Time to rejoice! Baby is able to hold up her neck. She’s moving a lot more than she did a month ago….now she’s crawling, and even attempting to stand up and lift things!
The progression you’re seeing is all due to gross motor development i.e.the strengthening of the large muscles of the arms, legs and torso. As parents we can do a lot to help our child develop gross motor skills.
All movements such as running, jumping, pulling, pushing, cycling, hopping etc. are extremely crucial for growing up children. Take them out to the park every evening and encourage your child to get up the slide or use the jungle gym and see the strength building up in those muscles.
To digress a little, (and you’ll see later how it connects to our “topic of the day”) socializing is a very important part of your child’s education at this stage. Today many homes are single-child homes and at home every child is a VIP – they have unlimited toys which they don’t have to share with anyone, they have the undivided attention of parents and if lucky, even grandparents. At school, however, it’s a different story altogether! Resources are limited and everyone has to share. Outdoor activities with other children will not just help with gross motor development but also teach valuable lessons to your child on socializing, learning to share, waiting for their turn and learning vital lessons in safety. That’s a total win-win!
So go out there and run with your child, play outdoor games, play with a ball – get your child to throw, catch, bounce and kick. Get a skipping rope and skip with your child, ride a bicycle, climb steps, crawl, jump and hop whenever you get the opportunity. Think of the upside – you get to be fit as your child develops gross motor skills, not to mention the amazing time you will have bonding with your child.
Time to work those muscles!
