Approaching the age of five months, the baby becomes very active and inquisitive. The baby looks around, turning his head different sides, confidently grabs and holds toys with ease. Some children even try to sit up, which for parents becomes a cause for pride and admiration, because every mother looks forward to that happy time when their child begins to sit on his butt independently.
When does the child begin to sit up on his own?
According to pediatricians, a child should develop and sit according to approximately the following indicators:
- at 6 months – sits with support;
- at 7 months – sits without support;
- at 7.5 – 8 months. – easily sits down independently and can lie down from this position.
Union of Pediatricians of Russia: Transition of a child from a supine position to a sitting position
It happens that active and physically strong children go to school a month and a half earlier. For other babies this happens a little later. According to doctors, such indicators are also considered normal.
If you ask an experienced doctor at what months do children usually begin to sit down, he will answer that everyone little man its own time, because the development path of each baby is individual and unique.
Is it possible to seat a child specially?
Opinions of pediatricians and orthopedists regarding a popular question from young parents “Is it possible to help and sit down the child” It’s clear: the vertical position of the spine is unnatural for a child under six months of age. By artificially seating the baby, would-be parents can harm the health of the little one. Already in school age this can lead to serious problems with the spine. If the back muscles are not sufficiently strong, then the baby will not sit down on his own because he is not yet ready for such a serious load.
It’s another matter if the child sat up on his own before he was six months old. But even in this situation, the baby should not be in a “sitting” position for more than 1 hour a day.
The moment when you can sit your baby down comes when the little one turns 6 months old. Let me emphasize, not to seat, but to sit down.
Doctor Komarovsky advises: When should you sit your baby down? How many months?
A series of exercises with a child to strengthen the back
What should parents do to help their child learn a new and necessary skill?
Every day from the age of 3 months, perform gymnastics and massage with the child, swim in the bathtub or pool (in large cities there are swimming pools for joint visits with young children). This way the muscle corset will be well strengthened.
Exercise 1. The child is lying on the table. As soon as he reaches his arms towards his mother, extend his index fingers. The baby will try to sit up, grabbing his mother’s fingers. The child’s back lifts off the surface at 45°; the baby is held in this position for several seconds and then returns to the “lying” position.
Note to moms!
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Exercise 2. "Airplane". Place the baby on his tummy. Raise the child, supporting him with one hand chest, the other is under the legs. The legs rest against the adult’s chest, the buttocks and back are tense, the head is raised. Hold the position for a few seconds.
Valentina Ershova: How to teach a baby to sit
Recommended for physical development hang the crumbs over the crib with rings that he can grab onto and try to lift himself up. When laying it on the stomach, place a bright object (toy) at a short distance in front of the baby, to which he will try to crawl.
It is important for every young mother to know how to sit down a child correctly (this has already been mentioned above) and what not to do.
If the child does not sit up on his own, then you cannot:
- Place him in pillows;
- Carry in a stroller sitting position(you can fix the back of the stroller at 45º)
- Carry in various Kangaroo-type carriers in a sitting position;
- Place on your hands (can be held on your knees in a “reclining” position).
Child sitting down for the first time (video)
Boys and girls: assumptions and facts
In the philistine environment, there is an opinion that boys can be seated earlier than girls. In fact, regardless of gender, planting before six months is harmful for both.
In addition, when girls begin to sit down early, in the future this can lead to deformation of the pelvic bones and serious problems of the female reproductive system. Therefore, pediatricians of the older generation often express the opinion that a girl should not be seated at all until the baby is 6-7 months old. Modern sources take a less categorical position: it is believed that there is no great fear if the little princess decides to sit up on her own before six months, and the grandmothers’ fears are not greatly exaggerated.
When do babies start sitting? Most babies can start sitting when they are between 4 and 7 months old. Until this point, the baby had definitely learned to roll over and hold his head up. Upon reaching 8 months of age, the baby should sit upright for several minutes without tipping over.
However, tipping over is not unusual even for children who have already learned to sit independently, as they may become tired of sitting for long periods of time.
