Movement
It
is hard to look ahead from those moments when you hold a new baby
in your arms and realise that within a matter of months this stage
will be long gone, and before two years are up your child will
have developed into a lively little toddler. Watching the way
their baby is increasingly able to move different parts of his
body intentionally and to control them is a subject of great fascination
for all parents. This development depends on the physical growth
and maturation of bones, muscles, brain and nerves. The first
eighteen months of a child's life are often described as `the
sensori-motor period' of development. This means he is learning
about the world around him mainly through his senses and body
movements before he can use language and think things through.
Like most descriptions of childhood that divide progress into
stages, this is a rather oversimplified view Young babies can
solve problems and work things out for themselves, as you will
notice if you leave toys just out of their reach or do something
they do not want you to do. Working out that because you have
left the room he will not get his tea just yet and then yelling
in protest actually involves quite a complicated thought process
for your nine-month-old. And of course che reverse is true as
well - movement does not stop being an important way of learning
or an aid to learning after the age of eighteen months. Sport,
dance, design, even writing or typing all require body movements
that `embody' intelligent processes. Being immobile can handicap
mental as well as physical progress, and physical exercise benefits
all our functions - not just our movement.
Watching
as your baby is first able to lift his head, then to roll over,
to sit by himself, to crawl or to pull himself up and finally
to walk is obviously exciting and rewarding for all parents. There
are enormous variations in the way different children develop
controlled, confident movement, but in general these developments
follow predictable patterns. The medical term for the development
of movement is `motor development' and it takes place from the
head downwards and from the central part of the body outwards.
At birth your baby already has good control of eye movements and
the movements that control sucking and feeding. He will first
begin to gain control of head movements and, working downwards,
he will stand on his feet and walk on them last of all. It means
that he will first gain control of his trunk, then of his arms
and legs, and finally of his feet, thumbs and fingers.
There
are two other points to bear in mind about your baby's development
of movement. First, it is not possible to speed it up. Babies
who are given freedom of movement and encouragement to stand and
walk do not necessarily walk any earlier than babies who are more
restricted, though they do of course have a more interesting time!
However, babies who are severely restricted, for example, children
brought up in bad institutions where they are never taken from
their cots or stimulated in any way, can be delayed in all areas
of development, and fail to develop sturdy muscles. Second, early
crawling, standing and walking are not linked to intellectual
development. Just because a child walks early does not mean he
is more incellectually advanced than other children of his age.
Nor does it mean that he is necessarily going to be unusually
athletic or energetic later in life. Once a baby is mobile he
can explore and discover things for himself. Ne does not have
to wait for them to be brought to him. And once he can walk he
has the priceless advantage of having hands free which means he
can move and hold things and arrange things with his hands all
at the same time.
Of
course, a baby who is on the move early is more work for you.
Toddlers can play havoc with your household at any age, but a
baby under a year old who is walking about cannot be told what
to do, and can be a real handful. For more advice on arranging
your home to make it safe and stimulating for a toddler click
here. Nevertheless, the first steps at whatever age are an
exciting moment - physical independence has arrived.
Some of the main stages of the development of movements are shown
in the chart. Your
baby might not go through some of them: some babies never crawl,
they just get straight up and walk; some babies shuf~le on their
bottoms instead of crawling; some support themselves on their
feet on your lap at two or three months, others just flop down
and wait until seven or eight months; some are eager reachers
and graspers, while others have to be encouraged to hold things
and look at them. Bear in mind with this chart that babies are
very individual in the way they progress, and the range of what
is normal is very wide. This is just a guide.
How
You Can Help Your Child
The
way your baby gradually gains control over his body - his motor
development - proceeds fairly automatically, and there is not
much you can do to speed it up or hinder it. However, you can
do a great deal to encourage and help your child to develop the
skills involved in learning different aspects of controlled movement.
The most obvious example is giving him plenry of opportuniry to
practise and exercise each new aspect of movement as he becomes
capable of it - for example, providing times for kicking and wriggling
on the floor without being hindered by nappy or clothes; scope
to look around, reach and grasp; freedom and safery to roll, crawl,
walk round the furniture, and eventually walk alone; many safe,
interesting objects and playthings to exercise hand and eye skills.
He will need liberry to explore the world he is discovering, which
may mean mud and puddles in the garden or park or the ever-fascinating
contents of your cupboards.
Later,
as he becomes more controlled, deliberate and purposeful in his
activities, he will want more organised play and events in his
life. Having an active child around the house makes a huge impact
on your life and it can be quite a strain to give your child opportunities
for free movement and at the same time keep your own life and
home in a condition that is comfortable for you. For more on this
click here.
You may want your child to learn a sport or have dancing lessons.
Swimming is an excellent sport and you can begin to help your
baby to be confident in the water as soon as you start to give
him his first baths. Once he has had his first triple vaccination
you can take him to the local swimming pool - ask at your local
baths for details of parent-and-baby swimming sessions. Many sports
and leisure centres have special facilities for under-fives -
for instance baby bounce sessions with trampolines, floor cushions
and climbing bars.
If
you enjoy it, it is never too soon to introduce your three- to
five-year-old to the delights and disciplines of more organised
group games such as simple versions of football, cricket, rounders,
races and obstacle courses. By the time he is five years old your
child should have a good grasp of rules, though he will probably
still sulk when he is out.
If you are not a sporty type, then walking, climbing and making
trips to the swing park together are just as good exercise if
you do them regularly.
If
your child is agile or graceful or simply very keen, he or she
may enjoy dancing or gymnastics. There are many dancing schools
in most neighbourhoods and you can get information about them
from the library or local education authority. Local sports centres
will have information about gymnastics and other sporting facilities
for under-fives. However, if your child is not keen do not try
to force it. Sport, dance and other organised activities at this
age are only for fun. Too intensive coaching could spoil enjoyment
and may even do damage to developing muscles and limbs. Again,
the value of many sporting activities is that you can do them
together as a family Playing games together, so long as you all
enjoy it, is a good way of uniting family members and giving younger
members who may have surplus energy a way to let off steam.
