When children start to hold back. At what age do babies start holding their heads? Boys before girls - myth or reality

The baby is born into the world helpless and is constantly in a stationary state. In the first months of life, he develops very actively - he learns to smile, to answer his parents - albeit in his own language, to keep his head.

Parents will not have time to be glad that some stability has come - by 3-4 months, children begin to behave more calmly and sleep at night, since the attacks of infantile colic subside by this time, and the baby is already starting to roll over from his back.

Again, he cannot be left alone even for a minute - except for the time that he spends only in a crib.

It can roll off the changing table or the parent's bed.

Parents need to understand at what age the child begins to roll over, because. at this time they will have to double the "supervision" of the baby.

After all, the next stage is crawling, and this is the development of the surrounding space.

Stages of development

Parents should know at what age it is time for a baby to raise its head, when it is necessary to hold it firmly, from what month of a child it should roll from its back to its stomach. This knowledge helps them to adequately assess the level of physical development of their offspring. Motor and reflex activity show how the child develops normally. Temporal boundaries are rather conditional, and even pedators vary. For example, 30 years ago, it was believed that the baby needs to raise his head as early as 21 days. Then the deadline was pushed back to a month.

However, it has been established that by 2 - 2.5 months the child should already confidently hold his head, lying on his back, and by 3-4 - make attempts to roll onto the barrel.

By 6 months, the baby should roll over on his stomach, by 7 months he should crawl, by 9 he should get up in the crib. But do not sound the alarm if the child does not roll over at 4 months - a time interval of plus or minus 2 months is the norm. Each living organism is individual, and develops according to its own algorithm.

If a developmental delay begins to bother, you need to help the child - then he will master the turning technique earlier.

Reasons for delayed reflex skills

Why do children begin to hold their heads, turn, sit down and stand on their feet at different times?

Pediatricians attribute the delay in behavioral skills to the following reasons.

• Baby size and weight. Fuller peanuts show a more calm character. This is understandable - being in constant motion, mass cannot be gained. And with excess weight, it is quite difficult to roll over. But this does not mean at all that the baby should be put on a diet - he will begin to roll over on his stomach later than his thin peers, for 2-4 weeks, no more.

But underweight children can lag far behind - they simply do not have enough strength for physical exercise. Dense babies, with well-developed muscles, master turns on their stomachs at 3-4 months;

• Temperament and character. These distinctive features are laid from birth. Even in the same family, there are no 2 completely identical children, let alone different babies. One prefers to sleep more, the second is constantly trying to see something from the stroller and crib, it would seem, from birth. Choleric and sanguine people are actively exploring the world, overtaking their peers for melancholic people by 2-3 weeks. Phlegmatic people, if parents do not think about how to teach a child to roll over, can thoughtfully examine the ceiling for up to 6 months without making attempts to change the situation;
• hereditary factors. If older children and parents themselves showed increased
  activity almost from birth, then the baby will begin to master reflex skills ahead of time;
• social conditions. The development of the child is influenced by the mood and capabilities of the parents. When they have the opportunity and desire to work with the baby, spend time with him, he is full and calm, does not lag behind in weight gain, he is not influenced by climatic factors - he raises his head, rolls over, crawls and gets up on time.

As soon as the coups on the stomach are fully mastered, they proceed to the next exercises - coups back to the back. The main period of increasing motor activity is from 5 to 7 months. It should not be forgotten that specific dates are individual.

Gymnastics for babies

The complexity of physical exercises increases gradually, based on the age of the baby. Already from a month, babies are laid out on their stomachs, from 1.5 months they should hold their heads. In order to stimulate the reflex, a bright toy is placed in front of the face. Hands are placed at the feet of the crumbs laid out on the stomach - let him lean and develop early crawling skills.

Beautiful rattles are not so easy to hang in front of the baby's face - it is necessary to develop a grasping reflex. Parents should even massage healthy babies - fold crossed arms on the chest, bend and unbend the legs. From 5 months you can already master the exercise - the baby grabs his fingers and tries to rise himself.

From 4 months, it is already necessary to stimulate the baby to turn on the stomach. They grab the baby with their hand and turn on the side. Then the leg, which is on top, is bent, and the baby's hand is fixed on the shoulder.

In this position, rolls begin to turn. You should act carefully so as not to create pressure on the hand through which they turn over - otherwise the baby will remember the unpleasant moment and completely refuse to turn on his stomach.