Gradually, the baby's muscles become stronger with each coming month, he will be able to sit without support for more long time. When the baby is eight months old, he tries to sit up on his own, leaning on his hands when lying on his stomach. During these attempts, the back muscles become stronger and the ability to balance improves. However, most babies should be able to sit up independently by eleven months.
Babies who spend a lot of time lying in their crib or without a physical activity, reach this stage around the ninth month.
3 - 4 months
At this stage, the baby's neck muscles are strengthening rapidly and are strong enough to allow the baby to lift his head while lying on his stomach. Soon the baby's shoulder muscles will become strong enough to support the body, and the baby will begin to load them and lift the chest off the support, as if doing a mini push-up.
5 - 6 months
When the baby reaches six months of age, he will be able to sit correctly with his head upright. However, the baby will not be able to remain in this position for long and will need support to remain in this position.
At this stage, it is best to surround the baby with pillows so that if the baby tips over, he will not be injured.
Keep your baby in sight at all times. Don't use pillows that are too plump. This will reduce the risk of suffocation.
When a baby reaches six months of age, he will understand how to maintain balance while sitting upright and will begin to use his arms to provide support.
7 - 8 months
At 7 months of age, a baby can sit upright without support, even without relying on his or her arms to maintain balance. He will likely be able to turn around while remaining in a sitting position to reach the toy with his hands. Soon, using his hands, the child will confidently sit up from a lying position.
How to teach a child to sit?
At what age a child begins to sit independently depends on the readiness of his muscles to support the body. Therefore, you cannot teach your baby to sit ahead of schedule.
But parents can help their baby train his muscles so that sitting becomes easier for the baby when his body is ready for it.
1. Let the child spend more time lying on his stomach.
The first step to an ideal sitting position begins with the ability to hold your head upright. The best way to achieve this is to strengthen the muscles of the neck and back while lying on your stomach.
Place your baby face down on his stomach and place his favorite toys in front of him. Encourage your baby to look at these toys with his head slightly raised.
When the baby learns to sit, repeat the exercise. This will help the baby learn to support and move their body weight while sitting. Hide toys and make your baby look for them while he's on his tummy. This will force the baby to lift his body.
2. Move the child yourself.
One way to introduce movement to a child is to first show him the movement itself. Place your baby on a soft surface and gently roll him over. This will help the baby develop a sense of orientation in order to make the movement himself.
3. Seat with support.
In the sixth month of a baby's life, you can teach him to sit with support. Best method To do this is to use your body as a backrest for the baby.
Sit on a bed or soft rug and place your child's favorite toys in front of you. Give your baby the opportunity to sit on your lap with his back resting on your chest and stomach. Let your baby play with his toys.
This will strengthen the back muscles and accustom the child to the sensations of sitting.
4. Use your baby's curiosity as a tool.
By the ninth month, the baby will be able to sit up on his own. Now is the time to encourage him to stay in this position as much as possible.
Place objects of interest within his hand so that he can reach them while sitting. You can also sit next to your baby and play with him.
5. Focus on strengthening your muscles.
Any movement of the body involves the use of muscles. Stronger muscles mean your child will learn to sit up faster. Massage your baby regularly and use active games every day to strengthen the muscle frame of your baby's body. Additionally, activities such as crawling, rolling over, and lying on one's stomach are natural remedy strengthening the baby's muscles.
How to teach a child to sit down. Exercises and games to help your child sit up
Here are some simple but great games and activities you can use to help your child sit up.
Find the rattle
Age to play: four months.
Exercise: Place the baby on his tummy and bring the rattle into view. When the baby begins to turn his head in the direction of the sound, rattle the toy above him so that the baby works to bend back to watch the rattle.
Advantages: Work is underway on the muscles of the neck, lower back and bone structure. The baby can use his arms to move his torso and also use his shoulder muscles in the process.
Twisting
Age to play: four months (when the baby can hold his head up).
Exercise: Place the baby on your legs with his legs facing you. Hold your baby's hands and gently pull him up in a motion that resembles an ab crunch.
