Sometimes parents, especially young ones, are impatient. They really want their child to sit down faster, start walking and talking. However, do not rush things. After all, the time will come. Some mothers and fathers are very worried when the baby is not sitting and crawling on time. Although a strict framework for the emergence of these skills does not exist. What to do if the child is 8 months old, does not sit and crawl?
What gives the child the skill of sitting
To appreciate the importance of this process, you need to understand the following. A child who spent most of his time lying down, suddenly realizes that an unknown world extends around him.
At the same time, the baby’s arms, when he is sitting, allow him to take a toy, touch it and put it in his mouth. He can calmly play alone when in this position. Parents will feel real relief when the baby can entertain themselves for some time.
Sitting prepares the back of the child for walking. This is its benefit and harm, because standing standing increases the load on the spine. Sitting, on the contrary, strengthens the muscles, making them ready for the first steps.
Therefore, it is so important not to rush things. And the best thing is to prepare the spine for increasing loads, i.e. crawling. After all, this is one of the most important skills for a child.
How to teach a baby to crawl at 8 months? All children are different, so not all at the same time begin to perform these movements. Further, the article will consider the features of this process.
What time does the baby begin to crawl
Crawling is an important process that occurs in the development of the baby. The child will then be able to independently move around and explore the world. Usually, parents starting at 5 months of age begin to expect him to develop this skill.
If at 8 months the baby does not crawl, then there is nothing dangerous. Previously, pediatricians claimed that this should happen at 6 months, but now they do not take it so categorically. The baby will crawl when the time comes.
All children are individual, however, it is most likely that they will begin to crawl in 6-8 months. During this period, they become interested in what is happening around. And when there is the necessary motivation for this, then they begin to move in the right direction.
When the baby begins to sit
In the development of the child there are several stages of development. Among them is the seat. Usually parents are really looking forward to this moment and sometimes make a number of mistakes. Roughly, children begin to sit at 6 months, and already without assistance at 8. Dates can shift, depending on the psycho-emotional and physical development.
The main condition is that you should not sit the child ahead of time. Sometimes parents, seeing how he pulls up in 4-5 months, think that he is ready for this stage of development. In fact, kids train their muscles. Therefore, lifting it more than he does it on his own should not be.
Another mistake of mothers and fathers is to seat the baby on their own or to cover them with pillows. This can cause serious injury. It is necessary to wait for the baby to do this on his own.
The ability to sit depends on the strength of the muscles, so large or thin children will be able to master this skill by 8-9 months. To speed up the process, you can do special gymnastics and massage.
Should parents worry
If at 8 months the baby is sitting without outside support, then it develops correctly. After all, everyone has their own development schedule. Why doesn’t the baby crawl at 8 months? Perhaps his time has not come yet. Although, when this happens, it gives a lot of joy to parents.
If the baby is not crawling, the mother can consult a pediatrician, orthopedist or neurologist. If they do not find any deviations in the development of the child, then most likely he will immediately begin to learn walking skills. And therefore, the missed crawl stage will take place along with the first steps. If the baby was born prematurely, then it is quite possible that the development process will shift. And he crawls closer to 10-11 months.
How to prepare a baby
How to teach a baby to crawl at 8 months? A constant desire to move arises in the baby from the first days of his life. It is associated with his desire to actively explore the world. Parents should contribute in every way. Special knowledge and efforts are not required for this.
Stimulate activity as follows:
- By 3 months, the baby should hold its head. If it’s hard for him to do this, then for training he is laid out on his tummy. Unfolded toys will contribute to the fact that he will turn his head to view them. Wellness massage also helps to strengthen muscles.
- At 4 months, he can be taught to capture various objects and his legs. And when he pulls the limbs into his mouth, the muscles will stretch. At this age, the baby still can not sit, but games will contribute to the development of this skill.
- By 6 months, the baby should turn on a side. You can help him as follows. Mom bends the leg in the knee and turns it a little to the side. And the child himself will complete this action.
If the baby is not sitting at 6 months old, then you should try to consolidate the skill of turns in different directions. This helps strengthen the muscular system. And you should not force a weak child to sit, this can lead to health problems. No need to pull his handles to sit.
How not to miss the necessary moment
If the child is not crawling at 8.5 months, but in addition to this, and does not sit, then this is an occasion for parents to consult a specialist. If he is completely healthy, then mom should not worry. When he learns to sit, you can help him and crawl:
- You should lay out his toys at some distance from him. The most successful moments parents should fix and arrange the brightest objects even further. It is necessary to stimulate movements with the help of games "ladies" or "topotushki".
- If the child sits on all fours and tries to get the right toy, then he should not be rushed. It is best to fix this pose. Within a few weeks, the baby will be able to move in this position. You can stimulate him by telling him rhymes or nursery rhymes.
- Kids love to crawl from mom to dad and back. You can turn the process into an exciting game.
- Do not force the child to crawl according to its own rules. Let him do it in the way that suits him: in a plastussky way, on all fours or on the pope. If the baby is so comfortable, then you should take it as an axiom.
- 8 months is a period when he begins to communicate with other children with pleasure. He is ripe for this dialogue.
- If a child of 8 months does not crawl on all fours, then you can invite a family with a baby who has already learned how to do it. And organize a fun competition. This will be the impetus for the crawl of the child.
- To make learning more effective, you need to make a small slide with which it will slide. And at a distance from her parents can lay out their favorite toys.
A special alertness to mothers should be the refusal of physical activity or crying during crawling or sitting.
Opinion of a famous pediatrician
If the child does not crawl at 8 months old, Komarovsky is sure that there are not many serious violations in which he will not be able to learn to sit or walk. They are found in medical practice quite rarely.
Children themselves do not know anything about when they need to crawl. With normal physical development, a small person can sit, stand, crawl and walk without the help of his parents. But only he should want it himself.
The task of parents in this case is to allow the baby to develop normally. And do not turn learning new skills into hard work for the baby. This can cause a backlash and it will stop crawling. But parents should help.
According to Komarovsky, hardening and exercises for the development of muscles should begin at an early age. Procedures will strengthen the body and allow you to quickly master the skills necessary for the first steps.
The pediatrician believes that if at 8 months the baby does not crawl and does not sit, then this happens for the following reasons:
- the musculature of the baby is not sufficiently strengthened;
- he is emotionally unprepared for the next stage of development;
- it is difficult for the baby to make extra movements due to overweight;
- family atmosphere;
- physical health indicators.
The first two reasons are not related to the lag in the development of the baby, most likely, these are individual characteristics, Komarovsky is sure. The doctor also calms worrying moms, and says that not all children crawl. Some of them can immediately proceed to the next stage of development - walking.
If the child missed a skill - crawl
It happens that the baby after mastering the seat, can move on to walking. In this situation, parents have no reason for special joy, because this can negatively affect the health of the baby. In the future, his posture may be impaired, back pain may occur, and there is a risk of curvature of the spine. These problems are also sometimes hereditary.
Experts recommend protecting such children from serious physical exertion. Intensive sports (professional), skateboarding and roller-skating are contraindicated for them. It is best for children to engage in swimming and physical therapy. It is also necessary to be examined by a specialist in order to exclude the development of diseases of the spine.
Conclusion
If the child does not sit and crawl, parents should not worry if he is completely physically and emotionally healthy. After all, the stages of its development are individual and may differ from other children.