Baby Care

Posts Tagged ‘child development’

The first 24 months of child’s life are the main stages of his/her development. Knowing a few key points will allow parents to avoid unnecessary, unreasonable disturbances.

The first question parents usually ask the pediatrician: “Do we have a normal child?” After the first examination the doctor checks the child with the existing standards, which allows him/her draw a general conclusion about the development of the infant.

”Does he/she have all reflexes?” In fact from birth up to 3 months child must make the so-called primitive reflexes, which express the physiological immaturity of his/her brain. It should be mentioned that after the birth, the state can be broken and the conclusions drawn from the survey, conducted in the first hours of life, can change quickly in one direction or another.

Shaking limbs, chin and lips is a common phenomenon, and deserves attention only when it happens very often. It does not have any impact and does not indicate that the child has cold, as parents often consider.

The startle of the child at the slightest noise, waking or during sleep also usually show incomplete formation of the nervous system and in any case doesn’t show that child is “nervous”.

”Does the child see”? Does the child hear? Does the child feel something?” Hearing of the unborn baby is difficult to determine, but in general it’s possible. The child reacts to the sudden sharp sound. The first sounds that child says are - sounds, expressing contentment. The child begins to learn the language, listening to what you say when you feed him/her, change diaper, bathe or play with him/her.

Vision is also undeveloped, vague, but after several weeks it becomes clearer. Child sees the object clearly when it is at a distance of 20 or 30 centimeters from his/her face.

As in the first few weeks of life, infants do not distinguish colors, they like looking at black and white patterns.

Touch – the most developed sense of the newborn. Child likes when you stroke or massage him/her. Children cry less when they hold hands or embrace.

Skull of the child is a symbol of the children’s fragility.

Parents should know that in the first months of life child’s skull is malleable, and at the same time very resilient;

Changes in the behavior of the child can be noticed every week or every month and parents are happy to look at every new phenomenon.

Kid himself/herself:

- Begins to hold the head in 2-3 months;

- Maintains a sitting position in 7-8 months;

- Sits down in 10 months;

- Stands with support in 9 months;

- Begins to walk by 13-14 months.

Parents must remember that each child develops in his own way and his/her parents should not compare him/her with neighbor’s daughter or son.

FIRST TEETH

Undoubtedly, the emergence of the first tooth is always a great family event, eagerly anticipated by parents and some trepidation. However, if the emergence of the first tooth is delayed, the family starts to worry.

The first tooth may erupt in a period of 4 to 13 months, and the apparent delay does not affect the further development of children’s teeth. The emergence of teeth is due to hereditary factors.

While teething various disorders can occur:

- Fever, vomiting, diarrhea, anorexia, cough, redness;

- Swelling of the gums, accompanied by accumulation of blood.

Salivation is a function of the salivary glands, and it occurs in 3 months and has nothing to do with teething.

EYES

In the first 9-12 months eyes remain unpredictable, and if black or brown eyes do not change over time, blue eyes may become darker later.

Sometimes children in the first days after birth have such a violation, as watery eyes that are most often associated with occlusion of the lachrymal canal. In this case you should see a doctor and conduct appropriate treatment.

At birth, the newborn may have a red conjunctivas point, which does not require any treatment and spontaneously disappears after a few weeks.

When a baby is born and begins to understand the reality, the priority of the parents (other than the satisfaction of his natural needs) is to help the child development. The easiest, pleasant and painless way for parents and for children are developing games.

Sociability (Communication Building)
Many children experience difficulties in communication caused by excessive shyness or child’s fears. Child development games are used in order to overcome the obscurity. It is effective to do this in the unfamiliar group of children. They help children learn more about each other, identify common interests, learn how to build communication and to interact successfully.

“I’m looking for …” (for children from 4.5 years). The leader says a phrase, for example: “I’m looking for the one who has blonde hair”, while all the blond children hide. The kid who has not fulfilled the task, becomes the leader and asks questions.

“Find a friend” (for children from 5 years). The children (or children and adults) are split into pairs, one of the partners is blindfolded and is given an opportunity to freely walk around the hall and then is asked to “find a friend”. Even if your child chooses the wrong person, the game continues and the players are changing roles.

“Rainbow” (for children from 4 years). Children are in a circle, while leader is in the center. The leader calls the color, and every child should have to find that color for example on clothing of the child next to him. The kid who has not fulfilled the task, becomes the leader.

Emotionality

Often, that due to circumstances (external effects) the child is closed, hampering their own emotions, and therefore also difficult to interpret emotion expressed by others. Games that improve emotionality will help your child learn to fearlessly express your own emotions, feelings and sentiments to guess around.

“Photo” (for children from 4 years). These games are possible to play in a group of children, as well as between the child and the adult(s). The child(ren) is shown a photo image of a character with some pronounced emotion. A kid(s) is asked to describe how that person feels.

“Emotions” (for children from 4 years). Kids are in a circle, leader requests to show any emotion (joy, sadness, longing, sadness and so on). In addition to the basic mental health effects the exercise also promotes the mobility of the child’s facial expressions.

Coordination and development of the vestibular apparatus

In the period of active growth some kind of children’s clumsiness and crumpled movements are natural. Dancing and body orientating technology can help the baby to develop a coordination.

“Create a dance” (for children from 5 years). Turn rhythmic music, ask the kids form a circle and alternately strike any dance movement. Every child should show his movement, and the remaining members should repeat.

“Magic Ball” (for children from 5 years). The leader invites kids to imagine that they are in a fantastic ball, for example, on the ocean floor. Each of the kids chooses a sea inhabitant, whom he/she would portray (copy the motion). The leader, in this case Neptune, selects the party he most liked – that in turn becomes the new leader and offers, for example, go to “air ball”, where each participant will represent one of the flying creatures. And so on.

“Freeze!” (for children from 4 years). Leader plays rhythmic music and children randomly dance, jump, clap, and shout to the music… When the leading ends music and says “Freeze!” children should be fixed on the spot. You can encourage the best playing child with an executive prize.

Developing games will help your child to be open and become more sociable, attentive to others and lift their own mental stress, overcome fears and complexes. Favorable therapeutic effect is achieved by means of games quite easily and delivers a true joy to your child!