At a certain stage of their development, driven by the desire to see more new and interesting things around, children begin to learn to sit. For most of them, it starts with six months. While some children already six months already know how to do this, others at this age are not yet sitting. Are there any serious reasons for concern when a baby at 6 months of age does not sit on its own? Does this really mean a delay in the development of the child's body?
The kids are different!
Parents often tend to compare their children with others, and as soon as they notice such a “lag”, they begin to worry. The main mistake of these fathers and mothers is that they forget or ignore the fact that all children are different, the dynamics of their growth and development cannot be the same.
As a result, parents are in a hurry to "sit down" the baby, following the recommendations of one part of the pediatricians. For example, they cover him with pillows, propping him up so that the child can sit without falling. It happens that mothers and fathers, noticing that the child is pulling his head to his chest, think that this is an attempt to sit down, raise him by the arms, rushing things a little.
Another part of pediatric doctors, on the contrary, does not advise doing this. They put forward as a fairly reasonable argument that at this age, children usually master either crawling or sitting, and two completely different tasks cannot be solved simultaneously. In addition, it was noted that many babies, having learned to crawl, from a position on all fours begin to sit down on their own. Therefore, when the child is not sitting at 6 months, many experts encourage parents to be patient and not to rush. Which of them is right?
Do not rush the baby!
We can say that both of them are right in their own way. Just need a reasonable approach. It requires being careful and insightful. It is important for parents whose child is not sitting at 6 months to remember this principle: just as a plant grows itself and it is impossible to pull it up, so the child’s ability to sit cannot be accelerated. If you sit down your baby when his body is not yet ready, then this can only do much harm. Is it worth it to provide a "bear service"? It is better not to rush and be attentive, looking closely at the state of the baby.
When the parents noticed that the child is not sitting well at 6 months, they will do the right thing if they carry the baby in a stroller in a lying or reclining position. It is important to remember that long, more than one hour, walks with the baby in the "kangaroo" will also unduly strain the child’s back and will only bring harm. After all, if you sit down the baby, leaving him for a long time in a sitting position, this can lead to curvature of the spine due to an unplanned load.
Specialist help and exercises
It is important to find out the reason why the child is not sitting at 6 months. For this, it is best to consult a therapist. Perhaps he will recommend special exercises to strengthen the muscles of the back of the child. However, if you look closely at the movements of the crumbs, you will notice that he tends to spin, turning from his back to his tummy and vice versa.
Also in the supine position, the child is trying to raise the body. With these gestures, the child trains his dorsal and other, helping to sit, muscles of the body. Indeed, the fact that the child is not sitting at 6 months does not mean at all that he will never learn this. And it is not necessary that this be simultaneously with other children. The main thing is to carefully help your baby in this workout, and the specialist will tell you how to do it best.
Individual factors
As to whether a child should be 6 months old, many experts say that all this is very individual. A variety of internal factors can affect a child’s ability to sit. These include:
- temperament of the child;
- muscle hypertonicity;
- overweight.
When to the doctor?
Of course, the attitude will be completely different if a child cannot be 8 months old due to a delay in psychomotor development. Then parents should immediately contact a neurologist. The following reasons could lead to inability to sit at this age:
- preterm birth;
- hypoxia;
- anemia during pregnancy;
- prematurity of the fetus;
- intracranial pressure.
Summing up, we can say that if parents suddenly notice that the child is not sitting at 6 months, you should not sound the alarm. They can provide systematic help to the baby so that he can gradually learn to sit. In this case, for the child this will be a natural and safe stage of his development.
What should a baby be able to do in half a year?
A six-month-old child perfects some old skills, and he already knows how to do a lot from what he could not before. It is important to notice his new abilities and strive to help the baby develop them.
Everything that a child should be able to do at 6 months old can conditionally be divided into two areas of development:
- speech skills, manifestation of emotions and communication;
- body skills.
It is worth considering in more detail.
Communication skills and emotions
A six-month-old baby already responds when he hears his name. He can also repeat some sounds heard and “return” emotions. At this age, the child already understands some simple words, for example, "you can not", "eat", "let's go," especially if the parents complement what was said with appropriate gestures.
And although the baby still does not understand many words, the child is already able to postpone what she has heard in her memory. This will play a role in his speech abilities in six months or a year. Musical recordings, songs and poems have a developing effect. A child in six months perfectly assimilates everything. The emotions he shows are already becoming more diverse. Up to this age, usually the state changed from "I'm glad" to "I cry." Now a new palette of emotions has been added:
- discontent;
- sadness
- pleasure;
- fear;
- alertness.
At this age, the sounds that the baby calls to pick up, look at him or expresses his enthusiasm with something become diverse.
Body Movement Skills
At 6 months, the child’s hypertonicity of the muscles decreases, it is already easier for him to carry out many movements. For example, it can already turn over from the back to the tummy and in the opposite direction. Lying on his stomach, the baby can rest on one hand, and take the object of interest in the other. Firmly grabbing, for example, the fingers of an adult, the child, lying on his back, tends to pull himself up. Attempts to crawl become independent.
Starting from six months, the child, if not already sitting, is actively trying to do this. If you support the baby by the armpits, he can firmly push his legs off the surface. The child shows great interest in all kinds of objects, trying to pick them up, try "on the tooth" and throw them on the floor. A child is able to take a toy simultaneously in each hand.
A six-month-old child, sticking with handles over the edge of the crib, learns to stand without the help of others. If you hide some object under the cover, the baby is able to find it and knows how to get it out of there.
Many parents noted that, starting from 6 months, the child can play for a long time on their own, for about 15 minutes (for a given age, this is a lot). What can a child do with enthusiasm? For example, such playful actions as picking up small items in a box, putting on the pyramid rings, are quite capable of a baby of 6 months.