This is not a joke. There are children who never learned to master this simple skill until one and a half or even up to 2 years. In order to lie on their tummy, they get up, and only then lie down.

Therefore, it is very important to create comfortable conditions for classes with a child. For gymnastics to be enjoyable, the baby must sleep, be healthy and full. It is best to start exercising 1.5 hours after eating. The room is ventilated - if the batteries are too hot, they are covered with a wet towel. The optimum temperature in the room is 20-24ºС.

The baby is laid naked on the changing table. While he is taking air baths, his arms and legs are stroked with massaging movements, and his stomach is circularly clockwise. Turn over on the stomach and massage the back. While they are doing the massage, his attention is attracted by toys laid out nearby. Let him stretch, raise his head, try to examine.

The baby should try to perform all the movements himself - adults only help and guide.

To improve the quality of classes, you can purchase a fitball - a special ball. Exercises with the help of a sports device stimulate the development of muscles of all groups and relieve excessive tone. Children enjoy swinging on an elastic ball.

Causes of the reflex delay

When a baby does not roll over on its own at 5 months, it is too early to worry. As we have already noted, the time period for mastering this reflex is from 3.5 to 6.5 months.

After birth, the child goes through certain significant stages for its development. First, he begins to hold his head, smile, roll over on his tummy, later sits down and learns to stand. Parents are looking forward to new achievements from their crumbs.

After 5 months, some babies try to sit up. But they still do not hold their back well and fall if they are planted. When does the child begin to sit independently? How to help him? What if one is already sitting, and the other is not trying? The answers to these questions concern all new parents.

The baby is in the supine position from birth. As he grows and develops, he acquires new skills: he holds his head, grabs toys, turns on his side, and later from his back to his tummy and back, tries to crawl. At some point, the baby wants to change his position, trying to raise his head and take a sitting position. Indeed, at the same time, the viewing angle changes, many things are seen differently, it becomes more interesting for the baby to explore the world around him.

Many babies grab the sides of the crib or stroller and try to sit up. If you offer them to take hold of their fingers and help them a little, then they take the “sitting” position for a few seconds. They can't sit for long. They say that the child begins to sit down, that is, sit down for a short time.

Some parents are in a hurry to put pillows on the baby so that he sits longer, but this should not be done. Everything has its time. The child should sit up on his own when his spine is ready for it. At what age does a child start sitting? Every child has their own pace of development. However, there are certain average statistical norms when you can start to sit down a child. According to statistics, babies go through the following stages:

• 6 months - sitting with support;
• 7 months - sits without support;
• 8 months - sits on its own.

Some children start sitting down earlier. However, children under the age of 6 months are not recommended to be in a sitting position.

To understand whether the child is ready for sitting down, you can by the following signs:

• The baby has learned well to roll over on his stomach and back on his back;
• Raises the head from the "lying" state, holds it well;
• Tries to rise to his feet, holding on to a support;
• Well raises the body, holding on to the fingers of the parent.
• Can hold the back for a while in a sitting position.

If all these skills are observed in a child, then soon the baby will learn not only to sit on his own, but also to take a sitting position on his own.

Is it possible to plant? What is dangerous untimely sitting down

At birth, the baby's spine is very flexible and soft, while being easily deformed. It is designed only for the prone position. With age, the spine becomes stronger, the necessary curves appear, and a muscular corset is formed. Therefore, it is not recommended to seat children ahead of time.

If the child does not hold the back well, rounds it strongly, falls to one side or forward, it is not necessary to cover it with something for support. Such a child is not ready to sit down. This can harm the fragile spine. Most often, spinal deformity occurs precisely in childhood and is associated with early sitting down, walking, loads on the undeveloped muscular corset that supports the spine.

How many months the child will begin to sit depends on the state of his muscular development.

The more actively the child tries to move, turn, change the position of the body, the faster his back will strengthen, and he will begin to sit, stand, walk earlier.

Therefore, it is useful to lay the child on his tummy, so that he raises and holds his head and body, leaning on his forearms, and then his hands, teach him to roll over, and do special exercises for babies.

Very useful for a child to crawl. If the child has learned to crawl, then it is very convenient for him to sit down from this position. In addition, it helps to unload the spine, strengthens all the muscles of the baby.

