Learning to crawl

The development of your baby is marked by several significant changes that herald the beginning of a healthy adult life. As parents it is good to be aware of these developmental landmarks. Below listed are the major ones you need to know.

Hearing

Babies are capable of hearing even before birth. Hearing becomes fully matured when they reach the end of 1 month. This does not hold true to babies who have hearing impairment. Your child will learn other developmental skills based on his/her capacity to hear. Babies recognize familiar voices and can also feel alarmed if there are sudden outbursts causing a lot of noise. At around 5 months they start noticing when their names are being called.

Head and neck control

The complete development required for head control will be attained at 6 months. They can lift their heads when they reach the end of 1 month. At around the tie between 3 to 4 months, there is marked improvement and steadiness in the way babies hold their heads.

Rolling

Rolling over on his/her back from front or vice versa develops fully by the time the baby reaches the age of 6 months. Kicking around, making swimming movements with his arms, tiny push-ups will further strengthen your baby’s skills for mobility.

Teething

This process starts at the age between 4 to 7 months. Some babies start sprouting their first teeth later than this. By the age of 3, most children have a set of 20 milk teeth.

Sitting

This is the first step in the process of standing up and subsequently walking. Once the neck and back muscles grow strong, the process of sitting independently begins. This occurs at around the time your baby reaches the age between 4 to 7 months.

Vision

Your baby’s vision will develop completely when he/she reaches the age between 6 to 8 months. The clarity in the eye-sight of a baby develops gradually, month on month. In the initial few months, the baby’s vision is limited to a certain distance (8 to 15 inches) and is unclear. At 2 months your baby will begin to notice colours. The colour of the eye also reaches its final version although there can be minor changes later. At 8 months your baby can recognize people and objects like an adult.

Crawling

Between the ages of 6 to 10 months your baby will start crawling using his/hers and knees. This is a sign that your baby will soon learn to walk. Some babies skip crawling altogether and directly learn to walk.

Walking

Between the ages of 9 to 12 months your baby will start walking. Some kids start later than that, at around 16 months. Babies start by standing up unsteadily, then moving from one place to the other using furniture or other support and then start walking. Although when they start walking, they will need your support, since they are not very steady, gradually learning how to walk all by themselves.

Talking

Your baby will utter certain simple words at 5 months, at 7 to 12 months babies learn to imitate the words you use. Between 13 to 18 months your baby will start communicating with you for conveying simple messages like hunger or the desire to be carried. At 24 months your baby will latch on to almost all the words you use and will also use some of them to communicate. This is the time when babies are most receptive to learning new words. By the age of 3 your baby will be talking all the way with variations in tone, pitch and vocal patterns. You will be amazed at how well he/she can communicate at this stage. Your baby will be capable of intelligent conversation at this stage understanding the questions you ask and answering appropriately.

Be sure to record all these amazing moments of your child’s growing years in his/her baby book along with pictures that will make you feel blessed at having such a precious gift. Happy parenting!!!