Make sure you move your baby smoothly. To add some rhythm to the activity, recite a poem.
Advantages: The exercise will work the lower back and abdominal muscles, which are needed to help you learn to sit.
Flipping
Age to play: 6 months.
Exercise: Place the baby on his back. Place the toy in front of him and slowly turn the baby onto his side so that he does not take his eyes off the toy. By this age, many babies can roll over. Therefore, the child will try to roll over to better view the object. When your baby does this, praise him. Repeat this exercise regularly, especially when the baby shows readiness to play.
Advantages: Strengthens the back and oblique muscles, which help the child take a sitting position.
Bike
Age to play: 6 months.
Exercise: Place your baby on a soft surface. Carefully lift the legs up. Slowly make circular movements with your legs, imitating riding a bicycle. Add some fun sounds and noises to keep your baby interested. Pause for a few seconds after cycling five times.
Advantages: Strengthens the muscles of the lower back.
Assistance in getting up
Age: Eight months.
Exercise: Plant the little one. Hold your baby's hands and gently lift him to a standing position. Repeat this three to four times and then lower. Wait a few seconds before resuming action.
Advantages: Strengthens the muscles of the back, abdomen and hips. By eight months, children can sit independently and make their first attempts to stand up.
Caution: Your baby's body is delicate. Only perform these exercises when you are sure that you are not harming your baby. Do not overdo it. In addition, precautions must be taken for the safety of the child.
Respect the child's natural development process.
You should never give solid food to your baby until he reaches a certain age. Likewise, you should never force your baby to sit before he has reached an appropriate developmental milestone in his life.
Children learn to roll over as they age four months, and any chance of sitting would arise only after this point in his life. Moreover, a baby's body will be best prepared for sitting only six months after birth. Therefore, encouraging an infant to sit before this age will produce unsatisfactory results. In addition, it will harm the development of the child.
- stay close to your baby as he learns to sit to avoid any dangers;
- Place pillows around your baby to provide support to prevent him from falling or hitting a hard surface.
Allow your baby to practice sitting, preferably on the floor, using a play mat rather than a high surface or the edge of the bed.
What to do if the child does not sit?
Some babies may slow down in their development, but what if your baby shows zero ability to sit even after nine months?
What should you pay attention to?
- If a baby is born prematurely, it may gradually slow down in its growth and development. It is quite possible for a baby to miss milestones in developmental milestones and reach them later compared to children born on time.
- Infants who have had serious infections or are experiencing a complex illness in early age, inevitably develop more slowly. The disease can delay their ability to perform physical skills such as rolling over, crawling and sitting. When the child is fully recovered, he will continue his developmental course, albeit slowly.
If the baby is not premature, is not suffering from the consequences of a previous illness, but still cannot sit, you should first look for other defects in physical development:
- the child is unable to lift his head when lying on his stomach after reaching the age of five months. His face just falls and the baby doesn't lift him up;
- the baby cannot roll over even after six months. Needs support even for basic movements;
- not crawling after nine months;
- unable to crawl and stand with support at 1 year;
- does not walk or run after 18 months.
If your child exhibits the above signs, consult your pediatrician. Typically, the inability to sit is accompanied by other developmental problems that must be interpreted by a doctor.
It's always a good idea to keep a diary of your baby's developmental milestones and discuss it periodically with your pediatrician.
Remember that not being able to sit should not cause panic or anxiety while your child learns other skills for his age. Take your time and don't force your baby to sit. If this does not happen this month, it will happen a little later. The child sits down when he is completely ready.
After birth, a child goes through certain stages that are significant for its development. First, he begins to hold his head up, smile, roll over on his tummy, and later sits down and learns to stand. Parents are looking forward to new achievements from their baby.
After 5 months, some babies try to sit up. But they still don’t hold their back well and fall if you sit them down. When does a child begin to sit independently? How can I help him? What to do if one is already sitting and the other is not trying? The answers to these questions concern all young parents.
