What should a baby say at 8 months. Getting to know your own body. Sleep and wakefulness rates

At each stage of a baby's growth, it is necessary to pay great attention to his development. Eight months of age is exactly the period when you can start developing a child creatively, engage in mastering new speech skills, pay attention to physical and physical activity. What games to play with a child at this age? What toys should an 8 month old baby buy?

How does a baby develop at 8 months

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At this age, children become very active and curious. Most already know how to crawl, and some even stand on their feet. The kid is interested in everything! He is happy to master the new spaces of the apartment, trying to crawl out of the cozy nursery into the corridor, to get into the living room or the bedroom of his parents. The child loves outdoor games, claps his hands. Standing at the support, the child stomps his foot, loves music, tries to dance while sitting or standing.

Vision

The vision of an 8 month old baby becomes clear and meaningful. He already finds familiar objects with his eyes and rejoices in people he knows. Your toddler may be intimidated and uncomfortable with strangers.

Hearing

Most children at this age begin to be afraid of loud sounds. This can be easily identified by how the baby reacts to screams, rumblings, or sirens. He cries and tries to snuggle up to his mother. But on the other hand, the baby perceives pleasant rhythmic music, children's songs, rhymes, and jokes with pleasure and rejoices when he hears them.

Any games and activities must be selected based on those skills and abilities that are inherent in the age of the baby. You should not overload the crumbs with too difficult tasks, but you also don’t need to play with him, like with a three-month-old child.

Speech

At the age of 8 months, speech begins to form. Of course, the child does not speak yet, but begins to actively use different sounds, with which he is trying to communicate something to the parents or accompanies the game with them. Speech skills must be encouraged and developed.

Emotional development

Emotions at the age of 8 months become more varied. Of course, most of all the emotional activity of the child is associated with the mother. The kid is happy and calm when she is near and cries and worries when she is not in sight. Also, new emotional outbursts can be associated with the emergence of new people, toys, a change in environment. It is very important to make sure that the general emotional background in the family is calm and benevolent, and that no negative impact could be exerted on the baby.

How to learn to understand a child

In the selection of games and activities, it is very important that they are the joy of the child. The kid should not get tired and overexerted from excessive loads. Parents, working with a child, should control the degree of stress and understand in time when the baby starts to get tired.

If a crumb throws toys on the floor, this does not mean that he is naughty and misbehaves. In most cases, this behavior is an invitation to adults to play together.

It is necessary to supervise the child. At this age, the baby pronounces many sounds for a reason, but tries to designate some object or emotion with them.

It is important to monitor your child's facial expressions and motor skills. If he is tired, then it will be clearly visible. In the movements, uncertainty and lethargy appear, the face becomes unhappy, the child does not smile, whining or crying begins.

When the child enjoys classes, it is also easy to understand. He is happy and very diligently performs certain actions.

When and how much to deal with an 8-month-old baby

By the eighth month of life, a certain regime is formed, which the mother and baby adhere to. Even if there is no clear time frame, you can still trace a certain orderliness of the course of the day. Getting up and down, feeding, naps - all of this happens at about the same time.

Time for play and activities should be chosen so that it does not fall on the evening before putting the baby to bed. Active activities can make it difficult for the baby to pack. It is best to choose the daytime or morning hours, when the child is cheerful, vigorous, well-fed and healthy. It is in this state that new knowledge is best absorbed and skills are formed.

The training sessions should not be too long. Enough 10-15 minutes several times a day. An exception can be made if the child really likes to study, and the mother sees that he is not tired.

Ordinary games with mom or dad can take longer, there are no restrictions, you need to look at the child's behavior. If he likes to play, he is not tired and laughs cheerfully, then you can continue as long as you like.

How to create a supportive classroom environment

Activities and games should be fun. The atmosphere plays an important role. To create the mood you want, you can use the following techniques:

  • Include pleasant background music (this can be classics, children's songs, or just the child's favorite songs, perhaps he likes something from the adult repertoire).
  • Provide good lighting (you can move the table for classes and games to the window or turn on the light in the room).
  • If there is a children's projector (for example, "starry sky" or something like that), you can turn it on, making the game truly magical.
  • Put your baby's favorite toys next to it.


Any lesson should be carried out in a light playful manner. There is no need to teach the child, treat him harshly, or demand that he sit and listen motionless. It is worth remembering that this is just an 8 month old baby!

How to keep an 8 month old baby busy?

Children of this age are very fond of tactile games - "okay", the massage therapist "The train rode" and many others. You can also practice body parts with your child by naming them and accompanying words with stroking, kissing or light tickling. Kids are delighted with such activities. In addition, such games with mom contribute to the formation of a healthy psyche and sustainable emotional development.

Also, tactile activities include learning the greetings "hello", "goodbye." You can teach your child to wave a pen in greeting and goodbye, or to shake hands, just like dad.

Walkers help develop motor activity. Not all pediatric doctors recommend their use. But, nevertheless, a child who has experience of walking in a walker begins to walk on his own much faster and is not afraid to let go of his mother's palm when walking. Before buying a walker, parents should consult with a doctor and weigh all the pros and cons of this device.


In no case should you leave your baby alone while using the walker.

It is also helpful to use large, large toys such as a bright ball to stimulate motor skills. You can show it to the baby, put it in the other end of the room, and the baby will crawl to get it. This can be done as many times as the child is interested in.