Stages of mastering the skill of sitting

Attempts to take a sitting position in a child appear quite early at 3-4 months. But it is not easy for him to master this skill. The kid learns to sit gradually, acquiring certain preparatory skills. The stages of mastering the ability to sit are not always the same. In most cases it goes like this:

1. 1. The child tries to raise his head and upper body, trying to sit up. If you give him fingers, then he grabs and rises for a few seconds. This stage occurs in children at different times at about 3-5 months.

1. 1. A baby at 4-6 months clings to a support, kneels, tries to sit down, but so far he cannot resist, falls on his side or back;

1. 1. At 5-6 months, the child sits down with the help of a parent., holds the back for several minutes, can turn on its side and try to sit down, leaning on the arm;

1. 1. At the age of 6-8 months, he sits confidently, holds his back well, but often still uses the help of an adult to sit down, although some can sit down on their own;

1. 7-10 months - sits independently from any position, can turn to the side, plays with toys while sitting, easily changes position: gets up, lies down, gets on all fours and back.

In some cases, the child first rolls over on his tummy, gets on all fours and sits down from this position. Babies often start crawling and then learn to sit up on their own.

Some children are able to sit up and sit up to 6 months, but experts do not recommend spending a lot of time in a sitting position at this age. It is better if the baby sits for 10-15 minutes several times a day. Gradually, the time can be increased.

Other children, on the contrary, cannot learn to sit or sit confidently for a long time. It happens that such a skill they develop only at 9-11 months. This is also the norm. No need to rush the baby.

If the child is healthy, he does not have physical or neurological pathologies, then he will definitely learn to sit earlier or later than his peers.

What to do if the baby does not want to sit

Some mothers begin to worry if at a certain age their child is not yet able to sit, while his peers have long acquired this skill. Parents are wondering what to do and how to teach a child to sit? However, there is no need to worry ahead of time. If the baby has sufficiently mastered other motor skills, rolls over, gets on all fours, crawls, tries to get up, then up to 11 months you can not worry. It is better to encourage the child to crawl. This will help strengthen the muscles, and he will soon learn to sit down.

When to worry

You should worry if the baby is behind in development from the first months. Most likely, the doctor will notice this and refer the parents to a neurologist.

If at the age of 6-8 months he does not know how to roll over on his tummy and back, does not try to crawl, sit down, get up, then he clearly has neurological problems and should be shown to a specialist.

If there are no problems, then most likely it will be enough to take a course of special massage and gymnastics. However, this should be decided by a specialist.

How to teach to sit? Exercises

What can parents do to help their baby learn to sit? For this, gymnastics, massage, swimming in a bath or pool are best suited. Such activities will help develop the muscles of the back, correctly form the muscular corset of the spine.

From the age of three months, you can perform the following exercises with your child:

1. 1. The position of the baby lying on his back. Mom extends her index fingers to him, the child grabs them and tries to rise to the back angle of 40 degrees. Stay in this position for 3-5 seconds and lower the baby. Run several times.

Gradually, the angle of elevation and holding time can be increased.

1. 1. From 6 months, you can complicate the first exercise by lifting the child with only one hand.. The second he tries to hold on and lean on his own.

1. 1. The child is supported under the chest and under the stomach, the back is up, the legs rest against the adult's stomach. Raise the body of the child and lower. The baby's head is up. Muscles are tense. Hold for a few seconds and lower.

1. 1. Put the child on the side so that he rolls over on his stomach, then back. You can attract toys so that the baby reaches for them.

1. Good help and swaying the child on the fitball. Holding the child lying on the ball, we shake the ball up and down, then bending the child's legs, then touching the surface with his hands. You can swing the ball left and right.

It helps to massage the muscles of the arms, back, legs. The movements of the hands are kneading and stroking, light pats are acceptable. The movements are directed from the bottom up from the fingers to the shoulders.

For children older than 6-8 months, if they do not crawl, then gymnastics is aimed at obtaining this skill. The baby will then learn to sit up on its own.

Swimming has a very beneficial effect on all the muscles of the child, strengthening them, but not loading the spine. If it is not possible to visit the pool with the baby, then you can limit yourself to swimming in a full bath.

All the skills of the baby are interconnected, so it is important not to miss the moment when it is worth helping the baby - do massage, gymnastics. The next skill after the ability to sit down is crawling, read in our next article.

Babies are growing fast, and you won't even notice when it's time to introduce discipline and punctuality to your little fidget. in the form of a game - read on our link.

