Little girl 4 months old. Development calendar: baby is four months old

13.09.2019

Your baby is 4 months old. He became different not only in appearance, but also in behavior. This is not the same helpless baby that you brought from the hospital. He knows a lot and every day acts more and more meaningfully and confidently. It is believed that at this age adaptation to environmental conditions is completed and all systems of the body change.

General physiological development

By this age, the baby gained another 750 g, the breast volume increased by 2.5 cm, and the head - by 1 cm.Now babies weigh 6-7 kg (plus or minus 1 kg), and the growth rate is 60-63 cm (plus -minus 3 cm).

During this period of life, babies begin to grow nails and hair quickly. It is necessary to cut off the regrown marigolds in time, since the child still does not know how to control the handles and can severely scratch himself.

The physical activity of infants increases and the periods of daytime sleep decrease. Now it takes 14-15 hours a day to sleep, and the wakefulness period between sleep and feeding is 2 hours.

Most babies still feed primarily on breast milk, and today all pediatricians in the world agree that this is the best food for a baby. But if it happens that you cannot breastfeed, then there is nothing to worry about. The main thing is to choose the right mixture and complementary foods, referring only to well-known brands.

Skills and abilities

There are also many new things in the development of a child in the fourth month. He makes his first attempts to roll over from his back to his tummy. Show the little one a bright toy, let him take an interest in her. But do not give it to him in his pens, but put it next to him. The kid will reach for the toy, groan. This will help him learn to turn to one side, and later on to his stomach. By the end of the fourth month, babies can already lift their upper body in the "on the tummy" position, while they confidently hold their head and turn it in different directions. Toddlers can crawl forward a little, stretching their torso on their arms.

The 4-month-old baby is already trying to roll over on her tummy, getting ready for sitting and active crawling

At this age, the child prepares for the sitting stage. He can pull himself up with the handles, grabbing the fingers of an adult. The so-called grouping of the child occurs: he is pulled up by his head and body and freely held in this position.

In the fourth month, the movements of babies become more accurate and confident. They develop an “eye-hand-mouth” coordinating function. Everything that the kid has caught in the handle, he will grab and pull into his mouth. He also pulls into his mouth and his hands.

At this age, the child begins to distinguish the colors and shapes of objects, therefore it is recommended to give the baby toys of various colors and shapes. In addition, the little one has favorite toys and those with which he plays reluctantly.

Features of the nervous system

In a four-month-old baby, unconditioned reflexes fade away, and conditioned reflexes are formed instead. For example, the grasping reflex: before, the kid immediately grabbed the object, but now he looks at it, and only then reaches for it.

The search reflex was expressed in tactile sensations, and now it is also visual. For example, seeing a bottle, the baby opens his mouth. He prepares for the act of sucking.

Psycho-emotional development

Conduct a simple psychological experiment: stand next to the baby, smiling at him. And he will smile back at you. If you turn away, then the baby will try to appeal to you with inviting sounds. If a child at 4 months old does not react in this way, this is a signal - he does not show initiative in communication. You need to think about this. Communication and affection is an important characteristic of the psychological development of a child at 4 months.

During this period, children really need communication with their beloved mom and dad. When he sees them, he begins to actively move, thereby expressing his joy.

During this period, children show another psychoemotional feature - a revitalization complex. When a mom or dad appears in the child's field of vision, his arms and legs begin to actively move, he can screech, babble and smile.

Babies of the fourth month of life are very wary of strangers. And even to relatives whom they rarely see. A crumb can cry if a stranger approaches him. At this age, babies are not yet able to recognize the image of an adult if it has changed a little: as soon as the mother puts on glasses, for example, the baby does not recognize her. Such a metamorphosis can also scare him.

The visual and auditory perception of the child is intensively developing. At the 4th month of life, the baby does not just see, he is able to follow with his eyes a moving object or an object that is no further than a few meters. And if the object is removed from the field of view, then the little one will immediately forget about it and remember if it is shown to him again. Different games are based on this feature of children of this age.

Toddlers at this stage of development make their first attempts to "talk". Of course, they still “speak” in their infant language (they are walking, babbling), but mothers and fathers are already able to understand them.

The kids are smiling, laughing loudly, screaming. At this moment, you need to support your baby in his desire to communicate, talk more with him, encourage his speech activity.

Name items aloud, comment on your actions (even if you just change your diaper), sing songs to him, read nursery rhymes, play games. You can repeat the sounds that he makes after the baby, thereby teaching him the first basics of dialogue. Not understanding the meaning of phrases and words, the baby will listen to the tonality and emotional colors of the voice. All this stimulates the baby to start talking and reading faster.

Nutritional aspects

Juices: to give or not to give?