Creative development can start with drawing. To do this, you can purchase an album and wax crayons. Plain colored pencils will not work. They are thin, and it is difficult for a child at the age of 8 months to hold them in his hand, so pencils or crayons should be chosen as thick as possible. You should not try to control the child's hand, let him draw himself.

You can perfectly diversify the bathing of the child with all kinds of games. There are many toys now on sale that can be used in the bathroom. These are rubber animals, bright waterproof books, special markers for drawing on the bathroom and the body, which are easy to wash off. All this can be actively used while swimming. You can accompany the game with songs and rhymes.

Children of this age love to look at bright books. Pictures are good to accompany with poems or songs. It is imperative to show the baby the picture and say several times what is shown on it.


With the help of such games, the child learns to distinguish color, shape, to distinguish a large object from a small one, the accuracy of movements and motor skills develops

It is good to use educational toys - pyramid, sorter, cubes. You need to be patient. The crumbs will not be able to play with such toys right away. Perhaps he will not be very interested in them, but he must offer them every day, patiently show how to assemble a tower of cubes and a pyramid.

What toys to buy for an 8 month old baby?

When buying toys for children of this age, you should give preference to high-quality non-toxic materials, strength, bright colors, large parts that cannot be swallowed.

The following toys will come in handy in games and development:

  • A bright ball, large, but of such a size that the baby can hold it in his hands.
  • The pyramid.
  • Sorting toy.
  • Drum.
  • A whirligig or a spinning top is large enough.
  • Inflatable and rubber bath toys.
  • Large size cardboard books for children with bright illustrations.
  • Large bright cubes.
  • Sketchbook and crayons for drawing.

Don't buy a lot of toys. This distracts attention and makes it harder for the child to learn. For an eight-month-old baby, this set will be quite enough. After all, the main thing in games and activities at this age is not toys, but constant communication with mom. Talk to children, communicate, play, try to teach something, and the result will not be long in coming.

Children in the eighth month of life are distinguished by curiosity and are very active in learning about the world around them. It is during this period that they learn to feel safe and anxious, begin to speak and prepare for the next step after sitting - walking. If the development of a child at 8 months is normal, then this further helps him to keep up with his peers.

However, the presence of any deviations should alert parents and lead to visiting the consultations of an appropriate specialist. Why is the age of 8 months so remarkable, and what are the norms for the development of children during this period?

Your baby is actively growing, both in breadth and in height. According to the norms, which are fixed by the WHO, the weight of boys can range from 6.9 kg to 10.7 kg, and the weight of girls - from 6.3 kg to 10.2 kg. As for height, for boys it can range from 66.8 cm to 73.1 cm, and for girls - from 66 cm to 72.5 cm.At the same time, the head circumference increases (by about 5 cm) and also expands rib cage. After all, the child's internal organs are also growing, and they already need much more space for a comfortable and functional placement.

If for some reason your child does not hold up in height or greatly exaggerates the specified norms in size, you should not panic. First, consult your pediatrician. Perhaps the reason is heredity (both or one of the parents is short or, conversely, very tall). More important here is the weight indicator. If it is less than the norm, it means that the child is undernourished, which can lead to a lag in the growth of all organs and to a slowdown in development. When the weight exceeds the specified norm, it means that you are overfeeding the child, which can also lead to a deterioration in his health.

At the 8th month, the baby is able to please parents with the presence of 4-6 teeth. Most often these are the central anterior and lower incisors. But if other teeth have come out, then you should not be upset. The development of the child takes place individually, and deviations in the order of the growth of the teeth are not a pathology. Missing teeth shouldn't be a problem for you either. At this age, they can still linger and still not erupt.

A child can sleep up to 15 hours a day, and there is every 4 hours. From the middle of the 8th month, you can no longer grind the food for complementary foods so much, gradually accustoming the baby to chewing. Pediatricians and dentists agree that it is very beneficial as it helps to strengthen the gums and teeth. In addition, it will help prepare your baby for the transition to an adult table.

What should a child be able to do?

  1. At the age of 8 months, the baby is already able to sit down on his own, and also go back from a sitting position.
  2. Another important skill is the ability to roll over in any position. The child can do this, trying to get the object of interest to him.
  3. A child of this age already knows how to stand on his legs, holding onto something with his hands (bed rail, large toy). He tries to take steps, moving sideways.
  4. The kid is interested, and he can play the simplest games ("okay", "cuckoo"), waves his hand goodbye.
  5. Many children are already actively crawling, exploring the surrounding space and trying to get to the most interesting, in his opinion, objects.
  6. The child has developed the ability to grasp objects with the "tweezers" method, that is, with the help of two fingers.
  7. With the help of one cube, the baby tries to move the other and observes its behavior. If the second cube falls, then he tries to pick it up and put it in place.
  8. The child is able to understand what kind of object or object is being discussed and, if necessary, easily points at it with a finger.
  9. He manages to use cutlery (spoon, cup), he eats food in small pieces.
  10. The child is able to pull the sock off the leg.
  11. The period of babbling begins, when the child begins to speak individual syllables, trying to combine them into words ("ma-ma", "la-la").

Mental development

At the age of 8 months, the child learns to better understand adult speech. At the same time, he already knows how to fulfill simple requests: take a toy, give a ball. This is also the period when the child begins to speak.

It was at this time that many parents note an increase in affection for the mother. There is nothing wrong with that. In no case should a child be denied protection and close proximity to the mother, arguing that he will grow up to be "mama's".