Boys and girls

You can often hear rather conflicting opinions that boys or girls develop faster and sit down earlier. There is information that girls begin to make attempts to sit down earlier, but master this skill later than boys. In addition, some people think that the spine in girls is more fragile than in boys. Therefore, they should sit down later. However, there is no credible evidence for such claims. It all depends on the individual development of the child. It is only clear that it is not worth it to sit down a child before he sits down himself, regardless of his gender.

No need to compare your baby with other children. Each child is unique, has its own biological rhythm. Rejoice in every skill of the crumbs, help him develop correctly, but do not rush. A healthy child will definitely master all the necessary skills, including sitting.

When the child begins to sit, and most often this happens at the age of about six months, he takes the first step in the development of vertical space. The sitting baby opens up much more opportunities to see the world around him: now he will be able to watch his mother, look out the window, reach for toys.

About what is important to know about this important period for the mother of a curious toddler, we will tell in our today's material.

There will be no deadlines

More often than 6-8 months - the age when the child's muscles are already strong so that the baby can sit without assistance.

Note, if the baby starts to sit up on his own , means his skeletal and muscular system are ready . Some babies start trying to take a vertical position as early as 4-5 months. They are especially successful on surfaces that are slightly elevated, such as the parent's knees or the infant carrier.

By 5-6 months, the little one gradually masters such processes as turning over and pulling up on his hands, and then his attempts to sit down become more and more confident. At 6-6.5 months, the baby leans on the arm and, perhaps not yet quite confidently, holds the body, and at 7 months it can already sit with a straight back.

Important to remember : all of the above - averages Every child develops individually. There is no single answer to the question "When does the child start to sit?" Some babies start crawling and standing earlier than sitting. Don't rush things and don't worry.

No need to hurry

We have said many times that there is a time for everything, but often parents really want, like a day of victory, bring closer the cherished moment when the child begins to sit, stand up or walk. And they do everything for this ... Most often, everything that is not needed.

Of course, I really want to be proud of the achievements of my beloved baby, but to sit him in bed, laying pillows on all sides so that the baby does not fall on his side is harmful . Yes, the child is pleased to be in the same plane with the parents, but if he cannot hold the body himself, this means that his back muscles are still weak and cannot cope with the task set by the parents.

Pediatrician Sergey Vasiliev tells: “In large, overweight, premature babies and babies with low weight, the muscles may be sluggish and they will master the process of sitting a little later. With muscle weakness, the baby will sit with a round back, with weakness of the abdominal muscles, it will fall back, with weak lateral muscles, it will fall on its side. Until about 13-14 months, the child can help himself with his hand, and then the muscles are strengthened so much that the child can sit up with the help of the abdominal, pelvic and hip muscles alone.

Therefore, we consider it necessary to repeat once again: ability to sit independently , with a fairly straight back, not leaning on pillows, depends on muscle strength . And it only comes with age at 6-8 months .

Working on strengthening

Not our favorite pillows will help speed up the process of strengthening the baby’s muscles, but and . We invite you to learn three exercises , doing which, the baby will be able to independently take a vertical position as quickly as possible.

We train the press . Lay the baby on his back and gently encourage the baby to sit up by pulling his arm to the leg crosswise (right arm to left leg and vice versa). With your hand, fix the baby's legs above the knees, slightly pressing them to the surface on which he lies. Important: Do not let your child sit up on their own during these exercises. He should “hang, pulling himself up on your hands.

spinning . Now let's train the lateral muscles of the crumbs. To do this, sit the baby, give him your thumb or index finger in your hands and in this position rock the child back and forth, left and right, make circular movements.

Making slopes . We start training the back muscles, and for this we put the child with his legs on the table, with his back to himself. Grasp his legs with one hand, and support his tummy with the other. Gently press down on your baby's back, encouraging him to lean forward. Then push your hand under the tummy so that it straightens out.

How is it possible?

It is difficult to imagine a baby who would not like to learn to sit as soon as possible, because such an interesting big world becomes much more accessible.

The signal that the muscles of the neck and chest are sufficiently strengthened to keep the body in an upright position with the help of additional support serve such baby skills :

• calmly raises the chest while lying on the stomach;
• can roll over in both directions;
• trying to pull himself up from a supine position.

A baby who cannot sit on his own can be planted in a high chair or stroller, if possible, make the backrest angle 30 degrees (for example, using a pillow).