The baby is in a lying position from birth. As he grows and develops, he acquires new skills: holding his head, grabbing toys, turning on his side, and later from his back to his tummy and back, trying to crawl. At some point, the baby wants to change his position, trying to raise his head and take a sitting position. After all, this changes the viewing angle, many things are seen differently, and it becomes more interesting for the baby to explore the world around him.
Many children grab the sides of the crib or stroller and try to sit up. If you invite them to hold their fingers and give them a little help, they will take a “sitting” position for a few seconds. They cannot sit for a long time yet. They say that the child begins to sit down, that is, to sit down for a short time.
Some parents are in a hurry to cover the baby with pillows so that he sits longer, but this should not be done. Everything has its time. The child should sit up on his own when his spine is ready for this. At what age does a child begin to sit? Each child has his own pace of development. However, there are certain average statistical norms for when you can start sitting your baby down. According to statistics, babies go through the following stages:
- 6 months – sitting with support;
- 7 months – sitting without support;
- 8 months – sits up independently.
Some children begin to sit down earlier. However, sitting in a sitting position is not recommended for children under 6 months of age.
You can tell if your baby is ready to sit down by the following signs:
- The baby has learned to roll over onto his stomach and back onto his back;
- Raises the head from the “lying” state, holds it well;
- Tries to rise to his feet, holding onto support;
- Raises the body well, holding onto the parents' fingers.
- Can hold the backrest for some time in a sitting position.
If all these skills are observed in the child, then soon the baby will learn not only to sit himself, but also to take a sitting position on his own.
Is it possible to sit down? The dangers of untimely sitting down
At birth, the baby's spine is very flexible and soft, but is easily deformed. It is designed for lying position only. With age, the spine strengthens, the necessary curves appear, and a muscle corset is formed. Therefore, it is not recommended to sit children down early.
If a child does not hold his back well, rounds it too much, or falls to the side or forward, there is no need to cover him with something for support. Such a child is not ready to sit down. This can cause harm to a fragile spine. Most often, spinal deformation occurs in childhood and is associated with early sitting down, walking, and stress on the undeveloped muscular corset that supports the spine.
At how many months a child will begin to sit depends on the state of his muscle development.
The more actively a child tries to move, turn, change body position, the faster his back will strengthen, and he will begin to sit, stand, and walk earlier.
Therefore, it is useful to lay the child on his tummy so that he lifts and holds his head and body, leaning on his forearms, and then his hands, teach him to roll over, and do special gymnastics for babies.
Crawling is very useful for a child. If a child has learned to crawl, then it is very comfortable for him to sit down from this position. In addition, it helps relieve the load on the spine and strengthens all the baby’s muscles.
Stages of mastering the skill of sitting
Attempts to take a sitting position in a child appear quite early at 3-4 months. But mastering this skill is not easy for him. The baby learns to sit gradually, acquiring certain preparatory skills. The stages of mastering the ability to sit are not always the same. In most cases it happens like this:
- The child tries to raise his head and upper body, trying to sit up. If you give him some fingers, he grabs it and rises for a few seconds. This stage occurs in children at different times around 3-5 months.
- A baby at 4-6 months clings to a support, kneels, and tries to sit up, but for now he cannot hold on, he falls on his side or backwards;
- At 5-6 months the child sits up with the help of a parent, holds his back for several minutes, can turn on his side and try to sit up, leaning on his hand;
- At the age of 6-8 months sits confidently, holds his back well, but often still uses the help of an adult to sit down, although some can sit down independently;
- 7-10 months – sits up independently from any position, can turn to the side, plays with toys while sitting, easily changes position: stands up, lies down, gets on all fours and back.
In some cases, the child first turns over on his tummy, gets on all fours and sits down from this position. Often children start crawling and then learn to sit up on their own.
Some children are able to sit up to 6 months, but experts do not recommend spending a lot of time sitting at this age. It is better if the baby sits for 10-15 minutes several times a day. Gradually the time can be increased.
Other children, on the contrary, cannot learn to sit down or sit confidently for a long time. It happens that they develop such a skill only at 9-11 months. This is also the norm. There is no need to rush the baby.