Surely there are grandmothers in your family who remember how, in their youth, children were given juice as early as 2 months. Indeed, it was so. This generation really wanted to feed their children more satisfyingly, to give them more vitamins.

From 4 months you can start complementary foods. As a rule, this is porridge or vegetables. Fruits and juices are given to the child later.

Today, this tactic has been abandoned, since it became clear that there are not enough vitamins in the amount of juices that are offered to babies. And besides, the juice irritates the intestinal walls of the child. As a result, he not only does not assimilate these vitamins, he also does not assimilate what he should receive with another diet. This is confirmed by the National Program for Optimizing the Feeding of Infants in the First Year of Life in the Russian Federation - a document signed by two academicians. It also says that up to 4 months, the child should receive only breast milk (or adapted milk formula), and there is no need to feed him with anything.

In general, a 4 month old baby should receive 1 liter of food per day.

Lure

Porridge

At 4 months, you can start introducing the first complementary foods. Traditionally in our country it is porridge. Kasha is also recommended by the Union of Pediatricians of Russia. Porridge should be gluten-free (rice, corn, buckwheat). It is necessary to choose one kind of porridge and offer it to the baby at first in a very small amount, gradually increasing the portion. Usually they begin to give 1 teaspoon of the finished product and bring the amount to 100 grams.

Most pediatricians do not recommend cooking porridge yourself, it is better to buy ready-made ones that are diluted with water or breast milk (mixture). The fact is that industrial cereals are better ground and crushed, they are enriched with vitamins and microelements that children need.

If you cook porridge yourself, then you cannot do it with whole milk, which is introduced much later. Grind the groats in a coffee grinder and boil them in vegetable broth. If necessary, rub the porridge through a sieve.

It is better to give porridge in the morning - we form breakfast, but it is also possible in the evening.

Vegetable puree

One type of complementary food is given about 2 weeks, after which you can begin to introduce something else. For example, vegetable puree. In fact, complementary foods do not always start with porridge - you can start with vegetable puree, especially if the child is overweight, constipated, or has a tendency to diathesis.

The best vegetables for first feeding are squash, cauliflower, broccoli. Vegetable complementary foods are usually introduced during the day because they form a meal. Start giving your baby vegetables with 1 teaspoon and in 2 weeks bring them to 100-150 g.

So, closer to 4.5-5 months, your baby is already having breakfast and dinner with porridge (100 g), lunch with vegetable puree (100-150 g). Supplement - with formula or breast milk.

special instructions

Start complementary feeding only if the child is completely healthy and in a good mood, otherwise he will not be able to positively perceive the new taste of food for him.
The first complementary foods are best given in the morning or at lunchtime, in the morning. You should have time to observe the reactions of the infant's body. Focus on the skin (whether there is a rash, redness), redness around the anus and on the buttocks also speaks of allergies. Watch your stool, the following reactions should alert you: increased stool frequency, mucus, greens, or lumps in the stool.

Now the baby has become more interactive, it is interesting to spend time with him, to play. Games for crumbs are not only fun, but also a way to develop various skills and abilities

Games with a baby at 4 months

Children of this age can have fun and play interesting games.

Finger games

The adult folds his fingers, imitating a duckling, and says:

You duckling are not food,
You'd better look for mom.
Quack-quack-quack, quack-quack-quack! (the whole rhyme is sung 2 times).

Over time, the baby will also begin to make this gesture with his fingers.

And now a fly has arrived - w-w-w-w (we show with our hands how a fly flies). Let's drive the fly away:

Kyshshsh fly, fly away!
Kyshshsh fly, fly away!
Kyshshsh fly, fly away!
Don't bother to sit still! (with our hand we show how we wave off the fly).

The poem is sung several times.

Hanging toys help develop fine motor skills and coordination of movements

Cam opening game and development of tactile sensations

Run the palms of the little one over your face, opening your fist. Say: "Mom is good, good."

Movement coordination game

Hang a pacifier or small toy on a chain and chat in front of your baby. He will pull his hands and try to grab the object. Let the chain swing slightly from side to side so that the baby can “fight” before grabbing it. But be sure to do so that he managed to get the coveted toy, reward the baby with a kiss and praise: "You are my clever girl!"

Exploring your own body

The cub can be kept busy by wearing brightly colored clothing such as socks. He will definitely be interested in them and start playing with the legs. He will also like the toy-bracelet on the handle.

Sound Games

Playing with sounds is a favorite pastime for children of this age. Your task is to make different sounds: here you are a lion, and growl, now you are a locomotive, and puff. And now you are a kitty. Purr. Soon your child will remember these sounds and start repeating them after you.

These activities are sure to bring a lot of fun and joy to your tomboy.

Caring for a baby at 4 months is simple: as a rule, it is bathing, washing, treating the ears and peephole, washing the head. It is important during this period to start doing gymnastics for babies.