Indeed, at this time, the child already clearly understands where the mother is, “his own”, and where is the “stranger,” strangers. Fear of strangers may appear. And in such situations, the child will seek protection from the mother or someone close. Do not deny the baby this, because for the normal further knowledge of the world, he should first clearly feel the boundaries of the comfort and safety zone. And only after that he can fearlessly go to study the surrounding reality.

An eight-month-old child actively responds to loud sounds. Therefore, you may notice how frightened he is by a hairdryer or vacuum cleaner. You may also notice that your baby has learned not only to grasp, touch and feel objects, but also tries to stroke them with his finger or palm.

If a child is interested in an object, then he points to him and asks one of the parents to bring himself to him. Anything that opens - a refrigerator, a window, a bedside table - can become such interesting objects.

When a child is shown his reflection in a mirror, he smiles at him. At this age, the child already understands when something is forbidden to him and may show resentment at the strict tone addressed to him.

With the help of the eyes, the child learns to recognize objects from different angles. Now he recognizes his favorite toy, both from above and from the side. He develops an understanding of the properties of different things, so he happily rolls a ball on the floor, tears paper into pieces or pulls a hanging rope.

Now your child can concentrate on an interesting activity for 10 minutes. And even if you interrupt him for a while, he will remember the game and may want to return to it.

The child learns to achieve his goal and emotionally reacts to good luck or failure, may be upset about this. Therefore, do not forget to praise the baby more often, even for the smallest achievements.

The kid becomes a real manipulator, testing the parents for endurance. Here you need to learn to find the "golden mean" so as not to suppress his interest in knowledge and at the same time maintain your authority.

The baby will also strive to establish contact with others, which may be manifested in his interest in other children, a desire to touch them or smile at them.

How to play and practice with the child?

The peculiarity of the development of children under one year is that even a difference of one month is visible to the naked eye. And what can we say when comparing the development of a child at 2 months and at 8 months. Therefore, the way you communicate with your baby, play and contribute to his development should also be different. What should you pay attention to when working with a child at 8 months old?

Active movements require a lot of space. Therefore, organize a large playing field for your little one.

In an effort to improve his coordination, you can create an obstacle course for the child. Make a tunnel out of boxes, put on a mountain of pillows, make a slide that descends from the couch, organize a maze of large toys. Overcoming these obstacles will develop the baby's ability to sense and control his body in space. He will also learn to correctly estimate the size of objects.

To strengthen the muscles in your arms, neck, and back, teach your child to play the cart. Let it be an object with hands instead of wheels. Even for a short movement on your hands and forward crawling, be sure to praise the child. Then you can master the movement back.

The next game that will interest a baby at 8 months is "Come on, destroy the tower." Use large but lightweight plastic or rag cubes to play. First, build a structure out of them, which then invite the kid to destroy. Children usually do this with great delight. After that, praise the kid, saying what a strong and invincible hero he is, capable of destroying the tower. Experiment with height. Build towers as tall as a child, taller, or shorter. Let him also learn to understand high-low.

Such children are very fond of toys with light and sound effects. Pressing a key or button, after which something happens, causes them delight and joy. When showing a new toy, first invite your child to guess for themselves what and how to do. When he understands and performs the necessary manipulations, be sure to praise the kid for his quick wits.

Also at this age, children are very fond of rhythmic music. Show them that they can make these sounds too. Offer your baby a wooden spoon and place several objects with different surfaces in front of him. Turn on the music and show how you can drum with a spoon so that you get a new sound every time.

With such children, it is necessary to develop the vocal apparatus. For this, it is necessary to talk to the child as much as possible, telling everything and about everything. Even the simplest things that are commonplace for you will be a real discovery for him. When the baby pays attention to any sound, be sure to explain to him where it comes from, or who makes it. Show him that the world is made of sounds, and he will certainly want to become a part of it.

On the street, invite your baby to look at the leaves, touch the grass, flowers and the ground. Tactile sensations will make the world even more interesting and intriguing for him.

Parents' task

Your baby has reached the age when he needs to overcome the fear of the world around him in order to know it. Parents play an important role in this process. You are the support and protection of the child during this period, so never push away or scold the baby if something frightened him. Is the child afraid? Hug him, caress him, say a kind word to make him feel safe. After that, he will again return to the knowledge of the world and everything that exists in it.

In no case leave such a baby with strangers. Right now, he manifests a fear of the "alien" and "unknown".

During this period, the child can part with the mother with particular difficulty, constantly demanding her presence. This should not be ignored, but you just need to wait out this time. As he grows older, he will regain self-confidence and will explore the world with even greater enthusiasm.

During this period, you can try to potty train your child. However, do not insist too much. If the child strongly protests, then postpone this acquaintance for a few weeks and then return to him again.

Baby 8 months

Our congratulations! The baby is 8 months old! An eight-month-old baby is already a very nimble and agile toddler, which will not give mom and dad a moment's rest. He crawls to his mother in the kitchen from the room, encourages dad to communicate and babble happily, telling his family some story of his.

The funny kid crawls actively, turns from side to side and has a tenacious grip: he freely takes toys in the handles and shifts them from place to place. He can spend quite a long time opening and closing the lid on the box, folding and unfolding cups one into the other, and even “reading” books, looking at vivid drawings.

Often, at 8 months, the character of the child changes noticeably: he begins to show stubbornness, be capricious and react with loud crying to the ban. This is the time when mom and dad have to control themselves and their attitude towards the child, calm down emotions and practice educational methods.

The baby's games become even more varied and interesting, he happily claps his hands and stomps his feet, shakes his head, and waving his palm to his friends at the mother's request.

