A baby appeared in the family. This has always been great news for family and friends. But with the appearance of crumbs, parents will certainly encounter the fact that they do not know how to ensure proper care and development of the child. At 4 months, significant changes in the behavior of the baby occur. In addition, from birth, the baby begins to develop processes that affect his future life. That is why it is important to know what and how to do during this period, how to develop a baby in 4 months.
Children's physiology
The correct development of the child at 4 months is mainly carried out on the basis of his physiology. The fact is that at this age, the baby begins to grow stably and gain weight. In one month, he should gain about 800 grams and add 2-2.5 centimeters in growth. In addition, the development of the child at 4 months of age is clearly visible externally - his head becomes larger, along with the chest. Around the same time, the baby is already beginning to understand and distinguish the time of day. Thus, already at 4 months of life, a certain “daily regimen” is formed in the child. It is noticeable in the number of rises and activity of the baby at night and daytime.
Motor skills
At the baby at 4 months of life some certain movements are already forming. During this period, he strenuously clutches at the toys over the crib, trying to roll over on his tummy. The development of a child at 4 months of age implies the fact that the baby can already turn its head in the direction from which it hears a familiar voice (mom or dad). At the same time, he needs more activity.
If the family has older children, be sure to involve them in caring for the baby. This will help the "oldest" get rid of a feeling of jealousy and uselessness. In addition, the older child will not feel a lack of parental attention .
In the fourth month of his life, the baby receives a series of vaccinations. Parents and specialist doctors need to carefully prepare for this process. After the vaccination is passed, it is recommended that the child take the temperature for 7 days. You should immediately consult a doctor if you experience nausea, vomiting, or a temperature that exceeds the limit of 37.3 degrees.
Feeding
Feeding the baby will also answer the question of how to develop a baby in 4 months. The thing is that both children's health and adult depend on nutrients and vitamins.
There are several options. If you are still breastfeeding, you can continue to do this six times a day. If the feeding is artificial or mixed, the most suitable option would be feeding at intervals of 4 hours five times a day.
Regarding complementary foods, there are also several points of view. So, for example, some say that you can and even need to introduce complementary foods, while others say that you can’t do this. For example, by the second half of the fourth month of life, the baby can already be given juice and fruit or berry puree. You can enter this complementary foods only after consulting a pediatrician.
In general, so that there are no problems, it is best to draw up a 4-month baby development calendar. In it you can note when and what classes to conduct, what kind of food to give your baby, his successes.
Best diet
As already mentioned, the views on the diet of a four-month-old baby are different. Now we will talk about what can be given to children at such a young age.
A freshly grated apple can be introduced into the diet of a 4-month-old baby. You can also give bananas and plums (in small quantities) or the corresponding baby canned food. Give the children mashed potatoes, first a quarter, then a half, and then a whole teaspoon after feeding with milk or a mixture. In a few weeks, the "dose" increases to 5 tablespoons.
Babies who have allergies or diathesis should not be given carrot juice, and apples are best bought in yellow or green varieties. All citrus juices must be excluded from the children's diet in general, regardless of the presence of an allergic reaction. This is because citrus fruits are allergens and can cause unwanted reactions even in an adult. The total amount of food consumed, including juices and mashed potatoes, reaches one liter per day.
Nightmare for mom
It's no secret that the period when the baby's teeth are cut is called a nightmare for mom. As a rule, the first teeth appear at 6 months, but in the modern world, teething in a baby is already quite frequent at 4 months. Sometimes the incisors are very difficult to see. In this case, gums need to be carefully touched with the index finger pad. But the moments of the appearance of the tooth in children are sometimes characterized by the fact that the temperature rises, a runny nose or loose stools appear. If this important process is too painful, it is best to call a doctor at home.
At this time, crying due to colic in the stomach in a child is less common. Gradually, the baby begins to adapt to adulthood and learn more and more about the world.
Mental condition
Already at the age of 4 months, children are able to respond to different people. Quite important is the manifestation of joy at the sight of adults. Kids demonstrate these emotions with the help of the corresponding movements of the arms, legs and a smile. At this age, the child is still not afraid of strangers, he is happy with anyone who is trying to make contact with him. In the babble of the baby, new consonants and vowels appear.
Many children can learn to turn their heads to the right or left, to the sound of a toy or the voice of an adult. At the age of 4 months, the baby already loves to listen to music and various sounds.
