Cognitive and Motor Development
Gross motor milestones include crawling and standing up. His stronger, more limber leg muscles will allow him to crawl further, sit up longer and perhaps even stand up. His hips and knee joints are starting to “lock in” instead of collapsing under his body weight, making standing easier. He may be able to hold on to a piece of furniture, maybe even by pulling himself up, and creep on his knees with his stomach and chest raised off the floor. Babies generally reach this milestone somewhere between 7 and 12 months. Encourage standing upright by lifting your baby to a standing position and assist him to dance, bounce, or walk.
When it comes to fine motor skill milestones, your baby's increased hand/finger dexterity allows him to pick up small objects, such as Cheerios or raisins, wiht his thumb and forefinger. This is called the pincer grasp and it will continue to develop in the coming months. What's more, he will start turning toys over in his hands to examine them. Promote hand-eye coordination by putting some toys in a net bag, and show your baby how to take things out and put them back.
Your baby's improved vision enables him to now see objects at a distance, prompting him to systematically investigate objects in his surroundings. Alongside his increased mobility, your baby's short-term memory has developed to the point where if you leave the room and are out of sight, he may crawl to the other room to find you. An excellent way to stimulate your baby's cognitive development is through play. Engage him in games such as peek-a-boo and pat-a-cake. By learning how to play games, your baby is learning about the sequence of events and how to coordinate his part of the game with yours.
Why is Nutrition Important?
What your child eats has a very profound impact in his brain development. As such, it is extremely important to make sure your baby gets the nourishment he needs to develop to his fullest potential. Be vigilant in ensuring that he gets enough of certain critical nutrients such as calcium, iron, DHA and ARA (Omega-3 and Omega-6 fats) during his early year.