Height and weight of the baby at 8 months

During the eighth month, the rate of weight gain will decrease slightly. Experts explain the slowdown in growth and weight gain by the fact that from this time on, the body's main task upon reaching muscle mass is the formation of physical skills.

So, in 8 months the baby will pick up about 500 g. At the same time, the growth rates remain the same - plus 2 cm on average. That is, at the end of the month, the child's height and weight will reach 70-72 cm and 8500-9000 g, respectively. If boys are characterized by higher rates, girls can be smaller, reaching 69-70 cm in height with a weight of 7900-8500 g.

Day regimen of the child at 8 months

Compliance with the regime for an 8-month-old baby is still important: the baby is fed at a certain time, the baby sleeps a couple of times during the day, the main one - night sleep - remains the longest and strongest.

The child's diet remains the same: he eats the baby 5 times a day, approximately every four hours. After feedings, the time for wakefulness and activity comes: the little one plays, communicates with parents, crawls around the room. In the morning, during the waking period, you should allocate time for gymnastics and massage. You should work with your child for 7-10 minutes, preferably combining classes with taking air baths.

Usually, at eight months, children are already weaned from night feedings - the baby sleeps all 9-11 hours at night. But during the day, the toddler usually switches to a 2-time sleep regimen, falling asleep twice a day and staying in a state of sleep for 2-2.5 hours. It is very important not to wake the child up ahead of time and always put him to rest, no matter what: a baby who has not slept becomes moody and whiny, is in a state of overexcitation or, conversely, lethargy. Throughout the day, again, you need to walk with the little one - no less 2 times for 2-2.5 hours. It's good if the baby sleeps while walking, fresh air is the best way to promote normal sleep.

In the evening, for babies 8 months old, traditional bathing is provided before going to bed. At this age, babies get real pleasure from bathing - they splash water, clap their palms on the surface of the water, play with enthusiasm with rubber or plastic toys. You should know that now the child is sensitive to sounds, so it is important not to scare him in the bathroom: you should not open the drain of water, which not only makes noise, but also rapidly disappears in the drain, which can be scary for the child.

How much does a baby eat at 8 months

In general, a baby of 8 months eats about 1 liter of food per day (water for drinking is not taken into account). Taking into account that the diet for eight-month-old babies is provided for five times a day, you can calculate: at one time the child consumes about 200 g of food.

Provided that the mother is still producing milk, the main product for the baby is just mother's milk. Traditionally, the baby is breastfed in the morning and evening (after waking up and before bedtime). In the case when the baby is transferred to artificial feeding, the diet is often used, which provides for one-time feeding with a mixture and the rest of the time with complementary foods.

At the same time, a child's diet already contains a lot of products - fruit and vegetable purees, cereals, juices, egg yolk and even meat. If the crumb has not been familiar with the cottage cheese since last month, it's time to give him a try and this product, and over time - also kefir.

At eight months, the child can already be offered multi-component cereals or even add fruits or berries to the cereals. But you should be careful with berries and fruits: some of them are allergens and can provoke allergic reactions (we are talking about citrus fruits, red berries - strawberries, raspberries, etc.).

Gradually, at this age, you can increase the amount of meat given as complementary foods. You should not "be zealous" except with chicken meat, chicken - such varieties of it are also allergens. Meat can be given to the baby both in the form of meat puree, and by mixing it with vegetable puree. Considering that both meat and egg yolk are present in the baby's diet, in no case should these two products be given to the child in one day, and even more so in one feeding.

To those products that are already present in the child's diet, at 8 months, you can add meat broths or mashed soups cooked in meat broth. In addition, crackers, biscuits, and drying are allowed for children at this age. By the way, hard steering-wheels also perform the function of a rodent during teething, with the help of which the child scratches the gums.

What a baby should be able to do at 8 months

An eight-month-old baby already knows so much that it is hard to believe that a little more than six months have passed since this healthy and strong little one was born.

At 8 months, babies are already crawling actively and quickly enough, and some even make attempts to stand on their feet. True, the baby is unlikely to be able to get up from a sitting position on his own, but with the support of his mother, the baby still rises to his feet. By the end of the month, the child is able to get up himself, holding on to the wall of the playpen.

The toddler can already stand on its own, while even holding a toy in one handle. Standing, the crumb can step from foot to foot. He also rearranges the legs when the mother, holding his armpits, stimulates the baby to go.

The child holds toys freely, knows how to shift an object from one hand to another. If you hold out a toy to a crumb, when he holds one in each hand, he will throw out one of them in order to take the proposed one. By the way, the process of throwing out toys for a child becomes a kind of contemplative process: throwing them, he carefully looks at their flight path and where they fell. Then he can pick up the toy again and throw it again.

The child's communication with adults is entering a new stage: the baby is already pointing with a pen to the parents which toy he wants at one time or another, with gestures he explains that he wants, for example, to get to the closet and touch the books in it. In addition, on the way to the goal, the child already knows how to put aside the object that interferes with him - this is how he learns to solve problems.

Playing with a toy, the baby imitates the actions of adults: rolls it and knocks on it, knows how to remove the lid, push the ball with its leg. And at the request of relatives and friends, he claps his hands, raises an arm or a leg, waves “pa-pa”.

At 8 months, the child's attitude towards strangers changes: he already clearly distinguishes relatives and friends from strangers. If a stranger enters the room where the baby is alone, the child may even go into hysterics, experiencing real panic. In addition to frightened crying, a child may react to a stranger by completely ignoring him, turn away or crawl away from the stranger. In addition to fear of strangers, other fears are common among eight-month-old babies: the baby may be afraid of a vacuum cleaner, washing machine, or any other loud noises. To calm the groundless fear, you should "introduce" the baby to household appliances, show how they work and explain that there is nothing wrong with them.

