He
Lies on his tummy with limbs curled up and his cheek on one
side. His head is floppy. When standing he makes reflex movements
such as'walking' and 'grasping', but these are not purposefuL
He will begin to develop synchrony with your movements - setting
up feeding rhythms and responding to your touch and handling.
He
reflexly turns his head to sound and light, controls eye movements
and blinks. He can suck and time his own feeds. Although his
movements are not well controtled, you will be fascinated by
the delicate folding and unfolding of fingers and little movements
and breathing while he sleeps. Already different babies have
their own body language.
Around
1 month
He
still cannot support his body, but is beginning to hold up and
control his head. He can turn it at will. He will press down
with his feet on a surface or your lap. He waves his arms and
legs rather jerkily, but already you will see that he does this
at certain times - he may enjoy kicking in the bath, for instance.
He will turn towards sounds and your face out of interest. He
can fotlow a moving object with his eyes and head. His facial
expression will begin to show interest and excitement. First
smiles come at around six weeks and sometimes sooner. He will
grasp your finger if you touch the undersurface of his fingertips
and his hand is open.
Around
3 months
He moves his arms and legs more smoothly now - his movements
may be more purposeful, for instance, the beginnings of reaching.
He holds his head up and his back straight if you sit him up.
If you lie him down flat on his stomach he can raise his head
and chest and support himself on his arms. He may roll over,
so watch him carefully if he is on a raised surface.
He
is doing a lot more watching and noticing with his head and
eyes; he will study his hands, perhaps clasping them together.
A few weeks later he may get hold of his feet, too. He will
begin to enjoy play objects - things he can hold on to for a
while, such as rattles and things he can bash and' kick. His
movements will express his feetings - he may start kicking,
armwaving and waving his head vigorously as he approaches the
breast or bottle, for instance. If he is a thumb or finger sucker
he will have become one by now.
Around
6 months
He
now has much more control of the upper part of his body. He
can lift his head and shoulders when lying on his back, can
roll over, will raise his arms to be picked up, can bounce with
his feet on your lap, and he may even be sitting alone for a
while. He wilt certainly enjoy sitting propped up.
He reaches out with his hands to grasp things and holds them
confidently. He can pass them from hand to hand. He may deliberately
drop them for you to pick up! He watches and monitors everything
that is going on. His mouth is an important testing ground now
- everything will go into it, including his precious thumb if
he is a thumb sucker. Sucking his thumb will indicate whether
he is tired or thoughtful. He may deliberatety bang and rattle
things to make a noise. He can hold and suck a spoon, rusks
and large pieces of food.
Around
9 months
He
is almost certainly on the move by now - either wriggling along
on his stomach, or crawling or even walking. He will try to
pull himself up to a standing position and may take a few steps
with support. He can sit up on his own and lean forward to pick
things up. He may be a 'bottom-shuffler', in which case he may
not crawl, but go on shuffling until he can walk.
He
can grasp things well and is beginning to use his finger and
thumb to pick things up and to pull them towards himself. He
can poke with one finger and may be pointing a lot as a way
of drawing attention to things, or asking for something. He
will take things when offered, but may not be able to give them
back. When he drops things he will follow them with his eyes
and try to get them back. He manages spoons and finger foods
quite well, although with some mess (which he will probably
enjoy!) He can play games which involve body movements such
as hand clapping, imitating your afions and peekaboo.
Around
1 year
He
can sit well, pull himself up and sit from lying down, walk
round the furniture, walk holding your hand or by himself, and
can stand alone now. If allowed to, he may crawl upstairs or
on and off low items of furniture, so check your house for safety
well before this stage is reached. However, he may have difficulty
getting down and will still need careful watching. He may bounce
rhythmically in time to music.
He
can use forefinger and thumb more delicately to pick up tiny
objects, and he will still put them in his mouth, so make sure
everything is safe. He can pick up, hold, drop and throw toys
with both hands and may have a preference for one hand now.
He will be playing more, putting small toys into bigger toys
and picking them out again. He will show he knows the uses of
things by drinking from toy cups, combing with combs, and so
on. He will begin to understand phrases about everyday activities.
Around
15 months
He
will probably be walking now - staggering might be a more appropriate
description. He is likely to fall over and sit down suddenly
a lot, but will show amazing persistence in getting up and carrying
on. He can probably manage stairs and steps but will need a
lot of supervision. This is a peak age for accidents.
