Apart from being naughty and super-lovable, babies have a way of mastering a series of skills throughout their developmental days. One such achievement is overcoming physical obstacles to move, play, and reach by learning to use their bodies in a coordinated and intentional manner.
It’s, in other words, known as “motor development.”
Throughout our lives, we regularly use our motor skills. They aid us in moving and carrying out tasks like lifting heavy objects and typing on a keyboard. After birth, children’s motor abilities and control begin to develop, and they get better as they age. Having proper motor control also helps babies explore their environment while aiding them in other areas of development.
As parents or caregivers, you can encourage this growth by following a few tips to improve your baby’s motor development. So, here are a few tips to promote motor development in babies:
- Pump up the baby talk
Don’t let your baby’s “coos” go unnoticed. Respond to them with delighted vocalizations, and then gradually draw out your words in a high-pitched voice as you speak phrases like “adorable baby.” The exaggerated facial expressions and prolonged vowels can help your baby learn and try to mumble all the sounds of your language.
While you’re at it, remember that these results will depend upon your child’s capacity. For instance, if your child has a motor disability (such as cerebral palsy), they will have problems with using their muscles. Moreover, the degree of disability depends on cerebral palsy types since each type has different limitations and symptoms. Regardless, the point is to give the process some time and encourage your child to keep pushing.
- Give enough tummy time
A baby needs to spend time on their stomach to build a strong body for movement, including trunk and head control. By the end of your little one’s second month, start introducing tummy time to help your baby develop motor skills.
Start by holding your infant in your arms or putting them on your chest or lap. After that, you can place your infant on a floor blanket. Infants generally don’t enjoy tummy time, so belly time is over when your baby starts to fuss.
- Give your baby a body massage
Give a body massage. Massages can lower your infant’s stress levels and improve their feelings of emotional security and well-being. Even young babies benefit from loving touch in terms of growth. According to research, premature babies who get three daily massages are more prepared to leave the hospital days sooner than those who do not.
- Give your child just the perfect challenge
Trial and error are crucial for motor learning, even though your baby might become upset when learning a new skill. Before you assist your baby, let them attempt and fail a few times. And once your child has mastered a skill, you can help them progress to the next level by making it a little more complicated.
If your infant can sit up alone, encourage them to reach for a toy held just out of reach to test their stability. Encourage them to hold a toy that is a little bigger or bulkier if they can hold a rattle.
- Crawling
A significant developmental step is the ability to move around on all fours. The activity encourages the development of both the left and right sides of the brain, enhances muscle suppleness and contractibility, reduces joint stress during growth spurts, encourages sounder sleep, and improves the immune system. A ball, toy, or baby mirror should be placed just out of reach to help develop this crucial skill.
- Encourage the love of books at an early stage
Choose books with humongous, vivid illustrations. Enjoy watching your child point at specific pictures or make sounds that go with the story, such as “glub glub” when you see a rainbow trout. Change the tone of your voice, make plotlines simpler or more complicated, and encourage young children to discuss books.
Infancy is a crucial time to focus on your baby’s responsive language development rather than their expressive language development, which involves speaking.
- Turn the TV off
Babies don’t require computers or TV for the first 12 months of their lives. These screens may even adversely impact a baby’s development. Because they need immediate feedback, babies learn a language and other abilities best when they interact with people directly. They receive fake feedback from television. For instance, a child who correctly or incorrectly refers to an object while watching television will not receive appropriate praise or rectification from the characters. However, a baby will hear the parent say, “No, that’s a cow” or “Yes, that’s right,” when doing a baby activity like reading a book.
- Make everything fun
Babies learn through play, and when they are inspired and engaged, they learn most effectively. Use activities and toys that your baby enjoys while learning new skills (experiment with toys that have various sounds, styles, and colors). When you can, involve siblings and other family members. Remember that you are your child’s prime motivation, so don’t forget to compliment and incentivize them often when they try something new.
Conclusion
Once your child masters motor skills, the world is their oyster. With the ways above, you can encourage your baby’s motor development. Remember that developing fine motor skills requires practice and opportunity and is more challenging than you might think. Also, know that the thought process involved is more challenging than motor development, which involves more than just encouragement. So, give your baby some space, safeguard all the corners, and let them do their thing.
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