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The joys of creeping and crawling
with your child
By Barry Feldman, special to
MyFolsom.com
The process of developing motor skills begins the moment your baby
is born. The more motor skills the child develops, the more she’s
able to command the world around her and take on challenges with
greater confidence. You can play an even larger part in your child’s
development by understanding some of the ins and outs of early motor
skill development.
Be aware that motor skills refers to the movement of muscles of
which there are two types. Gross motor skills are larger movements
of the body or its parts, such as crawling. Fine motor skills are
smaller, more exact actions, such as grasping a rattle or feeding
oneself. The two types of motor skills generally develop together
allowing baby to progressively master life’s many activities that
require locomotion and coordination.
Gross motor skills develop fast, all throughout childhood. Muscle
development progresses from head to foot. Your baby will gain
control of his head in just a few months and develop down his body
in the months and years that follow.
Playing your part
You can help your baby develop motor skills in so many ways,
beginning when she’s just a few months old. Your infant’s brain is
developing very rapidly as she develops awareness of noises, music,
people, and a variety of things in her environment. Your challenge
is to provide interesting stimuli and age-appropriate exercises.
As early as four months, you can participate in a parent-child
development program where trained instructors introduce all
different kinds of beneficial physical activities. The dynamic of
interacting with other infants and adults adds a lot to the
experience by encouraging important social and emotional
development. In a gym setting, a variety of exercises will help
promote core body strength and body awareness. Musical activities
will introduce rhythm and language.
Even on your own, you can find a safe, open space where baby and you
can play, grow, and bond. Here are some of the things you might do:
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Put your baby tummy down on the floor
for short stints to encourage head control.
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Bouncing your baby on your knee is a
great way to begin developing balance.
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Put a mirror or something intriguing in
front of him, maybe yourself, to entice him to look up.
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Foster baby’s hand-eye coordination in
the early months by dangling colorful objects in front of her; give
her safe noise-making objects to hold and shake; place toys within
reach.
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Introduce ball and bubble activities to
facilitate hand-eye coordination.
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Encourage rolling by providing ample,
safe floor space and lots of praise.
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To help develop sitting up you can
place your baby in your lap facing outward and provide the support
needed. Try propping baby up with a pillow.
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Help develop the locomotion skills that
lead to crawling and walking by playing tag down on your hands and
knees. Try hiding from baby. Create an obstacle course to crawl
over, under and around.
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Let your baby be barefoot and
hold him by the torso, not his hands or legs, when you’re providing
walking assistance.
Practice patience
Try not compare your child to others. Your child will reach her
milestones at her own pace, so don’t push too hard or have specific
expectations. Helping your child develop motor skills requires
patience. You want to avoid frustrating experiences and allow your
little one to acquire motor skills when the time is right for her.
With a good balance of time, practice, and encouragement, the motor
skill development of your infant promises to be remarkably fun and
rewarding.
Barry Feldman is an owner and director of The Little Gym of
Folsom. Now in its fourth decade, The Little Gym is the world’s
premier motor skills development program for children ages 4 months
to 12 years. Visit:
www.tlgfolsomca.com for more information. |