Both hands are much more efficient at picking things up and
manipulating them. He can probably build with a few bricks and
arrange toys on the floor. He may show interest in drawing or
painting, holding pencils, crayons or brushes in his fist. He
is less likely to put things in his mouth now, unless of course
it is his spoon, which he should be managing quite well by now.
Around
18 months
Much
more confident now, walking with arms swinging, able to stop,
start, sit down, stand up, kneel, squat, climb and carry things
around with him.
He
will be doing many things with his hands, including some skilled
tasks, perhaps with some help, such as stacking beakers, building,
attempts at drawing, helping you, using toy tools such as hammers
and pegs.
Around
2 years
He
can run, walk with confidence, pull wheeled toys around and
safely negotiate obstacles around the house. He can probably
walk up and down stairs properly, can push himself along on
a pedal trike and can throw, attempt to kick, but will not be
able to catch bet.
Hopefully,
increasing skills in language and thinking mean he has many
more opportunities to exercise physical abilities too; he can
look at a book, turning the pages over properly; can arrange
things neatly; perform useful tasks such as wrapping and unwrapping
parcels; can, perhaps, use scissors, and will be increasingly
skilful with hand and eye tasks such as jigsaws, painting, threading
and construction-toy play. Of course, a lot of practice helps
and so to some extent his skilLs depend on having opportunities
and playthings to practise on. He will probably have some control
over bowel and bladder,maybe even complete control, but it will
still be variable at times.
Around
3 years
He
is quite an athlete now, can jump from a low step, climb on
climbing frames, walk backwards and sideways, stand on one foot,
stand and walk on tiptoe, throw, kick and maybe even pedal his
trike. He can carry and manoeuvre large objects and toys such
as prams or trains.
He
will be doing all the things he did as a two-yearold, but better.
He may hold a pen or pencil properly now, and draw or paint
simple shapes; he will probabty be able to model shapes with
plasticine or dough. He can eat with a fork and spoon and make
a reasonable attempt at washing and drying himself and also
at dressing and undressing, but with some things he will still
need help. He may be dry at night.
Around
4 years
He
will now be walking, running and climbing confidently. He can
manage stairs and obstacles, and find his way round with ease.
He can hop, bend, clamber and swing on climbing frames and is
getting better at throwing and catching he may even be able
to use a bat.
He
will have a good control of fingers and thumbs now holding pens
and penciLs properly, able to draw and build from memory and
to copy other people's drawings and buildings quite efficiently.
He should be doing many things to look after himself now: taking
himself to the toitet, washing and drying himself, dressing
and undressing (still with some help), helping you and doing
all the things for his own toys.
Around
5 years
By
now, you may well have a gymnast on your hands although children
do vary a lot in thetr physiwl agility and confidence. A confident
child will be climbing, balancing, attempting handstands, somersaulting,
hanging upside down from the bars of the climbing frame and
probably causing you some considerable nervous strain! Less
confident children will still have good control of their limbs,
begin to be able to skip, hop, bend, grasp things strongly,
throw, kick and dance or show an awareness of rhythm when moving
to music. Physical differences between children will become
more apparent, parficularly with the more organised activities
of school. Some children are never going to be very good at
games, or graceful dancers; some may be clumsy or slow or need
extra help and patience. Nevertheless, all healthy five-year-olds
have, in their bodies, a very effiaent instrument for movement,
making, controlling and mastering the environment that you provide
for them.
As
well as doing all the things mentioned above but better, the
five-year-old may well be writing, drawing and painting with
confidence and skill. He will be quite good at copying and colouring.
He may be able to sew by now - perhaps even to knit or crochet
given help. He can manage tools, hammering nails, using screws
and nuts, screwdrivers and spanners again with your help. He
can manage gardening and cooking implements too. All these skills
depend on you giving him opportunities to try his hand and being
very patient with him as he learns. However, it is worth spending
time teaching your child skills - it will provide a bond between
you, as well as increasing ability and confidence. He will aLso
enjoy constructive, creative ptay with other children planning
large-scale models, digging and tunnelling in soil or sand,
modelling and painting on a large scale. All these activities
will increase and blossom at school, but you can still continue
to foster them at home.
All
information is intended for your general knowledge only and is
not a substitute for medical advice or treatment for specific
medical conditions. You should seek prompt medical care for any
specific health issues and consult your physician before starting
a new fitness regimen. Use of this online service is subject to
the disclaimer.