If a child is healthy and has no physical or neurological pathologies, then he will definitely learn to sit earlier or later than his peers.
What to do if your baby doesn't want to sit
Some mothers begin to worry if at a certain age their child still does not know how to sit, while his peers have long acquired this skill. Parents are wondering what to do and how to teach their child to sit? However, there is no need to worry ahead of time. If the baby has sufficiently mastered other motor skills, rolls over, gets on all fours, crawls, tries to get up, then you don’t have to worry until 11 months. It is better to encourage the child to crawl. This will help strengthen the muscles, and he will learn to sit down sooner.
When to worry
You should be worried if the baby lags behind in development from the first months. Most likely, the doctor will notice this and refer the parents to a neurologist.
If at the age of 6-8 months he cannot roll over onto his tummy and back, does not try to crawl, sit down, or stand up, then he clearly has neurological problems and should be shown to a specialist.
If there are no problems, then most likely it will be enough to take the course special massage and gymnastics. However, this must be decided by a specialist.
How to teach sitting? Exercises
What can parents do to help their baby learn to sit? For this, gymnastics, massage, swimming in a bath or pool are best suited. Such activities will help develop the back muscles and correctly form the muscular corset of the spine.
From the age of three months you can perform the following exercises with your child:
- Position of the baby lying on his back. The mother extends her index fingers to him, the child grabs them and tries to rise to a 40-degree backrest angle. Stay in this position for 3-5 seconds and lower the baby. Run several times.
Gradually, the lifting angle and holding time can be increased.
- From 6 months you can make the first exercise more difficult by lifting the child with only one arm. The second he tries to hold on and lean on his own.
- The child is supported under the chest and under the stomach, the back is up, the legs rest against the adult’s stomach. Raise the child's torso and lower it. The baby's head is raised up. Muscles are tense. Hold for a few seconds and lower.
- Place the baby on its side so that it turns over onto its stomach, then back again.. You can attract toys so that the baby reaches for them.
- Rocking the child on a fitball also helps a lot.. Holding the child lying on the ball, we rock the ball up and down, either bending the child’s legs or touching the surface with his hands. You can swing the ball left and right.
Massaging the muscles of the arms, back, and legs helps a lot. Hand movements are kneading and stroking; light patting is acceptable. The movements are directed from the bottom up from the fingers to the shoulders.
For children older than 6-8 months, if they do not crawl, then gymnastics is aimed at acquiring this skill. Then the baby will learn to sit up on his own.
Swimming has a very beneficial effect on all the child’s muscles, strengthening them, but without loading the spine. If it is not possible to visit the pool with your baby, then you can limit yourself to swimming in a full bath.
All the baby’s skills are interconnected, so it is important not to miss the moment when it is worth helping the baby - doing massage, gymnastics. The next skill after the ability to sit down is crawling, read in our next material.
Kids grow up quickly, and you won’t even notice when the time comes to introduce discipline and punctuality to your little fidget. V game form- read our link.
Boys and girls
You can often hear rather contradictory opinions about whether boys or girls develop faster and sit down earlier. There is information that girls begin to try to sit up earlier, but master this skill later than boys. In addition, some people think that girls' spines are more fragile than boys'. Therefore, they should sit down later. However, there is no reliable evidence for such claims. It all depends on individual development child.
The only thing that is clear is that it is not worth sitting a child down before he sits down himself, regardless of his gender. There is no need to compare your baby with other children. Each child is unique and has its own biological rhythm. Rejoice at every skill your baby has, help him develop correctly, but don’t rush him. Healthy child
will definitely master all the necessary skills, including sitting.
Signs of normal child development
and correction of existing disorders is one of the main tasks that a neurologist solves during the first examination of a newborn. By the middle of the 1st month
A newborn spends most of the day sleeping. However, those who believe that a sleeping child does not perceive the sounds of the surrounding world are mistaken. The baby reacts to sharp, loud sounds by turning his head towards the source of the sound and closing his eyes. And if they were closed, then the child closes his eyelids even more tightly, wrinkles his forehead, an expression of fear or displeasure appears on his face, his breathing quickens, and the baby begins to cry. In families where parents constantly talk in a raised voice, children's sleep is disturbed, irritability appears, and their appetite worsens. A lullaby sung by the mother, on the contrary, will help the child fall asleep peacefully, and the affectionate, friendly tone adopted in the family creates a sense of security and confidence in the baby in future adult life.