The toddler, 8 months old, babbles quite clearly, composing sounds into syllables, trying to imitate extraneous sounds and imitate the speech of parents. Moreover, in the babbling of the child there are practically all the sounds of the language, which he combines in every possible way. When communicating with the interlocutor, the child gives the speech a tone of triumph or joy, anger or impatience.

8 months is the age when the child already recognizes himself not only in the mirror, but also in the photograph. And, recognizing, rejoices and smiles.

With a very musical ear, the 8-month-old baby is very sensitive to her mother's voice - there is no better music for him than a song from her lips. With no less pleasure, the child listens to recorded music, and quite often some children even sway to the beat of the melody or stamp their feet.

Educational activities and games for an 8 month old baby

An 8-month-old baby absorbs new information like a sponge, at the same time continues to improve physically. Since the baby is already old enough and developed, developing activities and games become more complicated and more diverse.

It is important to pay attention daily to introducing the child to new words. While on a walk with a baby, you should keep track of what attracted his attention. Running dog? A flying plane? A boy on a bike? The “object” should be named aloud, pointing at it with your hand and encouraging the baby to look in that direction, remembering the name. “Look, there’s a dog there. See? This is a dog. " By the way, quite often the animals at this age are already “identified” by the child: to the question, “where is the av-av?”, He is able to point at the dog with his pen.

From a young age, it is beneficial to develop a child's coordination and balance. To this end, you can, while dancing with the baby in your arms, swing it up and down, arrange "slides" on your knees and swing it on your knees, having previously seated the baby.

It is good to play with the child in the "cart": taking him by the legs, slightly raise him so that he rests on the handles: let the baby try, rearranging them, to pass on his hands. While "pushing" the child to move in his arms, you can gently shake him, while it is necessary to observe the reaction of the little one - if he does not like the game or he is tired, the lesson should be stopped.

Since the child is already crawling freely around the room, you can invite him to play hide and seek. It is enough just to hide somewhere behind a chair - let the baby look for it.

For the development of fine motor skills, you can use ordinary cereals for games. So, pouring oatmeal or rice groats into the cake pan, then invite the baby to run a pen into the groats. The child takes great pleasure in stirring the cereal with his hand or passing it through his fingers. Only during the game is it necessary to be with the baby all the time - in the absence of adults, he can try to swallow rice and choke.

Given that the baby is now actively mastering speech skills, you can invite him to talk on the phone. For conversation, both a toy device and a real one, previously disconnected from the network, are suitable. The kid has already seen how mom or dad talk on the phone more than once, so it will not be difficult for him to repeat their actions - he will happily chat into the phone.

For a better acquaintance with your own body, you can play "hat" with the baby: give him his father's hat or cap - let him try to put it on his head. By the same principle, you can play with plastic bowls: when the baby puts it on his head, let him look at himself in the mirror - his own reflection will cause sincere fun in the little one.

Baby at 8 months: a note to parents

Many parents, trying to make their life easier, put their baby in a walker by the age of 8 months. Experts categorically do not recommend doing this - at this age, the baby's muscular and skeletal systems are not yet sufficiently strong, and the resulting extra load can negatively affect their formation.

It is extremely important at this age to create all the necessary conditions for the safety of the child: he still tries to crawl into every corner and taste every unfamiliar object that comes along the way.

In addition, the cub can easily crawl into the kitchen with its mother - this room, like a "magnet", attracts almost all babies and becomes a favorite place for them to play. And, perhaps, the most dangerous. It is very important that only unbreakable and non-crumbly items and food remain in all opening lower drawers and lower shelves. Knives and cutlery should be hidden as high and further as possible, making it impossible for the child to reach them.

Always, in all cases, you need to ensure that the child does not reach for the tablecloth on the kitchen table. After all, he may well want to grab onto it and pull it towards himself at the moment when there is hot soup or tea on the table. For the same reason, you should monitor the child when he is sitting at the table in his mother's arms - the crumb can easily overturn both on himself and on the parent at the same time at least a salad, pulling a plate, even a compote, overturning a mug.

The teeth of all children appear at different times, and it is quite possible that by the 8th month the child will already be the happy "owner" of the first four teeth. If this is the case, it is advisable to slowly start giving the crumbs not mashed potatoes, but finely chopped food. And also - pieces of soft cookies, fruits, potatoes, carrots, on which the child will practice to bite and chew.

8 months is also a suitable age for potty training. But only if the child sits on the pot willingly and calmly - if the baby categorically refuses the pot, you cannot force him, then it’s not time. In the case when the baby reacts normally to planting on the pot, you should not keep it on it for more than 10 minutes, even if the child does not “go to the toilet”. And one more thing: at the moment when the baby is sitting on the pot, you cannot give him toys and distract him.

Eight-month-old babies are very active, move a lot and master new spaces with interest, because at this age they can already crawl. What else did the toddler learn by the age of 8 months, what new skills does it already delight parents with, and how can adults help in the development of an infant of this age?

