The rate of development – physical and cognitive - in each child differs. Doctors classify physical development into two: fine motor skills and gross motor skills. The former encompasses hand-eye coordination and use of small muscles in hands, while the latter encompasses big muscles of the body.
For parents of 6-9 months old babies
By the time your baby is 6 or 9 months, she will sit on her own.
Tips for parents:
• Give her a safe space for crawling. She must be able to move freely and explore her surroundings. Babies are quite inquisitive at this time.
• Place your baby on her tummy often. Let her wiggle. This helps babies learn to move from the tummy position and sit, crawl, and even stand. You may want to contact an obgyn in GNW, in case your baby does not show any movement by this time.
• Let her grip soft pieces of food during mealtime. This helps to develop her fine motor skills.
• Place toys a little out of their reach so that they crawl towards it and take it. This will help them in movement.
For parents of 9-12 months old babies
By 9 or 12 months, your baby will crawl and may stand up and even walk holding furniture or your hands.
Tips for parents:
• Smile at her and show your happiness when she reaches a milestone, such as her first standing up on her feet, her first step, even her first crawl.
• Take your toddler for walks outside, holding her hand.
• Give her interactive toys now.
• Have a variety of foods in her meal menu. Choose foods with different textures, tastes, and colors.
• Give her water in a cup. Be ready for mess at this time because she is only learning to hold the cup and sip from it. So she might spill or drool or drop the cup.
For parents of 12-18 months old babies
By 12 or 18 months, your baby will walk without help, climb onto chair on her own, and climb stairs holding the railing.
Tips for parents:
• Let her practice climbing up and down the stairs. But make sure you are with her, holding her hand.
• Ensure that your furniture has no pointed edges that may hurt your toddler. Time to baby-proof your home.
For parents of 19-24 months old babies
By 19-24 months, your baby can kick a ball, walk sideways and backwards, wear and take off shoes on her own, and open lids of containers.
Tips for parents:
• Take your toddler at the park or open space where she can run and kick balls. Let her do lots of physical activity and tire out.
• Give her colorful bowls and cups to play with. She will learn to stack them up.
• Put on music. Listen to different songs and see what your toddler likes the best.
• Help your toddler only when she asks for help. Let her struggle and achieve doing things on her own. This will not only build her skills, but also her confidence.
Avoid comparing the development of your baby with other babies. Each has their own pace of development. In case of doubt, you can contact obgyn in GNW.
Resource Box:
Drsmitiwomensclinic.com is a reputable place to schedule an appointment with the best obgyn in GNW. Visit the site for more information on the clinic and doctors.