At the 2nd month, the child's tone in the flexor muscles of the limbs significantly decreases and the tone in the extensor muscles increases. The baby's movements become more varied - he raises his arms, spreads them to the sides, stretches, holds a toy placed in his hand and pulls it into his mouth.
The baby begins to be interested in bright colors beautiful toys, examines them for a long time, touches and pushes them with his hands, but is still unable to grasp them with his palm. Lying on his stomach, and then in an upright position, the child raises his head - this is the first conscious movement that he has mastered. Soon, being in his mother’s arms, he confidently looks around, and at first his attention is attracted by stationary objects located at a great distance. This is due to the structural features of the visual apparatus. Then the baby begins to look at closer objects, turn his head and follow the moving toy with his eyes. During this period, positive emotions predominate in children - smiling, motor animation, humming at the sight of their mother's face, in response to affectionate treatment.
At the 3rd month, the child becomes even more active, begins to roll over first from his back to his side, and then onto his stomach, holding his head confidently. The baby really likes to lie on his stomach, while he leans on his forearms, raises his head and upper body, carefully examines the objects and toys around him, and tries to reach them. Hand movements are varied. Lying on his back, the child quickly and accurately grabs an object placed in his palm and pulls it into his mouth. He already has his own preferences - some toys please him more than others, as a rule, these are small rattles that he can independently hold in his hand. He distinguishes faces and voices of his own and others, understands intonation.
At 4 months, the baby improves in the ability to turn from back to stomach and from stomach to back, and sits down with support from the hand. The baby completely fades away grasp reflex, and is replaced by voluntary grasping of objects. At first, when trying to pick up and hold a toy, the baby misses, grabs it with both hands, makes many unnecessary movements and even opens his mouth, but soon the movements become more and more precise and clear. In addition to toys, a four-month-old baby begins to feel with his hands the blanket, diapers, his body and especially his hands, which he then carefully examines, holding in his field of vision for a long time. The significance of this action - looking at the hands - is that the child is forced to hold them in one position for a long time, which is impossible without prolonged contraction of individual muscle groups and requires a certain degree of maturity of the nervous system, visual analyzer and muscular system. The baby begins to compare his tactile sensations and visually perceived images, thereby expanding ideas about the world around us.
By 5-6 months, the baby confidently takes and holds various items that are within his reach. Everything that falls into the hands of a child at this age, after feeling and examining, inexorably ends up in the mouth. This worries and even upsets some parents, as it seems to them that the baby is developing bad habits, from which it will be difficult to wean later. But the fact is that an infant exploring the world, in addition to the sight, hearing and smell familiar to an adult, actively uses touch and taste, the importance of which for the process of cognition at this age is difficult to overestimate. Therefore, in no case should one interfere with the child’s research interest, which strives to “test the teeth” of everything. However, parents should ensure that there are no small or sharp objects nearby that are dangerous to the baby.
When communicating with adults, 4-5 one month old baby a complex of revitalization develops, which includes emotional, motor and speech reactions - a smile, energetic movements, prolonged humming with many vowel sounds.
The child turns over on his side and, leaning on his hand, sits down. Lying on his back, he quickly and accurately reaches out for the toy and confidently grabs it. Speech is actively developing, the baby pronounces consonants, the syllables “ba”, “ma”, “da”, babbles, and begins to react differently to mom, dad, relatives and strangers.
At 7-8 months, as balance reactions develop, the baby begins to sit up independently, without support, from a position on his back and on his stomach with the help of his hands. Lying on his stomach, he rests on his forearms, his head is raised, his gaze is directed forward - this is the most optimal position for crawling, which is still carried out only with the help of his hands, on which the child is pulled forward, his legs do not participate in the movement. With support, the baby gets to his feet and stands for a short time, and at first he can lean on his toes, and then on his full foot. Sitting, he plays for a long time with rattles and cubes, examines them, transferring them from one hand to another, changing places.