Care and hygiene

With a 4-month-old baby, you need to do gymnastics daily (provided that he is cheerful and healthy).

Place the baby on the back:

Handles up and down, then in a circle to one side and the other.
Cross the handles and spread apart, then cross again.
Turn the baby to the left, then to the right side.
Bend and unbend the legs, make them circular movements - first with one leg, then the other, and at the end with both.

Put on your tummy:

Bend your knees, then straighten them, spread them apart and bring them together.

Gymnastics is an important thing at this age, but everything should be in moderation. The kid should not overwork. 5 minutes in the morning is enough for a 4 month old baby. During gymnastics, sing funny songs to him, read nursery rhymes, as long as he feels the rhythm. In the end, don't forget to praise the baby.

It is necessary to monitor the cleanliness and hygiene of the baby:

clean the nose and ears as needed with special cotton swabs with stops;
bathe your baby at the same time every day;
it is enough to wash your hair once a week;
after the toilet, the baby must be washed;
trim his nails once a week.

When to worry

The development of a child at 4 months does not always follow a strict template and does not always correspond to some kind of standard. All children are individual. However, the averages are exactly as described above. You can rely on them, but do not panic if your results are slightly different. You should only worry when the baby:

does not want to communicate and does not notice the people around him;
does not liven up at the sight of mom or dad;
does not imitate sounds;
does not smile or laugh;
not interested in bright toys and pictures.

In these cases, we can talk about a suspicion of a slight developmental delay, so the child should be shown to the pediatrician.

What can a 4-month-old baby do?

Develop the child's desire to imitate, especially speech. Listen carefully to the humming of the baby: highlight the favorite sound of the little son or daughter and try to repeat it during the "monologue". Join the "conversation" of the child, and after a while he will start repeating the sound already behind you. Introduce new sounds into your "conversations" (vowels must be taken first).

Mastering the coup

To help your baby learn (or exercise) to roll onto its side, place a large, brightly colored toy on the side of the crib. Move this toy further away so that the baby has to reach for it. After several attempts by the baby to reach the toy, move it towards him. Tie a bell on a ribbon to the baby's arm or leg - this will really please the child and will allow him to feel his body better.

At 4 months, the child learns to grab toys at will; the movements become clearer and more precise. The baby has "feelings", he notices the appearance and disappearance of objects, their qualities (for example, heaviness), is able to correlate various properties of objects (optical, sound, etc.).

The actions of the hands are still of a random nature, without a purposeful volitional effort. In infants, a repeated attraction of an accidentally grabbed object begins to appear, followed by feeling and examining: now the baby examines the object with its lips and tongue, can throw it in a certain place, for example, on the floor, to cause a sound.

From 4 months, the child can already lie on his stomach, lifting the body and leaning on the palms of his straightened arms. Flat foam rubber pads (1-1.5 soi) can be placed under the child's palms. For the pillow, you need to choose a set of covers from fabrics of different colors and textures (flannel, silk, oilcloth, etc.). It would be nice to sew flat buttons of various shapes to the other side of the cover.

Lying on his stomach and leaning on his forearms, the baby keeps his palms on the surface of the pad. An adult takes the child's hand by the wrist and runs the baby's palm along the surface of the pad, trying to induce groping movements.

Exercises with a ribbon and a lace are useful: when the baby lies on the back, the adult puts a smooth ribbon in his handles, and then a lace with knots. Gently pulling on one end of a ribbon or lace, an adult encourages the baby not only to grasp the object more tightly, but also to intercept it.

Offer the kid to grab objects of various shapes (soft toys, large blocks from the construction set, rings of different diameters, etc.). Such exercises develop both fine motor skills and touch.

Nursery games

Mom puts the child on a pillow, tosses it rhythmically, and then throws it off or rolls it down:

Carcasses, carcasses, sat on the pillow,
Girlfriends came
Pushed off the pillow.
I will raise my daughter (son) up a steep hill.
Boo! They rolled, fell off the hill.

The child lies on his back, the mother first bends his legs in turn, then pulls and spreads the arms:

Legs-tramples went to thresh,
Handles-rakes turn back hay.

Bent legs lead to the tummy, turn over to the side:

Pushers are stags, oops!
Flip-flops!

Pull the legs towards you:

Let's go - let's go for salt, for salt.

Mom knocks on the baby's heels to the beat of the nursery rhyme:

Strike, strike, kovalek,
Give me a boot
On a small leg
Horseshoe gold.

Mom strokes with her hand, and then with the baby's hands on the named parts of the body:

There is a forest (hair),
There is a clearing (forehead),
There is a bump (nose),
Here - the heart lives (put the child's pen and let him listen to the beating of the heart).