It is important to understand that the surface on which the peanut will rest must be not vertical but inclined ! Trying to seat a baby with a still weak back upright is a direct path to the development of early scoliosis or other diseases of the spine.

Do not rush the child to sit, believe me, sooner or later he will master the skill on his own, and we can help him only by and.

Be happy and healthy!

The time when the child begins to sit by himself is very individual. Many fathers and mothers want their baby to develop quickly and correctly, and the outstripping achievements of peers begin to cause concern, especially among young parents.

But do not put your desires above the health of the child. There are certain norms for the development of children, which are confirmed by the knowledge of specialists in this field. And the question of how long the baby should sit on his own is very serious, because the future health of the child depends on it.

Approximate terms

The spine of a born baby cannot be in a vertical position - the muscles of his body are not yet developed. Therefore, doctors do not recommend specially seating the baby, he must do it himself. If the baby is sufficiently developed, then he will definitely sit down on his own.

Gradually growing child develops neck muscles and learns to hold his head. Every week he has new skills, soon the children learn to roll over on their backs. The next step will be the ability to sit down.

On average, attempts to sit up begin at 5 months. By the behavior of the baby, it is clear that he wants to do this, because when you are sitting, you can see much more objects! In this case, some parents take the baby by the arms and pull it towards themselves, and he tries to sit down. At the same time, he is unlikely to be able to do this on his own, although some children manage to sit down from a reclining position.

• A child at 5-6 months will constantly fall in different directions when trying to sit down. No need to panic - this is normal. You should not constantly help the crumbs, he should try to hold on on his own. The main thing is to make sure that the place where the baby falls is safe.
• By 6 months, in many children, the muscles become stronger, and they sit on their own for a short time, periodically falling on their side or back. Gradually, staying in this position becomes longer and lasts about an hour a day.
• At the age of seven months, many children sit on their own, but still for a short time, because the back muscles are still poorly developed.
• At 8-9 months, most babies are already sitting well. They can change the position of the body on their own, for example, sit down from a lying position and lie back down.

Parents should remember that these are approximate norms. Each baby develops at this age very individually, so a discrepancy with the norm for several months is not considered a violation. It has been noticed that even in one large family, each child has individual achievements and may differ by several months, whether it is a boy or a girl.

Is it possible to plant a child on purpose

Every mother wants her baby to develop faster, and when the child begins to sit up, parents get a significant relief.

Most babies can hold their back by 5 months if they are helped to sit up. Some parents are in a hurry to quickly overlay the crumbs with pillows, thinking that this will help consolidate the result. Especially representatives of the older generation are very fond of giving such advice. But you need to show maximum patience and wait for your baby to be ready.

Specially seating the baby before the moment when he himself begins to do this, you can seriously harm his spine. If the child does not sit down on his own, then the back is not yet strong enough and is not ready for this load. But even if the baby sat down at 5–7 months on its own, you can’t fix it in the “sitting” position with pillows!

How can you understand that the time when the child should sit independently has not yet come? The baby falls on its side, its back is rounded while sitting. Children should not be specially planted before the age of seven months.

Early sitting is a big load on the spine, and it is still soft in babies, cartilage can easily move. Such haste in the future is fraught with curvature of the spine, deformation of the pelvic bones and other negative consequences.

The role of massage in sitting babies

It seems that the time has come, the baby should be kept upright on his own, but he just can’t do it. Parents begin to worry and find out at what months the children begin to sit with friends, parents and specialists.

Even if the baby is six months old, and he is not able to perform this action, it's okay. It is necessary to wait until the spine becomes stronger.

The child is 8 months old, but there are no changes at this age? It's time to help him and start doing massage. After all, when the baby is inactive, all his muscles are in a relaxed state, so they need to be helped to become stronger. This is especially true for children with dystonia.

You can sign up for a baby massage in your clinic, you can contact good private specialists, or you can perform the procedure yourself. It is important to work on the neck, elbow joints and back area.

There are several massage rules:

1. On the hands should not be anything extraneous, they need to be washed.
2. In the process of massage, it is necessary to communicate with the baby so that the procedure causes only positive emotions in him. Hand movements should be soft, not causing pain. You can not put pressure on the spine.
3. Massage should be done no earlier than 30 minutes after eating, the baby should not be hungry.
4. If the baby is sick, has a fever, poor urine or stool tests, the procedure should be postponed until recovery or clarification of the reasons.

