A newborn baby needs to meet two basic needs: food and sleep. As they grow older, the baby goes through the following stages of development. He learns to keep his head lying on his stomach, grab a toy, roll on his side, on his stomach and on his back. Each time, parents look forward to their child learning the next skill. An important stage in the physical development of crumbs is the ability to sit independently. But only not all kids fit into the deadlines established by the norms. In our article we will tell about when the children begin to sit. Here we will present useful recommendations and exercises that contribute to the early development of this important skill by the baby.
When children start to sit: norms for boys and girls
It is believed that babies of different sexes develop differently. Girls usually grow more active than boys. They earlier begin to roll over on their side, try to crawl and learn other skills faster. But pediatricians note that the age at which a child sits does not depend on gender. The main thing is that the baby independently "ripened" for this, without the help of adults.
The norm for the development of sitting skills in both boys and girls is considered to be a range from 6 to 9 months. As for the average, it is 7 months. Each child is individual and develops according to his own calendar. Parents do not need to worry if the neighbor's baby is 5.5 months old, and they are only 8 months old. All these are normal options.
First attempts to sit on their own
In most babies, the desire to rise from a horizontal position appears at the age of 6 months. When the children begin to sit, they see so much unknown around them! This is where the first attempts to master a new skill begin.
Some children, long before half a year, at the age of 3-4 months, begin to pull their neck forward to the chest. It seems that the baby wants to sit down. And some parents really help him in this, pulling the handles. But this should not be done. First, the back muscles should be strengthened in the child, and their training just happens during the development of coups first on the side, and then on the stomach and back on the back. And only after fixing this skill the next stage of development will begin.
Usually a child tries to sit on his own from a supine position. But some kids skip this step. First they learn to stand on all fours, and then they sit down from this position. In any case, the crumbs should not be rushed, even if the development of the skill lasts up to 9 months.
Can I have a baby?
Many parents are interested in whether it is possible to put a baby who is already 6 months old on her own. Pediatricians warn that if a child does not make independent attempts to rise or quickly falls sideways, then this is categorically not recommended. Otherwise, due to excessive load on the fragile spine, his posture may deteriorate already in early childhood. It is better not to sit down the baby, but to place him on his lap in a reclining position, stimulating him in such a way to raise himself independently.
Children begin to sit when their back is strong enough, and not exactly at 6 months old or when parents need it. And in order for the development of the skill to occur according to age, it is necessary to strengthen the child’s muscles:
- special gymnastics;
- constant spreading on the stomach, starting from birth;
- stimulating coups with toys;
- proper wearing on hands.
Doctors agree that the later the child learns to sit, the better it will be for the spine.
Stages of self-mastery
When the child begins to sit on his own, he goes through the following steps:
- At 6 months, the baby only makes its first attempts to rise from a horizontal position. He can sit with support for a few seconds, but as soon as you remove your hands or pillows, he quickly falls to his side. The muscles of his back and neck are not yet strong enough to keep his balance. That is why, if you put the baby by force, he will stoop. At this age, it is recommended to continue training the skill by pulling the baby by the arms from a horizontal position.
- At 7 months, most children are already sitting on their own without support. They do not fall over, hold the case well and can turn it to the right and left. At this age, the baby tries to sit on its own from a supine position with support on outstretched arms.
- At 8–9 months, most children sit correctly and confidently. They do this on their own, and from any position.
What if the child does not want to sit?
Firstly, do not try to do it yourself. It would be much more correct to make every effort to ensure that the child's body has matured. And for this, regular gymnastics classes and a course of restorative massage are best suited. It is a kind of impetus for the transition to a new level of physical development.
Secondly, the child should begin to sit when he is ready. Otherwise, the child's early adoption of an upright position can only harm him.
Pediatricians give the following tips:
- you should not sit down the child even in his lap, it is better to keep him in a reclining position;
- daily massage and gymnastics to strengthen the whole body;
- stimulate the crawl of the crumbs, laying interesting toys around it.
Cause for concern
When do parents begin to worry that the child is not sitting? What to do if there are no attempts to independently master the skill on his part in either 8 or 9 months? To exclude a delay in psychomotor development, parents are recommended to show the child to a neurologist. Most often, the inability to sit is not the only pathology, and this may be due to:
- premature birth;
- anemia during pregnancy;
- fetal hypoxia;
- intracranial pressure.
The receptionist will be able to assess the situation and prescribe timely and effective treatment.
What should parents not do?
If the baby is not sitting at 8 months, the mother does not need to worry about it prematurely. At least another month you can observe the crumbs. And certainly you do not need to do the following:
- to plant the baby forcibly, laying pillows around him;
- start wearing the baby in an ergo backpack before the due age;
- roll the baby in a stroller with an angle of inclination of the back more than 45 °;
- to sit the child on his lap.
With all of the above actions, parents can only harm their child. As a result of early sitting, he will get a big load on his fragile back, which will lead to more serious problems in the future.
The correct position of the baby while sitting
There are situations when a child sits confidently, but he himself fails to take a vertical position from a horizontal position himself. In this case, the task of the parents is to direct him in the right direction. For this, a whole range of exercises was specially developed.
But first you need to determine the criteria by which you can understand that the child is sitting correctly:
- the baby's head is slightly tilted forward;
- the neck and upper part of its spine are easily extended;
- his arms are extended forward and serve as a support for the whole body;
- the back is even, the posture is correct;
- legs are spread apart and turned slightly outward (the baby rests on them with lateral surfaces).
If the position of the child when sitting does not coincide with the norm, this can have a negative effect on his spine. As a result, the baby will become very tired.
Skill Development Exercises
Starting from the age of 4 months, it is recommended to conduct the following classes with a child daily:
- Put the baby on his back, and when he asks in his arms, give him two index fingers. He grabs them and holds for several seconds at an angle of 45 °.
- Put the baby on his stomach so that his legs rest on his mother’s chest. Place one hand under the chest and the other under the stomach. Hold the child in the “airplane” position for several seconds.
- Hang over the crib crumbs rings, which he will try to reach and grab them.
- Put the crumbs on the stomach and with the help of a bright toy help the baby roll over and back.
Performing the above exercises daily, you will definitely not worry about the fact that the child is not sitting at 8 months. In addition to gymnastics, it is additionally recommended to pay attention to swimming in the bath or in the pool, which will also help strengthen muscles. It is worth noting that the safest thing for a child will be learning to sit down on all fours.
The opinion of Dr. Komarovsky: when a child begins to sit on his own
Different children learn this skill at different ages. Much depends on the body weight and temperament of the child. An active and inquisitive baby will sooner want to get complete freedom of movement than a well-fed and calm from nature.
Dr. Komarovsky notes that children begin to sit when they learn the technique of turning in all directions well and learn to hold their body on outstretched arms and legs. This usually happens between the 7th and 9th month of their life. However, some children who are normally developed both mentally and physically begin to sit at only 1 year old.
Mothers often ask Dr. Komarovsky whether it is possible to sit down a child for a while. Firstly, you need to wait for the moment when the baby can sit on their own for at least a few minutes. Secondly, this does not mean that the child should not be pulled by the hands from a lying position, or taken to your lap, or put a pillow in the stroller under your back so that he can walk in an inclined position. It is important to ensure that his back and neck are straightened.