One Mom Theater

In order for your baby to listen to poems and fairy tales with pleasure, they must be told brightly and emotionally. You can even set up a small puppet show with the toys you have in your home. From 3-4 months, children with admiration follow the small bright animals, each of which has its own voice, timbre and rhythm. In addition, in this way, the kids learn to perceive and convey emotions, rejoicing with an elongated turnip with you, crying over a broken testicle, gagging after the runaway Kolobok ...

Scientists' studies have shown that children who were told poems from the first weeks had no problems with memorizing large volumes of rhymed rhythmized text in the future (did you suffer at school, memorizing poetry ?!). Their phonemic hearing turned out to be better developed, and a greater susceptibility to foreign languages was observed.

Your baby is already 4 months old, and you watch every day how he makes the first sounds "a" and "o", without stopping "hums", trying to pronounce the sound "m". So I want to push him to quickly hear the long-awaited "mom". In addition, the baby began to change outwardly - new hairs of a different color grow, eye color is formed, they can turn brown or green. Life is becoming more orderly, the baby has long become a member of the family, and routine work has increased significantly. At 4 months, colic torments the baby much less, and he can sleep much longer at night, without waking up, allowing his parents to rest. Sometimes babies confuse day with night and sleep 6 hours during the day, and stay awake at night.

But one thing is certain - any action expresses certain feelings, attitude to the surrounding reality. He cries and laughs, and these actions are quite meaningful. Before that, he simply attracted the attention of adults, but now the baby himself shows interest in "adult life." He may experience fear, curiosity, joy, and even frustration. For a child to develop steadily, he needs constant communication with his parents. He associates caring and caring with pleasant sensations, and when adults appear, he happily smiles, babbles, does not want to share you with anyone or anything. You need to follow him well - after all, the baby easily rolls over from the back to the tummy and vice versa.

Child development at 4 months (what he should be able to)

- Get to know the mother, or the person who is nearby and cares for him more than others.
- recognize familiar voices and distinguish them from other strangers;
- sing songs, pronounce the first syllables;
- grab toys with one or two hands;
- distinguish your name and react to it;
- lift the head together with the shoulders;
- to show emotions in the form of familiar and unfamiliar things;
- play with the breast or bottle while feeding.

Baby care at 4 months

Little kids love gymnastics, massage, bathing. Make it a rule to wash your face every morning and wipe your eyes with tampons with clean warm water. Clean the ears and nose with special tools - cotton swabs. Babies become more active, so you need to carefully trim the nails so that it is impossible to get hurt. The kid does not like to be alone, carefully observes the face of the person with him, reacts to the presence of his mother and a loved one.

If he is capricious, you can calm him down by picking him up - this is how he feels motherly warmth. In addition, mom needs to prepare mentally - at the age of four months, the first teeth begin to appear. It is necessary to purchase and give the child silicone rings so that the gums are massaged and kneaded. A lot of saliva is discharged, even a rash on the chin may appear. To prevent diaper rash and irritation, leave your baby in contact with the air for a while with open bottom and legs.

How to care for a baby while using diapers

When changing the diaper, wash the baby with running water each time, or wipe it with special antiseptic wet wipes (they can be used only when there is no way to wash it). When changing diapers, leave your baby undressed for 15-20 minutes. It is advisable to alternate diapers with gauze diapers. Diaper rash and skin irritation occurs when the child is hot (room temperature 24-25 ° C). In the summer, in the heat, it is better not to use diapers at all, or only at night.

But you should not completely abandon them, because according to numerous studies, these deviations also occur with ordinary gauze diapers. Do not use small diapers. Wash clothes only with special baby soap or powder, make sure that knots and seams do not press on the baby's delicate body. If diaper rash is nevertheless formed, you can rinse these places with decoctions of herbs, or make baths. Chamomile, oak bark, sage, bay leaves, eucalyptus are suitable. Make sure you don't have any allergic reactions to herbs.

Baby food at 4 months

At the 4th month of life, most of the crumbs are still breastfed, no fundamental changes occur, with the exception of the introduction of the first complementary foods. Babies who are artificially fed also continue to eat adapted formulas. As a complementary food, you can already try to give your baby fruit puree (25-30 grams) and juices (25-30 grams). Complementary foods are given half an hour before feeding, preferably in the first half of the day. Water is given only in cases where there is frequent constipation.

It is better to give breastfeeding to the baby on demand, in total 6 feedings are obtained. The most resistant ones survive 3.5-4 hours between feedings, and at night up to 6 hours. With a good weight gain, this is enough, but if the baby often asks for breast and cries, he may not have enough milk. Talk to your pediatrician for advice on the right mixture. In a day, the baby should receive food 1/7 of the weight of the child, up to 1 liter of milk or mixtures.