Massage includes stroking, kneading and rubbing, is carried out for 20-30 minutes. The technique looks something like this (well, if you find a specialist who will show you the technique):

• Put the crumbs on the stomach and stroke the back from the bottom up and in the opposite direction;
• Then, begin with the pads of your fingers to make movements in the form of a spiral in different directions along the ribs. We perform these manipulations 5-8 times;
• We do kneading in the direction from the lower back to the neck on the lateral muscles of the back 3-5 times;
• At the end, we stroke the back of the baby.

When the child begins to sit, you should observe him: in the correct version, his head should be slightly tilted forward, and the upper part of the spine and neck area should be straightened. The arms are a support, the lower back is slightly bent, the legs are separated. If he sits in some other way, then this skill has not yet been formed.

Muscle Strengthening Exercises

If the baby cannot sit up on his own even at 9 months old, this is not a reason for panic, but a consultation with a doctor will not be superfluous. He will determine if there are any health problems.

In addition, every mother should know a few exercises that can help the baby. For example, these:

1. The baby lies on his back, take him by the handles, he will try to sit down. We hold it in this semi-recumbent position for a few seconds. We repeat the exercise. You can lift it by one or the other hand in turn, very carefully.
2. Turn the seated child back to you. Support your baby's elbows with your hands. He must reach for objects, get them and return to his original position.
3. Have your child face you. Hold it by the handles and swing it from side to side. You can sing a children's song.
4. Walking exercise strengthens the muscles. Hold the baby by the armpits, he will begin to move his legs reflexively.
5. From a lying position, bring the legs / arms of the child to the wall - he will start to push off. These exercises will strengthen the muscles of the legs, arms and back.
6. Muscle tone will improve the “eight” exercise: move the baby along the water surface in the form of this number. Water squats are also helpful.

Water procedures are very useful - all the muscles of the baby are well trained, and the load on the spine is very small. In the bathroom, you can perform a whole range of exercises, and if possible, it is better to enroll in the pool.

Well trains the muscles of the baby riding a big ball, on the back and on the tummy. The baby will really like such exercises, especially if you constantly talk to him.

If the baby crawls well, but still does not know how to sit, then you should not panic even at 9 months. Many parents are very worried about this, but you just need to help the baby a little. The main thing is that there are no problems with the musculoskeletal system or any neurological disorders. In due time, he will sit down without outside help.

Gradually teach your baby to sit in a high chair. You need to start with a few minutes, then increase the time. The inclination of the seat should be no more than 40-45 degrees.

Boys and girls: is there a difference

The question of when boys sit down and when girls sit down causes a lot of controversy. On average, the skill of sitting in girls is formed a little later. Regardless of the gender of the child, you must wait until he begins to sit on his own.

Once upon a time, doctors believed that if a girl was planted at the age of four months, then a uterine curve would form in her. It has now been proven that such violations do not appear for this reason, but one should not rush anyway. A girl can begin to sit down at 5 months, and if at the age of six months she herself makes such movements, then this is normal.

In boys, this process can start a little earlier. The muscular corset of the future man begins to strengthen after 4 months. If the baby makes a good support on his hands and tries to sit up, he should be helped a little.

In general, gender does not affect at what age a child begins to sit. The child sits down upon reaching a certain physical development.

To facilitate the care of the baby in our time, there are many devices. But parents should know what items of help at a certain age for a baby can be harmful.

• It is not recommended to use children's tables and car seats without a lying position before 6 months. Today, there are many models of car seats on the market for any age. The main thing is that the baby is lying or reclining, but not sitting in it;
• A baby kangaroo bag is very convenient for moms and dads, but it should also not be used for children under six months. It will negatively affect the fragile spine;
• If you carry the baby in your arms, then you need to lightly press him towards you so that he seems to be lying on you. In this position, the load on the spine will be minimal.

All normal parents want their children to be healthy and strong. It is important to remember here that much depends on their attitude towards the child. Any mistakes in the development of crumbs at a very early age can turn into serious problems later. Now you know how many months the child begins to sit and what not to do so as not to harm. Therefore, be more attentive to the health of your children!

Until the age of five months, the newborn lies most of the time and shows little activity. However, after he reaches this age threshold, parents begin to notice how he pleases and surprises them every day. The fact is that by about 5 months of life, the baby's back and neck muscles are already quite well strengthened. In this regard, he begins to master more and more new motor functions: independently hold the body in an upright position, hold the head, roll over and sit.