Physiological changes

  • The period of teething continues, while their appearance is very individual. Someone at 8 months does not yet have a single tooth, or the first incisor has just appeared, and someone is already trying to gnaw cookies with four teeth.
  • The growth rate of the child slows down slightly, which is associated with an increase in the physical activity of the child. The muscles of the crumbs are already developed so much that they allow the baby not only to roll over and sit, but also stand and crawl.
  • The child's stool has become more shaped and bears little resemblance to the feces of a baby who is exclusively breastfed. He has a faint smell, and the frequency of bowel movements is usually 1 time per day.
  • The child's memory develops and retains the latest events. Thanks to the improvement of memory, the baby is able to repeat actions after the parents, recognize familiar objects, heard nursery rhymes, loved ones.


A baby at 8 months can already stand and crawl

Physical development

For the eighth month of life, the baby adds about 550 grams and becomes 1.5 centimeters higher on average. The circumference of the chest and the circumference of the head each increase by 0.5-1 cm.

Although the rate of development of each child is individual, based on the measurement data of a large number of children of a certain age, doctors have determined the average value, as well as the boundaries of normal indicators of physical development. Deviation from them causes alertness and is the reason for a detailed examination of the baby. The main parameters for babies 8 months old are presented in the following table:

About what a child should be able to do at 8 months, see Larisa Sviridova's video.

What can the kid do?

  • The baby for 8 months is very active physically, knows how to sit down, lie down, get up (while pulling himself up by the support), crawl quite quickly, and also step over objects.
  • The kid spends a lot of time studying toys and constantly trains his own hands. He can freely transfer one toy to another handle, and if the object falls out of his hand, he will look for it. The child likes to roll a ball, press different buttons, flip through the pages of books.
  • The babbling of an eight-month-old baby already has an intonation that the baby has adopted from his parents. The baby repeats the same syllables many times, so the parents constantly hear from the baby "ma-ma-ma" or "ba-ba-ba".
  • Children of this age are very cheerful, they are happy with other babies, and they are wary of adult strangers. If mom leaves somewhere, it is very upsetting for an eight-month-old toddler. When a child does not succeed in something, the baby will be upset, and he will be very happy with his mother's praise.
  • A child can show a familiar object when asked "where?" Also, the kid has already learned to wave his hand at the request, to make "okay" and other actions that his parents taught him earlier. The baby really likes games in which actions are repeated.
  • A baby of 8 months not only eats from a spoon and even tries to do it on his own, but also takes solid food (for example, baby cookies) in his pens, biting off pieces from it.


With a baby at 8 months old, you can play opening and closing doors, covering jars with lids

Although all children develop at their own pace and some skills can be acquired earlier than their peers, and some later than other children of the same age, there are skills that a baby must certainly possess at 8 months. You should be alerted if the baby:

  • Doesn't sit down.
  • Doesn't crawl backward or crawl at all.
  • Doesn't try to get up at the support.
  • Cannot stand for several seconds, holding on with both hands.
  • Can't hold the toy in his hands.
  • The suggested toy is missing.
  • Does not transfer a toy from one handle to another.
  • Doesn't pronounce syllables.
  • Doesn't listen when he hears the conversation of an adult.
  • Doesn't show any emotion.


Consult your pediatrician for any warning symptoms

Development activities

  • If the baby has not yet mastered crawling on all fours, practice the baby in the water. While bathing, place the baby on its belly at the bottom of an empty tub and turn on the water so that it slowly fills the tub. The water level will rise and become an incentive to lift the baby on the elbows and knees. With this exercise, it is important to ensure that the child does not drink water.
  • Another way to teach your child to crawl on all fours is hand-walking. Raise the child's legs so that the baby is on the arms. Next, rock the little one back and forth. As soon as the baby gets tired, the exercise should be stopped.
  • To improve fine motor skills, invite your baby to touch various objects, toys with buttons and locks, boxes with lids, pyramid rings, soft books and many others.
  • Since a child at 8 months of age is copying the actions of adults in games, the mother should be shown how to handle new toys. Take your child for a ride, rock the doll, knock on the drum, and have the baby repeat.
  • Offer your baby to play with several homogeneous objects, for example, with cubes of different colors, balls, rings from a pyramid. By folding and scattering such objects, the child will learn the connections between them.
  • Build a small pyramid out of cubes and show the baby how to break it up with the help of a rolling ball.
  • Look at family photos with your baby and ask to show loved ones and the child himself. The child will love to find himself in the photo.
  • Play music often and dance with your baby. Let it be motives with different rhythms - classical melodies, children's songs, and songs of modern performers.
  • Train your baby's sense of balance by raising and lowering the baby. You can also circle with the baby.
  • Make a book shelf for your child to reach out to. Fill this shelf with bright children's books and let the little one choose a book to "read" on his own.
  • Play with your baby in the bathroom. Let the baby move the floating toys, clap his palms on the surface of the water, collect water into molds, pour from one container to another.
  • Allow the baby to play with the kitchen utensils, but at the same time give the baby only safe items - a ladle, containers, lids and others.
  • Also, the little one will like to play with a real phone, which for this should be disconnected from the network. Give the little one the phone and let him "talk".
  • While walking, pay attention to the different sounds that the plane, car, bird, dog makes. When doing this, name the sound source.
  • Maintain your baby's interest in animals. Get plastic or rubber animals and name them and imitate their voices. Show crumbs of animals in books and on the street.
  • Give the baby a wooden spoon and some items that can be hit. So the child will understand that objects differ not only in appearance, but also in the sound they make.
  • In front of the little one, hide the toy by covering it with a blanket, and then invite the baby to find it.


First of all, the child needs the love of the parents.