Child's day regimen at 4 months

Walking

Regardless of whether the child is asleep or awake, it is necessary to walk with him in the fresh air for a large amount of time. In the warm season, you can be outdoors almost all day. In winter, the temperature limit is 10-15 degrees below zero. You should not go out for a walk in a sharp cold wind and rain - it is better to limit yourself to a loggia or a balcony or a veranda.

Gaps between sleep

On average, at 4 months, the baby sleeps 11-12 hours. At night, the baby can wake up for various reasons - because of the urge to urinate, wet diapers, just getting hungry, or because of pain or discomfort. Doctors note that if the baby is fed at night, the mother produces milk better. During the day, the baby sleeps 2-3 times for 2-3 hours.

Classes with a child at 4 months (how to develop)

Even if the baby does not speak more words, he gradually learns the language, so you need to constantly talk to him, read books to him, especially paying attention to the emotional connection. It is not for nothing that scientists note the increased ability of children to learn foreign languages. If you constantly talk to your baby at the age of 4-6 months, later it will be easier for him to learn. You need to look closely at the child when you tell him about the surrounding objects, about the events of the past day, plans. The kid can imitate you, and this desire can be developed by repeating sounds during his child's monologue.

Join his conversation more often, and he will also repeat sounds after you. Introduce new sounds, vowels first. With the help of toys, you can arrange a real puppet theater. Toddlers love to follow brightly colored animals with specific voices. They learn to convey and perceive emotions. Tell your kid poems - so he will learn to memorize texts when studying at school. Exercise of the past months can be intensified - spread the arms to the sides and cross over the chest. Turn the legs so that the pelvis turns slightly to the side. The baby's head and shoulders will also rotate. Turn the baby over onto its tummy.

Games and toys for babies at 4 months old (how to entertain)

A four-month-old baby responds well to the sound of a rubber buzzer. Now he himself tries to squeeze toys in order to get sound.

1. Choose soft toys so that the baby will enjoy the result when the toy is lightly squeezed.
2. The development of tactile sensations is very important for the baby. Give him different fabrics in his hands - for example, fastened patches of velveteen, velvet or velor, or small pads with buttons sewn on them.
3. Connect the ribbon with the lace with knots, and put it in the baby's hand, pull a little so that the baby can feel the difference. Play with your toddler so that he can grab objects and intercept ribbons.
4. Use bathing for educational games with your child. But remember that at 4 months old it is a soothing ritual that should help your baby fall asleep. Let the baby in the water reach for bright toys, floating multi-colored sponges.

Medical supervision at 4 months

Once a month, you have to visit a pediatrician at the clinic for an examination on a "baby" day, in addition, the second vaccination against diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus and poliomyelitis has come. The vaccine can be administered in a complex manner, only vaccination against poliomyelitis with inactivated vaccine (IPV) is carried out separately. By the end of the fourth month, the child should perform some of the operations on his own.

Watch him, and if he, for example, lying on his stomach, does not raise his torso or does not lean on his legs when he is held upright, be sure to inform the pediatrician about this. It should also alert if the baby does not smile, does not like being played with, bows his head when he is raised. It is not superfluous to visit an ophthalmologist to prevent the development of visual impairments. Also, consult a pediatrician if the baby has frequent diaper rash with artificial feeding, it may be necessary to change the type of formula.

A small child tries to drag everything into his mouth for a test, and this is easily explained. There are 1,000 times more taste buds on a baby's tongue than a one-year-old baby. Up to the age of one year, babies taste most of the objects. It is normal when they constantly pull toys into their mouths, the main thing is to carefully monitor the cleanliness, and also so that it is impossible to get hurt by sharp corners or small parts.

Some mothers, trying to get ahead of events, try to put the baby in pillows, even before he gets stronger himself. Pediatricians and orthopedists are unanimously negative about this, urging parents to wait until the baby does it himself. Otherwise, the fragile spine can bend, which will bring a lot of problems in the future. Update toys often, but do not put them away altogether - babies love familiar things. Just swap toys, buy bright items.

The baby also begins to rejoice at his reflection in the mirror, some even attach a small mirror so that he can catch his own eye. Although the little one loves to look at faces, this joy extends to those who give him a lot of attention. Take your time to throw numerous parties - the baby will definitely fall in love with all your friends, but a little later, and that's okay.

4 month of a child's life

At this age, the kid's favorite toy is himself. The baby tirelessly tries to understand who he is, where he is and how he feels. He likes to touch his face, feel his nose, mouth, hair with his fingers. TO 4 months many children can already connect both hands together and alternately play each of them.

An important feature of this period is the intense development of emotions. At the sight of a mother, the baby expresses his joy not only with a smile - for the first time, parents hear him laugh. The child becomes more sociable, so try to take him with you everywhere in the apartment. To do this, you can use a portable sun lounger or stroller.

