pronounce individual short words. Uses objects for their intended purpose, copying the behavior of adults.

The twelfth month is the period when the intellect and psyche actively develop. But this is also the time of the first psychological crises. The baby comes to understand his “I” and the fact that he is a separate person from his mother. In addition, at times he may be upset due to failures in his affairs. Irritability or even hysteria is the norm, parents only need to remember that the psyche of the capricious is still weak, it is difficult for him to calm down without outside help. Kind words and affection are the key to peace and harmonious development of the child.

Do not forget that the upbringing and development of a child up to a year is a responsible process, in which it is important not only to rely on facts and average development indicators by months, but also to feel your baby. At an early age, the physical development of children occurs at a speed that will not happen again. Therefore, enjoy this time more and compare the baby more often with himself, as he was a week or a month ago, and not with other children or normative indicators!

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Child development by months. 1-12 months

Physical development

The article shows the stages of baby development from 1 month to a year.

1 month

Reacts to light; hears sounds, starts from a sharp noise; smells.
Follows moving objects smoothly.
Fixes his gaze on his mother’s face and looks into her eyes.
Listens to the voice of an adult and smiles in response to a conversation with him.
Turns head towards sound source.
Holds mother’s finger tightly.
Lying on his stomach, he tries to raise his head.

2 months

He recognizes his mother, rejoices at her and smiles consciously.
Gulit, cooing, makes separate sounds.
Lying on the stomach, raises and holds the head.
Quickly turns his head towards the adult, answers him with a smile.
By the end of the month, he holds his head in a horizontal and vertical position.
Examines objects in front of him for a long time.
Holds a rattle in his hand for a few seconds.

3 months

Shows emotionality and activity in communication with adults.
Holds a rattle with one or both hands, pulls it into the mouth.
Actively moves arms and legs.
Lying on the stomach, leaning on the forearms, raises the head and chest.
Begins to roll over from back to side.
Follows a moving toy or an adult for a long time.
Reaches for toys hanging above him and involuntarily beats them with his hands.
In an upright position, he carefully examines the situation and objects.
Holds the legs firmly with armpit support.

4 months

He recognizes his mother, stretches out his arms to her, preferring everyone else to her.
Distinguishes the voices of familiar and unfamiliar people.
Responds to his own name.
Lying on the stomach, raises the head and breast high and even lifts the body a little.
Rolls over from back to stomach and loves this position.
Laughs a lot, hums happily, moves his arms and legs briskly.
Hits the toys hung above him with his hands and takes the toys with his hands.
Turns head towards invisible sound source and locates it.
Holds the head firmly in an upright position.

5 months

Laughs loudly, hums for a long time and melodiously.
Gets on all fours, trying to change the position of his body.
Reacts differently to voice intonation and musical melodies.
Lying on the stomach, rests well on the elbows or palms of straightened arms.
Rolls freely from back to stomach and vice versa.
With the support of the armpit, steps over with the legs.
Holds mother’s breast or bottle with hands.
Draws attention to small details and objects.

6 months

Laughs, rejoices, squeals loudly, screams indignantly.
Listens attentively to the speech of an adult, imitates the heard sounds and babbles syllables.
Beware of strangers.
Takes toys from the hands of an adult, transfers them from one hand to another.
Swings rattles and drops toys.
Attempts to crawl, especially on soft surfaces.
If you pull the baby by the handles from a supine position, he will sit for a while, holding on to his mother’s fingers.
Can eat semi-thick food from a spoon, drink from a sippy cup or cup.

7 months

Plays with toys for a long time.
Understands the meaning of some words, looks for familiar objects when asked “Where…?” and points at them with a finger or a glance.
Gets on his knees, crawls well and crawls a little on his knees.
Babbles, repeating the same sounds “ha-ha”, “ma-ma”, “da-da”.
With support, he leans well on his legs and tries to get up on his own, holding on to the support.
Learns to sit up from a prone position and sits without support or support.
Throws toys and watches for falling objects.
Worry if mom is not around.
Eats with hands.

8 months

Pronounces individual syllables, repeats them after an adult.
Sits up from a standing position and then lies down.
Holds onto a barrier and steps sideways or walks with two hands.
Imitates the actions of an adult, knocks with toys, swings, throws.
Understands and fulfills the request of an adult: “Give me your hand”, “Come to me”, “Drink”.
Afraid of strangers and separation from mother.
Frightened by sudden sudden sounds.
Crawls fast.

9 months

Imitates animal sounds: meow, moo, coo-coo and pronounces the first facilitated words “na”, “ba”.
Consciously refers to the mother “ma-ma”.
Fulfills the requests of an adult: bring (a spoon, a pyramid, a book), show (nose, mouth, eyes), show “bye-bye” (waves a pen).
Picks up small objects, explores crevices and openings.
Plays with toys depending on their purpose (remembers how to play with them).
Learns to stand by holding onto a wall.
Walks with two hands or holding on to walls.
Resists dressing and undressing, insistently demands something.

10 months

Enjoys games – fun and communication with adults.
Imitates an adult, repeats after him the syllables, manner of his speech, intonation, movements.
Plays several objects at once, uses them in a variety of ways, consciously explores (inserts a cup into a cup, disassembles and assembles a pyramid).
Very agile, climbs onto the sofa, gets off it, opens cabinet doors, pulls out drawers.
Understands the word “no”, but reacts to it with a violent protest.
Stands, sits, crawls on his knees, walks with support, rolls cars, pushes the ball.
Tries to eat with a spoon and drink while holding the cup by the handle.

11 months

Pronounces simple words “mom”, “dad”, “bang”, etc.
With pleasure fulfills the requests of an adult.
Understands parents’ conversations.
Nods head yes, shakes head no.
Interested in books.
Walks freely and stands well.
Depicts a clumsy bear, makes faces, changes intonations.

12 months

Knows the names of many objects and understands basic requests.
Understands do’s and don’ts.
Pronounces 6-10 words and repeats new ones after the parents.
Shows what he wants.
Stands up without holding on to anything.
Drinks from a cup independently.
Remembers what happened before.
Walks, stepping over obstacles, runs.
Examines books and photographs, recognizes images.
Plays with toys in a variety of ways – rolls, feeds, takes out, arranges, etc.
Looking for communication with other children and people.

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