Care

In the morning, as before, the baby is given hygiene measures. They include washing, brushing teeth, planting on a pot, washing. Every evening, the baby is bathed while playing with fun toys that can swim. In addition, during the day, the child should periodically wash their hands, because the baby crawls and touches various objects. When changing the diaper, the child must be washed under running water.


The baby's diet is expanding, the baby is trying many new tastes

Breast-feeding on demand at this age is represented by 6-8 feedings during the day and about 6 feedings at night. The volume of complementary foods increases and is presented in the baby's menu with vegetables, fruits, dairy-free porridge, vegetable oil, meat, fruit juice, butter, crackers and cookies.

Bottle-fed babies get the mixture in the morning feeding, as well as in the last feeding before bedtime. The rest of the time, the menu of the artificial crumbs is formed from complementary foods. Compared to breastfed babies, their diet is more expanded - fermented milk drinks, cottage cheese and yolk are added to it. Porridge for an artificial baby is already boiled in milk, and the volume of the majority will be higher than that of a breastfed baby.


The basis of the diet for babies at 8 months is breast milk or formula

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Typical day

Every new day with an eight month old baby brings many interesting and fun moments. It is clear that the regime for each of the children of this age will be different, but we offer an approximate version of the daily routine that babies 8 months old may have:

Waking up.

The first feeding in which the baby receives mother's milk or formula.

Hygiene procedures.

Wakefulness.

Gymnastics.

The second feeding, in which breastfed children are given porridge with butter, and yolk is additionally offered to artificial crumbs.

The period of wakefulness.

A walk during which the crumbs have their first nap in the fresh air.

The third feeding, during which babies of any type of feeding receive vegetable puree with meat puree and vegetable oil, as well as wheat bread and fruit juice.

A walk during which the child has a second nap in the fresh air.

The fourth feeding, which for breastfed babies will include fruit puree, cookies and human milk, and for bottle-fed babies - fermented milk drink, fruit puree, cottage cheese and cookies.

The period of wakefulness and quiet games.

The fifth feeding, during which the baby receives mother's milk or formula.

Getting ready for a night's sleep and going to bed.

Night time

Breastfed babies in a dream are applied to the mother's breast up to 6 times, and artificial babies at this age do not wake up for feeding.

Diversify your day with games with your child according to the "Little Leonardo" method, which you can see in the video of O. Teplyakova, an expert in intellectual development.

Frequent problems

  1. Fear of parting with mom. Children of 8 months begin to be afraid to let their mother go and are very worried about parting with her. In addition, at this age, other fears may appear, for example, the child may be frightened by loud sounds of household appliances. Show your toddler the source of the sound to stop being intimidating.
  2. Refusal of complementary foods. The kid may refuse to try new food if he does not like the dish with its consistency, taste or temperature. Perhaps the baby has not yet had time to get hungry or it is very hot in the room. In any case, you do not need to insist. Offer food to your child a little later.
  3. Restless sleep. Babies eight months old can fall asleep poorly due to physical activity and overexcitement and their night rest is disrupted. To avoid problems with a night's sleep, exclude active games in the evening, do a relaxing massage before going to bed, read a little book.
  4. Painful teething. The appearance of teeth without pain and discomfort is quite rare. For many children, teeth are cut with painful sensations, changes in stool, fever, whims and other negative manifestations. Chilled special toys that can be chewed can help the baby. To get rid of pain, special gels are used, and at temperature - drugs with antipyretic effects.
  5. Allergy to complementary foods. As the menu for 8-month-olds expands, there is always the risk of a reaction to a new product. This reaction can be manifested by diarrhea, skin rashes, runny nose, constipation, colic, red eyes and other symptoms. Try to introduce a child of this age only to safe foods that rarely cause allergies. While the child should not be given red berries, tomatoes, cocoa, citrus fruits, soy products, and with the introduction of milk, eggs and chicken into the children's menu, you should be very careful.


Baby becomes even more attached to mommy

  • Since the 8-month-old baby is already actively exploring the apartment, crawling everywhere, you should ensure that the baby is safe. The toddler still does not understand the risks and dangers, so the task of the parents will be to eliminate poisonous substances, tiny and fragile objects, as well as everything sharp and cutting from the path of the child. Hide sockets, hide sharp corners of furniture, put household chemicals in a closet, and never leave a baby crawling in a room unattended.
  • If your 8-month-old has not yet begun to stand up, holding onto the support, you do not need to force the acquisition of this skill. As soon as the muscles of the crumbs are strong enough to stay upright on their legs, the baby will immediately begin his "training", honing a new skill. Remember that many babies do not start to get up by the age of 8 months, as well as crawl, and you should not rush them yet.
  • If the child has already erupted 4 teeth, encourage chewing by offering the crumbs not mashed potatoes, but pieces of boiled vegetables, as well as baby cookies and crackers.
  • Talk to the baby often, but you should not lisp and distort the words. However, it is permissible to use abbreviated words, for example, instead of "cat" you can pronounce "kitty".
  • When choosing educational activities for a baby, consider not only the time of day, but also the temperament of the baby. If you have a restless toddler, then he will like active games, coups, crawling. For calm babies, reading a book, folding cubes is more suitable. The interests of the baby should be respected, even if he is still very tiny. If the baby does not like something, do not force or insist.


shows that along with the manifestations of curiosity, there is an active formation of the character of the little person.

Physiology

By the 8th month of life babies sparkle with a white-toothed smile of 4-6 teeth. Now more serious food is available to them - for example, a crouton or a whole apple.

He sleeps, as always, up to 15 hours a day and eats every 4 hours.