Now the baby explores the world around him through direct interaction with him. Let your son or daughter “help” you with household chores, attend lunches or dinners, “participate” in conversations. The crumb no longer waits passively when they talk to him or smile at him. He looks for faces himself, then smiles, babbles and makes us smile back.

Learning to understand each other

TO 4 month old baby contacts with people around are established. The little man is ready to smile at everyone, but the most joyful smiles are for parents. He reacts to their attention, enjoys games and conversations, actively gives voice and babbles. All these are signs of desire and readiness for communication.

It is a mistake to believe that the child does not understand the speech addressed to him. He draws all the "necessary" information in your intonations. In response to the words addressed to him, the baby begins to "walk" and smile. From the outside it is sometimes even difficult to understand who - an adult or a kid - is more active. As a result, a closer bond is established between the child and the parents than ever before. During this period, a very rapid development of speech skills occurs. The kid spends a lot of time training his new abilities.

By the end 4 months in speech baby it is easy to distinguish between vowels and consonants, among which the most common are the rough "m", "b", "p". Their appearance in the active speech of the baby is one of the first not by chance: due to the fact that the baby sucks the mother's breast, he already has well-developed muscles of the lips, thanks to the work of which we subsequently enjoy the first "ma-ma-ma". Now it becomes obvious why in different languages the word "mother" has almost the same sound.

And although "talking" is an important incentive in child development, this is far from the only way to communicate with him. Both adults and children have access to the language of facial expressions, gestures, and various actions. For example, a toddler may show his unwillingness to go to bed with his whole appearance.

It has already been said that you should not be afraid to "spoil" the baby, constantly rocking him in your arms. There is no need to worry about this now, but a three-month-old man needs help to learn how to fall asleep on his own. Show imagination and patience. To make the bedtime ritual pleasant and understandable for the child. When placing your baby in the crib, be calm, cheerful and confident, try to talk and smile.

Motor skills of a 4 month old baby

Baby 4 months often referred to as the "grip" - his skills in using his hands become more perfect. He begins to feel, take, throw objects, tries to reach the toy lying next to him. Most babies in their fourth month of life are able to reach out and hit the harness attached to the crib.

Their actions are carried out in a certain sequence: the child hits the suspension, freezes, looking at the result of his action, cries out animatedly, and then resumes the blows with increasing force. In the baby's desire to see something new, unusual, his ability to behave more consciously and purposefully is manifested.

In terms of the level of development of motor skills, children of this age differ markedly from each other. Someone can already roll over from stomach to back, while some babies are still limited in their movements. But you should not rush things and try to teach the child what he has not yet matured in his development. Stubbornly train only what the baby can do: turn his head, stand up, lying on his stomach and leaning on his forearms, straighten his legs.

I see, I hear, I feel ...

In addition to the interest in his own hands, the kid's interest in the objects that have fallen into them noticeably increases. Now he is able to hold the object in his hands longer and study it carefully. If you put a rattle in your baby's hand, he will first examine it, and then bring it to his mouth. When you hold an object in front of your baby, he tries to grab the object with both hands.

The infant exhibits the ability to anticipate events that are about to occur. For example, when he sees his mother's breast, he immediately becomes silent. Obviously, a connection is established in the child's mind, based on a definite stereotype. The chest he looks at is not just a visual image, but what should be in his mouth and satisfy the feeling of hunger.

Along with the fact that the child begins to realize the functions of the surrounding objects, he acquires the ability to respond to their disappearance. The kid will follow the moving rattle and gaze intently at the place where he last saw it. The little one is trying to restore the trajectory of the rattle's movement in memory, but still does not understand that it is impossible to bring it back with the help of a glance.

At the same time, a strong connection is established in the child's mind between what he saw and what he heard. He turns his head at the sound of his mother's voice. His attention is drawn to the ringing of the rattle, and the baby can turn almost completely to see it. The list of favorite pastimes is headed by musical toys, radio, tape recordings and even the beat of a metronome. The child will turn to any source of noise.

The baby's fists are almost completely unclenched, and he begins to actively explore objects with his hands. To prolong the pleasant sensation, your child will rub his thumb over the edge of the soft blanket where his palms slide. Now the baby is not passively enjoying it. And he himself is actively looking for new pleasant sensations.

Activities with a child of 4 months

Talk to your son or daughter using every opportunity. When telling something, change intonation, speak loudly and in a low voice, quickly and slowly, laughing or, conversely, calming the baby. When it's his turn to “say” something, wait for him to finish the “phrase” and then repeat his “speech”. The more often you talk to your child, the more he will "talk" to you. Try to call him by name. Singing a song or reading a rhyme, replace the words "baby, baby" with the name of the child.