New habitat
With age, all the kids are slowly "moving" to new places for games and recreation. Child development at 4 months will be accelerated if the baby is placed in the playpen. You can easily attach rubber bands with toys to it. They will help the development of children. In addition, developmental activities and games for a 4-month-old child will be much more convenient and easier if the baby is in the arena. You can also lay the peanut on the floor (on a blanket or rug), this will provide freedom of movement and will stimulate new achievements.
Games at 4 months
How to play with a baby at 4 months? This must be done in the same way as before - with large and bright toys, bags filled with different materials, developing fine motor skills of children's pens and perception of the world around them. Simple finger games are also great .
At 4 months, baby developmental games are very important. Great pleasure will be given to children if you add fun with an unbreakable mirror that can be attached to a crib or developing mat, playpen. The kid will be able to observe his reflection, smile and movements. By the way, the child can already play on his own with handle-legs. Socks and bracelets with funny animals and "little animals" are great for this. Thus, at 4 months of age, developmental games serve as leisure, development, and entertainment. Give them due attention.
The development of coups
The development of a child at 4 months of life includes the development of new movements. These include independent baby coups on the tummy. If you put the child on his stomach, then he will raise the head and arms. From the side it will look like pushing an adult from the floor. This movement helps to develop muscle and understand the world around us at times better. When the child turns over on his tummy, he may be scared. At this moment, it is important to praise, please and encourage the baby so that he is not afraid.
Baby and items
There are many opinions on the topic: "A child of 4 months - how to develop?" You can argue and argue for an infinitely long time, but each one will certainly touch on the topic of interaction between the baby and objects. At 4 months, the child begins to pull literally everything in his mouth that only comes into his hands. What to do to prevent this behavior? The answer is simple - nothing. This is a completely natural process of knowing the world around us, but there are several rules, observing which, you can protect the baby from the adverse outcomes of his research activities. To begin with, remember that you should not leave small objects near the baby. He, as already mentioned, begins to examine the little thing, and then drags it into her mouth. In addition, if a child can reach an object on his own, then be sure that he will be in the arms of your baby.
Remember, even the simplest but safest little thing can take a child for a long time. If you give a rattle, then you will notice that your baby cheerfully shakes her so that it rattles. You should not keep things with filler around him that he can tear and taste the contents.
At this time, for the proper development of the child, a children's gymnastic mat is very handy . It will certainly help the correct formation of the children's skeleton.
What can and can a baby do in 4 months?
So we discussed the issue of how to develop a baby in 4 months. Children at such a young age can already do a lot. For example, they learn to roll over on their stomachs (we already spoke about this earlier). In addition, the baby learns to crawl (first in plastunsky), helping himself with arms and legs. Around this time, some children are already trying to sit. However, in no case do not force events and be sure to support the back of the crumbs.
Regardless of nationality, the baby at 4 months old will already begin to show signs of speech. He clearly must pronounce the syllables "ba", "ma", "pa", from which he will then make the most primitive, but his first words. It is these syllables that parents often consider the first words of the baby.
Children's Day is also increasing. Now he can stay awake for more than two hours in a row. For a while, the baby can entertain himself. This allows parents to devote at least some time to each other and household chores.
In the same period, the child very actively learns the world around him. As we have said, he is trying to pull all the objects that fall into his handles into his mouth. Thus, the knowledge of the world. The behavior of the baby requires constant observation and attention. At this time, he can easily choke or get hurt, trying to try something "in the tooth." It would be nice to start cleaning up all sharp objects in the house and hiding them, because the time is not far off when the baby will learn to crawl and walk, which means that the area of ​​his research activities will increase significantly.
Final result
Now you can take stock of what a child of 4 months can do, how to develop it and how to understand that your baby is developing correctly. You should not immediately panic about the fact that your child is behind in development if he does not cope with the tasks that we described in this article. A slightly "delayed reaction" is often observed if the baby was born prematurely.
Do not despair if your child does not know what one or another of his peers can already do. Remember that all children develop in different ways, do not compare your crumbs with someone, compare them only with yourself (the way he was a week, a month ago, what he learned, etc.).
This article is not a canon to which the baby must comply and 100%.
Most importantly, remember that from birth, the baby needs your attention and care.
Only you, the parents, are responsible for its development and health. Give your child more attention, raise him in kindness, love and affection. Only in this case the baby will develop correctly and actively, even if compared to others it will slightly “lag behind”. Now you know how to develop a baby in 4 months. Good luck to you and your baby!