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Your baby learns to control her body from the top down. First she learns to move her eyes, then she turns her head and then she smiles. After that, she develops the ability to move her hands and arms, followed by waist action, and finally, the legs and feet respond to her muscle commands. That's why babies lift up their heads before they crawl, which happens before they walk. It all goes in order!
When your baby is young, you can help her learn to control her muscles by giving her plenty of opportunities to practice.
To develop head control, place your baby stomach-down on the floor. In time, she'll learn to lift her head. Put an unbreakable mirror or large picture in front of her, or get down on the floor face-to-face to encourage her.
By about three months of age, most infants wave or grab at objects. By five or six months, babies learn to see an object and grab for it specifically. The pincher muscles develop at about eight months, which allow her to pick up small objects like pieces of food.
To help develop hand-eye coordination, install a crib gym, so she can bat at objects and eventually reach for them. Hand her rattles or other safe toys to hold. If they make noise when she shakes them, they're fun to grab onto. Place several toys within reach, and before long, she'll be reaching for them and having great success!
By about four or 5 months, babies learn to roll over, first in one direction only, and later, flipping over to the opposite direction. You can encourage rolling by providing your baby with plenty of space and opportunity to practice. A clean carpeted floor is perfect for this. Hold objects that interest her nearby. This can catch her attention and entice her to turn her body to see it.
Published 09/07/07
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