The baby likes to listen to music, especially rhythmic ones. Let him listen to a melody where there is a clear rhythm. Try clapping your hands to the beat of the music, or do it with wooden spoons or a tambourine. Listen to music fast and slow, loud and quiet. After a while, the child will learn to notice changes in rhythm.

Put on your favorite child a cuff with a bell sewn on on the wrist, and gently shake the child's hand so that he looks at it and sees the bell. Then slide this cuff over your other arm and shake it again, this time a little harder. This exercise will help your little one to get to know their body parts better and develop eye-hand coordination.

To make the baby more likely to utter various sounds, sing to him songs in which any sound dominates. If you do not know such people, use A, Usachev's “Zvukarik” and transfer the short rhymes from this book to any melody. Learn a few songs that end in unexpected ways, and sing them to little ones. After listening to the song several times, he will know that a surprise awaits him at the end. One of these songs is the game song "We Rode, We Rode ..."

Continue to introduce your little one to the different types of surfaces. Make a pair of cloth gloves using a different type of cloth for each finger. Put gloves on your hands and have your son or daughter touch every finger.

Physical development of the child

Now the child seeks to use his physical capabilities as much as possible, so he especially likes to hit with his hands and feet on a variety of objects. Attach a pendant with toys to the crib, which, after hitting them, begin to ring or swing and rotate. Arrange your baby so that he can reach the toys first with his hands and then with his feet.

Take your child by the arms and gently pull towards you, so that he lifts the torso, and then gently lay back. This exercise strengthens your abdominal muscles and at the same time gives you the opportunity to see the world around you in a new way. To make your baby crawl faster, place him on his stomach on a hard surface. Stand in the back and place your palms on the baby's feet. It will be comfortable for him to crawl, pushing off with his feet from your hands.

Between 3 and 4 month majority children begin to roll over. First, they usually roll from belly to back, then from back to side, and finally from back to belly. Help your little one develop these new skills. Place your hand under your baby's shoulders and gently rock him from side to side. When the child is lying on his side, shaking him, give him a slight push and let him try to roll over himself.

In this article:

Already at the stage of planning children, future mothers study the vastness of the Internet. They are looking for any information, from the course of pregnancy by weeks, to the development of a baby up to a year. And I must say that they are not doing it in vain. A lot in the physical and psychological development of a child depends precisely on the mother's skills and knowledge. That is why we will consider in this article how the development of a 4 month old baby occurs.

Let's start with psychological development

When a child enters the second “quarter” of his life, an emotional connection with his mother becomes very important for him. If up to 3 months the child did not care what state you were in, if only they were fed and washed, then with the onset of 4 months everything changes.

During this period, the so-called "security barrier" is formed. In other words, a 4 month old newborn starts copying you like a mirror. He turns his attention to your reaction to his actions and begins to understand what is good and what is bad.

So, if he smiles and plays with toys and in return receives a smile from you or words that are incomprehensible to him so far with a pleasant intonation and a satisfied expression on his face, then the understanding that he is doing something good is deposited in the child's head. And if, in response to his smile, you stand with a stone face, then he does not understand whether he is doing the right thing or not. With such an attitude, the baby has a psychological breakdown.

With an adequate response to certain actions of the child, you form a safety barrier for him. This means that while exploring something new, the baby will initially look at you. Only after your reaction to his actions will he either continue what he started or stop doing it.

If you miss the moment of the beginning of his psychological development, then the baby will form a fear of everything unknown. He will play calmly in the arena, for example, because the comfort zone is so limited.
It is very important to spend a lot of time with your child and study with him. Indeed, at this stage, the foundations of his psychological perception of the world are laid. If time is lost, you will not be able to make up for it.

Physical development fundamentals

Starting from the first month of life, each mother monitors the development of her baby. He is looking forward to when he will be able to do something else new. Starting from the fourth month, there will be many more such discoveries.

First, at this stage of his life, the child begins to confidently hold his head. Although vigilant parents will still hold her. He will be able to more confidently examine the world around him.

Secondly, at this age, the baby begins to independently turn on the tummy and back on the back. This means that you can no longer leave him unattended on the bed, otherwise there is a great risk of falling. At this age, for his safety, it is better to put the child on the floor.

Thirdly, some babies begin to crawl on their bellies, which also increases the risk of falling. You can already let the child "stand" for a couple of minutes, holding him by the armpits. His legs and arms are getting stronger and more stable every day, so such exercises will not harm him.

Also, with the appropriate approach, the baby's fine motor skills develop. He begins to grab the toy, transfer it from hand to hand. At this stage, it is important to do gymnastic exercises so that in the future your baby does not stand on his toes, but steps on his full foot.

