Is your baby six months old, and he alone, lying on his tummy, grunting and panting, reached for the toy? The child has stepped to a new level of physical development and very soon will begin to crawl.
There is no universal answer at what age children begin to crawl. Many pediatricians agree that most babies start at seven months of age.
How can I help him?
Parents can help their child in his development. Prepare your baby for crawling from the first month of his life. To do this, lay the child on his stomach, and he will raise his head, thereby strengthening the muscles of the back and neck. Place your palms alternately on each heel, and the baby will instinctively try to push off. Grab the handles and turn the child from one side to the other. Bend the arms and legs, lightly stroking your palms to strengthen the muscles of the shoulders and spine.
A healthy baby by seven months confidently holds his head, looks around with curiosity, sits independently and turns from back to stomach and back. The muscles of his back, arms and legs become strong enough, he is ready to crawl. As a method of movement, it serves as a preparatory stage for walking: the muscles that vertically support the body are strengthened. Some parts of the spine that are responsible for shock absorption when walking begin to form at this time.
What affects the physical development of the baby?
The level of general physical development, psycho-emotional situation in the family and gender affect the beginning of growing up of the baby. Often sick, weak children begin to master the world in a similar way later than their healthy peers. Large children are less active, weight hinders them. Boys are often just too lazy to work.
If the baby began to crawl, it means that he is ready to decide for himself where, why and how to crawl. Areas of the brain that are responsible for orientation in space are developing intensively. The baby's visual perception of the world is changing. He learns to control his body without losing coordination. It's difficult! Be there, sometimes you just need to help, and your baby will feel more confident.
What not to be afraid of
Babies learn to crawl at the age of 6-10 months. But every child is unique. Some babies do not crawl at all, making up for the lack of this skill in two or three years. Children actively crawl on their tummies in bellies or "caterpillar", sometimes on the priest forward, leaning back on their hands, or on the priest, but backward. It doesn't matter at what age and how a little man begins to learn about the world. He will begin to crawl only when his body is ready for this. The main thing is that the baby has desire, health and the ability to move.