A child of this age gradually tries to attract the attention of adults, clearly distinguishes all family members, reaches out to them, imitates their gestures, and begins to understand the meaning of the words addressed to him. In babbling, the intonations of pleasure and displeasure are clearly distinguished. The first reaction to strangers is often negative.
By 9-10 months of age crawling on the stomach is replaced by crawling on all fours, when the crossed arm and leg move simultaneously - this requires good coordination of movements. The baby moves around the apartment at such a speed that it is difficult to follow him; he grabs and pulls into his mouth everything that catches his eye, including the wires of electrical appliances and equipment buttons. Given the capabilities of this age, parents need to ensure the safety of the ubiquitous baby in advance. By 10 months, the child gets up from a position on all fours, pushing strongly from the floor with his hands, stands and steps with his feet, holding onto the support with both hands. The child imitates with pleasure the movements of adults, waves his hand, takes out toys from a box or collects scattered toys, takes small items with two fingers, knows the names of his favorite toys, finds them at the request of his parents, plays “okay”, “magpie”, “hide and seek”. He repeats syllables for a long time, copies various speech intonations, expresses emotions in his voice, fulfills some of the demands of adults, understands prohibitions, pronounces individual words - “mom”, “dad”, “woman”.
At 11th and 12th months Children begin to stand and walk independently. The baby steps his feet, holding onto the furniture or railing with one hand, crouches, takes a toy, and stands up again. Then he releases his hand from the barrier and begins to walk alone. At first, he walks with his torso bent forward, on his legs widely spaced and half bent at the hip and knee joints. As his coordination response improves, his gait becomes more and more confident; while walking, he stops, turns, bends over a toy, while maintaining balance.
The baby gets to know the parts of the body and learns to show them at the request of adults, holds a spoon in his hand and tries to eat on his own, drinks from a cup, supporting it with both hands, nods his head as a sign of affirmation or denial, happily carries out simple instructions from his parents: find a toy, call his grandmother , bring your shoes.
His vocabulary, as a rule, already contains several words. However, you should not be upset if your baby still does not pronounce individual words, since speech is one of the most complex higher mental functions and its development is very individual. Boys usually begin to speak several months later than girls, which is due to the peculiarities of the formation and maturation of their nervous system. Speech delay is often observed in children whose parents belong to different language groups and each communicate with the child in their own language. Members of such families are recommended, in the interests of the child, to choose a single language of communication until the child fully masters it, and only then teach him a second one. Most children have speech in short phrases appears from a year to two, and then it becomes more complex and improved.
The baby who has started to sit looks funny and somehow grown-up. He sincerely rejoices at his success, and happiness makes his smile especially spontaneous. The question “When does a child begin to sit?” Causes a lot of controversy. Our article uses advice from experienced neurologists, surgeons and pediatricians.
At what months can a child be forcibly seated: spine
Love your baby's spine, and he will be healthy! At what months can you start a child while helping him? “Only a toddler who is strong enough to become independent can sit - not to lean either to the right or to the left and keep his back straight. A round back and falling on the side warn parents that the back muscles are not yet ready. But it is they, the back muscles, that are responsible for the correct position of the spine when sitting.
At what age can you sit a child down to help him quickly learn a new skill? – the answer is clear: not necessary at all. Often mothers and grandmothers want to help their tumbler baby and provide him with pillows and blankets. But what about it? - after all, he sits, only “falls a little.” As a result, most adults end up with a problem spine - they came to his “help” too early. So it turns out that a sore back often comes from infancy, although it is not customary to admit this - many years pass before it hurts!
Remember: at what time does the child begin to sit on his own and eat his own food? optimal age. Everything else is fraught with scoliosis and other troubles.
So when do babies start sitting?
People have come up with many prejudices regarding babies. For example: what time do boys sit down, and is it possible for girls to sit down?