Weight gain is from 500 to 600 grams, and in height up to 2 centimeters, weight is 8.5 - 9.5 kg.

By this time, the child already knows how to drink from his cup, but is not yet ready to give up. If possible, breastfeeding should be continued, because mother's milk is a powerful means of maintaining immunity.

At this age, the baby seeks to communicate with other children, smiles at them, tries to touch them.

Child psychology at 8 months.

  • The passing of the “point of alienation” can be called a very important event of this age. The child begins to single out a certain person who spends the most time with him (mother, grandmother, nanny) from all others. He wants to be only with him, he is used only to him and literally starts hysterics if someone outside tries to take the baby in his arms.
  • Parents should take this into account and know that a little time will pass, and the baby will again happily communicate with relatives. It's just that a “point of alienation” is necessary for a child to understand his own safety before starting to explore such a large and interesting world.
  • Negatively perceives loud sounds, for example from household appliances, begins to be afraid of them.
  • At 8 months of age search activity is activated. This is due to the fact that the child begins to understand what time and space mean, and already feels much more confident in space. It would be ideal if it is at this time that the baby will have objects that imitate things that will be encountered in later life.
  • At this age, the baby can do something for up to 10 minutes, and if he is distracted, then after a while he returns to his previous occupation.

What should a baby be able to do at 8 months?

  • Knows how to sit down from a prone position and lie back down.
  • They know how to crawl well, even holding an object in one hand.
  • Firmly holding on to an adult, take 2-3 steps
  • Hold objects in two hands and throw them on the floor
  • Add syllables from sounds, repeating them
  • Climb stairs and sometimes descend from it (mostly backwards)
  • Opens and closes boxes, shifts small items from place to place.
  • What else can a baby do at 8 months, for example with toys: roll a ball, add cubes, put on rings.
  • The child recognizes himself in the mirror and in photographs.
  • Knows how to react to success and failure in their endeavors. It becomes important to praise your baby.
  • Begins to understand your speech, can fulfill a request, for example, give you a toy.

Initial development of speech

For the most successful, you need to talk with your child as much as possible. Phrases should be short and repetitive.

If the baby is interested in some sound, you need to tell him about it - the kitten meows, the rain knocks on the window, the phone rattles. Sound everything that the child does, For example: "Let's go wash", "Turn on some water", "My pens " etc

Child development at 8 months of life

8 month old baby probes the "border of permissibility". What should a child be able to do at 8 months.

  • He already has concrete levers of pressure on the older generation, clearly understanding how to achieve what he wants. And here it is very important not to break the fine line - not to extinguish the initiative of learning new things with constant prohibitions, and at the same time not to lose the authority of the parent.
  • Around the same time, the "fears of the eighth month" appear. They consist in an even stronger distrust of strangers (than in the early period), and in the fear of being left alone. The baby already realizes thanks to whom and what he is so safe and comfortable in his world. Therefore, everything that is beyond the border can carry a security threat.
  • Child development at 8 months of life allows you to see the following picture: the baby happily throws toys out of the crib, carefully observing the actions of an adult. If the parent picked up the toy and put it nearby, then it will fly back at the same moment. But this is not a whim for which a child should be scolded. It was he who invented a new game and wants an adult to play with him.
  • Exercise, because the stimulating effect of hand functions on the development of the child's brain and psyche has been confirmed by specialists. The development of fine motor skills is of great importance not only in the good coordination of the movements of the fingers, which will naturally be needed for writing, drawing and performing other necessary actions, but also for the general development of the baby.
  • When bathing, give the child all kinds of containers, let him collect water in them, pour from one dish to another.
  • Physical therapy () will help to significantly strengthen the physical condition of the child.
  • Try to make it sound in the house. Music reduces mental stress, forms positive emotions, which ultimately helps to strengthen mental and physical health. Every child has an ear for music from birth, but it is necessary to develop it from an early age. Even small children are able to feel the character of a piece, to show an emotional attitude to music.

If the baby does not succeed, something that a child should be able to do at 8 months, each has its own pace of development, but the following should alert:

  • the child does not sit down.
  • does not take the offered toy
  • does not babble
  • does not show emotion

What does a baby eat at 8 months?

The daily breastfeeding regimen can change significantly. Studying the surrounding space, the baby sometimes forgets to ask for a breast.

And at night, he usually makes up for lost time, bringing meals up to 5-6 times. During feeding, the child can mimic her mother's breast with her hands, pull it out from under the clothes, take rather strange poses, without ceasing to make sucking movements. Such manipulations correspond to age norms. The main thing is that the mother does not feel uncomfortable at the same time.
In the second half of the month, porridge should be cooked thicker. Vegetables do not turn into mashed potatoes, but knead with a fork right on the plate. Neonatologists agree: children should start chewing as early as possible, which helps to strengthen the gums, teeth and prepare the body for an "adult" table.

It is very important that a small family member does not eat separately, but together with all the household members. He will observe adults, getting his share of pleasure while being in a comfortable environment.

Baby care

At the eighth month of life parents start to ask themselves a question ? Each child goes through such a test in different ways, but this is not at all simple and long. We must calmly and patiently carry out our plans. After all, the baby will not immediately understand why he is put on the pot.

Take daily walks with your baby up to 2 o'clock, do gymnastics and massage, do not forget about bathing before bed.

For parents

At 8 months the baby is not yet too confident in himself and in his abilities. He is sometimes afraid of the world around him, and mom and dad must show him that not everything new can be dangerous. For example, if the baby is afraid