Your little one's skills and abilities

At 4 months old, the baby begins to intensively study the world around him. Therefore, he just needs to rise on his stomach and turn his head. It is the knowledge of the unknown that pushes him towards accelerated development. Previously, lying on his back, he could only see the ceiling, while growing up new opportunities opened up for him, which cannot but please him.

By the age of 4 months, the baby's eyesight is finally formed, so he looks with interest at the bright details of the interior or toys. If you hang a bright toy over the bed, then it is quite possible to divert his attention for 15-20 minutes.

Also, the baby begins to respond to music. If, while listening to a cheerful melody, you sing or dance with him in your arms, then in the future he will begin to independently perform these actions. And this raises his spirits, because as we said above, the baby copies you. At the end of the fourth month, babies are already trying to make independent sounds in the form of syllables.

The tactile perception of the baby is very important. Now he learns everything new through his mouth. It doesn't matter what you gave him, he will taste it anyway. This will continue for a very long time, so it is important at this stage to try to remove objects that cannot be taken into your mouth.

Games for this age

Educational games are a very important stage in the development of a baby. The speed of its development depends on how you work with it. For the development of speech, use the game "Repeats". This is a very simple game based on repeating sounds after your baby.

Try to draw the words better, emphasizing the vowels, highlighting them. To begin with, you can attract his attention with a toy, and then talk about each action performed with it. The kid will start humming back to you. Here your task is to repeat the sound after the baby, but more correctly and stretched. So if he says "agu", you have to stretch the word to "aguuuuu". Such exercises should be done for 3-4 minutes.

Playing with toys

For the initial development of fine motor skills, multi-colored small-diameter rings are well suited. For better perception, you can tie bells to them.

First, show the toy to your toddler and shake it to get him interested. After that, put the ring into the handle of the crumbs and clamp the cam. You can shake this handle so that the bells ring, and he becomes interested. Watch his reaction. The kid should try to shake the pen on their own to get the sound.

Then the same rings can be tied over the crib at arm's length of the child. At this age, kids are very inquisitive, so he will definitely make an attempt to reach for the toy with a pen. After such exercises, you can tease the baby by bringing the toy to him and putting it back. Thus, you will get him to want to reach for the toy and grab it.

The baby should be taught to different types of figures. To do this, put him on his tummy and lay out toys of different colors and shapes in front of him. Getting closer to toys, he will form the ability to grab various objects.

What and how to develop

At 4 months of age, you should actively engage in the development of hearing. For this, various rustlers, rattles or musical toys are suitable. Pick up a sounding object and make a sound with it. As soon as the baby turns his head towards the sound and focuses on it, move the toy to another corner and tinkle there. In this case, your baby should follow the movement of the toy with a glance.

When doing gymnastics to the baby, talk to him with nursery rhymes. Be sure to accompany your words with actions.

Depict everything you say, for example:

Wall, wall (while touching the baby's cheeks alternately)
Ceiling (touch the forehead)
Two steps (fingering sponges)
And the bell (pressing lightly on the nose).

These exercises will appeal to your little one. When doing exercises for arms and legs, tell and show a rhyme about them. So your baby will sooner begin to understand where and what he has.

Teach him to roll over

To develop this skill, tumbler toys are suitable. First, show him the toy and get him interested. Then place it on the side of the child and swing it. The sound released by the tumbler will certainly attract the attention of the crumbs, and he will try to discern where the source of the sound is. You can slightly nudge it towards the flip by lifting the edge of the diaper slightly.

Doing these exercises several times a day, very soon you will accustom your baby to independent coups.

Formation of the daily routine

For the previous 3 months of life, your child has already formed a certain daily routine. You should not change it, you can only adjust it based on age. Compliance with the 4 month old baby regimen is very important. You will still feed your baby at least 6 times a day, every 3-4 hours. Or on demand, if initially you are used to it that way.

Sleep patterns in children are different, but you should still be limited to a certain time frame. To lay down for a night's sleep, best of all at 9-10 pm. Thus, he will finally wake up at 6-7 in the morning. This will be useful in the summer. Waking up at 7 in the morning, you can slowly feed him, wash him, dress him and go for a walk while the sun is not so hot.

Since he is still very small, he will sleep on average 3 times during the day. The time intervals for such sleep will be 1-1.5 hours of sleep, between 3-4 hours of wakefulness. On average, sleep should take 14 hours a day.

Walking at this age should be at least 2 hours. It is better to share this time and walk for 1 hour in the morning and 1 hour in the afternoon. Most often, during walks, the child will sleep, but be prepared for the fact that he may wake up unexpectedly and then you will have to entertain him.

Before going to bed, be sure to bathe your baby. In the first 3 months, he already gets used to water procedures and in the fourth month he already begins to enjoy bathing. Using circles and toys for this, you will greatly cheer up your baby.