Let us repeat that every little one has his own time. This can happen from 4.5 to 8 months (time corridor for neurological studies).
Sometimes it happens that the baby breaks the order - the first thing he does is crawl, then sit down. Some pediatricians consider this scenario to be ideal - first the back muscles are strengthened, and only then the weak spine is loaded.
Mothers, exhausted by sleepless nights and their own inexperience, go to extremes and are inclined to believe that the child is lagging behind in development.
It’s rare that a neurologist or pediatrician will answer the question “When do children start sitting?” sincerely and will reassure worried parents. Because a toddler has every right NOT to sit for up to 8 or even 9 months.
What time does a child begin to sit: stages of skill development
After four months of age, the baby gets ready to sit - he raises his head while lying on his back. Combined with masterful flips from back to stomach, these exercises are harbingers.
- At 6-6.5 months, the child makes his first attempts to sit up - he leans on his hand and lowers himself over the side onto his butt.
- At 7 months he is already sitting with a straight back.
- At 8 months the baby is completely independent.
So, from how many months can you start a baby? - from eight, when he sits down himself. However, the norms psychomotor development Infants are also allowed the following scenario of motor development: standing on all fours, standing against a wall and sitting.
If you ask a reasonable, competent doctor, “What time do children begin to sit?” - he will answer: “A strong, healthy baby can sit down even at one year old.” Each person has his own genetic reserve and prerequisites for development. Have you already undergone a medical examination several times by a pediatrician, neurologist and surgeon - have these specialists found any abnormalities? Then why is a mother who does not have a medical education worried?
But is something possible?
Although playing along with the baby a little is not prohibited. It’s better to help a little than to constantly calculate at what month you can start your child. Place your baby on your lap, facing Big world– the inclined position of the back is a careful attitude towards the spine. It is permissible to sit next to a pillow in a stroller - but not straight, tilted with emphasis on the pillow. At the same time, both the back and the cervical spine are straight.
Of course, there is no talk about a blanket under the sides yet. But you can play pull-up: invest thumbs into the baby's fists and give him the opportunity to sit down, pulling himself up. Repeat several times a day. The good thing about this exercise is that in addition to the muscles of the back, shoulders and abs, the fingers are strengthened - and this is development fine motor skills hand, which is closely related to speech and thinking.
The main harm to the spine is a round back. But when the baby begins to sit on his own for a few minutes, you can prop up his sides - with pillows or a blanket, whichever is more convenient for you.
Massage, gymnastics, fitball, swimming in a large bath - this is professional support for a child’s development. Both mothers and fathers can learn to do all this at home - a massage therapist or exercise therapy specialist will explain to you the intricacies of working with babies.
When can a child be sent to school: boys and girls, is there a difference?
Every opinion has its reason. It is generally accepted that girls have more vulnerable internal genital organs. And if you start babies earlier than boys, she may end up with a bent uterus. When can a girl be seated? – answer: the girl must sit down herself.
In infancy, the main task of parents is to protect the soft bones and cartilage of the child’s spine from deformation. It’s not for nothing that they say that all diseases come from the back! Pinching a nerve belonging to certain organs by the vertebrae will bring much more trouble in the future than worrying about a ghostly mental retardation now.
Now it is clear from how many months old boys can be imprisoned - just like girls - never.
At what months does a child begin to sit: prerequisites for unfavorable development
Even if the baby was born healthy, his health remains fragile and vulnerable. That is why the baby should be protected from unfavorable situations, diagnosed and treated on time:
- vices internal organs(including heart problems);
- operations (especially repeated ones), hospital treatment, other serious diseases (including infectious);
- severe allergies;
- being in a baby home and being raised in dysfunctional family dramatically affects what time a child sits down.
“At what months can a child be placed? “- the question, according to experts, is not correct. It is more correct to ask: “What time does the child sit down himself?” After 9 months, if there are no attempts to sit up, it is worth visiting a neurologist. If the baby still tries to get up, you need to wait a little longer, because when the child begins to crawl and sit at the same time, you get a double surprise!