When a child begins to sit, the world around him begins to open up in a completely different way, which before that he perceived mainly from a horizontal position. These first motor skills will soon be followed by others: and take the first steps.

Many parents are interested in how many months their baby will start to sit on his own and look forward to this moment. and, this suggests that he is ready to sit on his own.

In different babies, this can occur at different ages, however, it is normally considered to be the optimal period from 4 to 7 months. Almost all babies can sit up on their own by 8 months of age.

Of course, parents can artificially plant a child at any age, but in order for him to start sitting on his own, he at least needs to learn how to hold his head. For this, in turn, it is necessary that the neck muscles are sufficiently strengthened. The rapid development of this muscle group, as a rule, begins at 4 months of age. Usually, by this age, the baby holds his head on his own, lying on his stomach, and this skill begins to consolidate and improve every day.

In the future, parents will be able to notice how the baby begins to raise his shoulders, do push-ups on the handles and, first for a moment, and then for a longer time, sit down with their support. The main thing that prevents him from sitting confidently at the first stage is the inability to maintain balance. When the child learns to hold it, first leaning on the handles, he will sit on his own, without support and outside help.

In general terms, a child’s mastery of the skill to sit down can look like this:

• at 6 months begins to sit for a short time with third-party support;
• can sit without support for a short time at 7 months;
• by 8 months, sit down independently, sits confidently and can also lie down independently from this position.

When should you start worrying?

Knowing the norms for the development of children and how many months they should master certain stages of their physical and psycho-emotional development, parents can easily notice pathologies. If you seek qualified help in a timely manner, you can correct the situation without any further consequences. Today, there are special exercises and other methods of strengthening muscles.

If the child has not begun to hold his head by the age of 6 months and to rise on the handles from a position lying on his tummy, parents should show it to the pediatrician. This skill in all babies without exception is basic and further physical development depends on it.

At the same time, it should be borne in mind that weakened and prematurely born babies master the first motor skills somewhat later than the others. And children who are active and stronger can begin to sit down earlier than others by 1-1.5 months. According to pediatricians, both situations are considered quite normal.

Is it possible to seat a child artificially

Some parents, in anticipation, try to artificially seat the child, propping up pillows on all sides, no matter how many months old the baby is. Without exception, orthopedists and pediatricians claim that this is absolutely impossible, since giving a child's fragile spine a vertical position up to 6 months of age is unnatural and is fraught with consequences in the future, for example, a curvature of the spine.

Until the child's muscles are properly strengthened, he is not ready to withstand such a load. If the child sat down on his own at an age earlier than 6 months, then laying him back makes no sense. The only thing that parents can do in such a situation is to limit the time the child is in a sitting position. Normally this time should be no more than 1 hour per day.

• to carry a child in a stroller while sitting, the permissible angle of fixation of the back of the stroller is 45 degrees;
• carry in special means for transferring the "kangaroo" type;
• seat the child on your lap;
• perform muscle strengthening exercises at an early age.

How parents can help

Parents can help their child to quickly master the new position of the body. You can encourage him to start raising his head and hold it as soon as possible if you place a bright toy in front of the baby lying on his tummy that can interest him, and he will try to raise his face to examine this object. Such exercises will help strengthen the muscles of the neck.

This technique with a toy can be used after the child has begun to sit down on his own. It is necessary to fix it at an inaccessible distance so that the baby concentrates on it, considering it. In this way, he will learn to keep his balance. In this case, it is very important to protect the child from a possible fall. The best option would be the constant presence of one of the parents nearby or the creation of a safe environment. For example, you can put pillows to make the fall as soft as possible.

To strengthen their child's back muscles, parents can do special exercises, have a back massage, or join a special pool group. You can start performing such activities from the age of 3 months of the baby.

Features of sitting down boys and girls

Many parents believe that it is possible earlier than a girl. In reality, it is equally harmful to artificially seat girls and boys before they reach 6 months of age.

In addition, if the parents started early, then in the future this may affect on the correct formation of female genital organs. Early attempts to sit down can lead to deformity of the pelvic bones. Modern medicine is of the opinion that if a girl independently made an attempt to sit down before the age of six months, then there is nothing to worry about, because each child's body is individual and unique, and when it sits down it is difficult to predict.