Crawling and cruising
Month 8, week 1
An 8-month-old baby is a moving baby! They can crawl, waddle, crawl -
children of this age have many ways to move around. But for some reason they
want to explore their world!
- Don't worry if your baby isn't crawling yet. Some babies jump completely from crawling and walk straight!
- Encourage your baby to crawl by placing an attractive new toy out of reach. Or play “Catch Me”.
- Install a baby gate. Stairs are dangerous for mobile kids.
- Take their attention away from those tantalizing stairs with a mini obstacle course made up of pillows, blocks and pillows.
Your baby's development this week
At eight months, babies are busy learning about cause and effect. If I
shake this rattle, it will make a cool sound! If I drop the spoon, it will fall
to the ground!
To encourage your aspiring scientist, you can:
- Recognize their short attention span by offering a variety of interesting toys.
- Use household items (and save money); they will be just as happy with your measuring spoons and cups, colanders and egg cartons.
- Hide the toy under the scarf and enjoy watching him find it.
- Let them willingly sweep hanging objects, such as toys on their mobile phone.
- Designate a safe place for them to play. Protect yourself from children by locking closets and making sure there is nothing within reach that is not safe for them to take and explore.
You may worried about:
- How to make sure they don't drop everything from their high chair tray; you really can't. Give them sweet, not dirty things to experiment with.
- Do they still seem a little clumsy when they pick things up? Eight-month-olds may not have mastered the "pinch grip" yet, so instead they grab objects with their whole arm.
- Safety. Babies at this age are starting to get impatient with changing diapers, so if you're really worried, it might be time to remove the changing table and replace the changing table on the floor.
- Breast-feeding. If your busy 8-month-old sometimes refuses to breastfeed, he may be distracted or ready for a more regular solid food diet.
Month 8, week 1 tips
- Worried that your child won't reach motor milestones? Every baby is unique. But feel free to ask your pediatrician.
- Encourage their sense of balance by sitting with them and playing face to face games like hide and seek and cake.
- Wriggle alert: your baby can probably move easily from back to tummy. Notice the change in time.
- Experts do not recommend the use of walkers for safety reasons and because they can delay independent walking.
- If you need to leave your child with a new babysitter, stay a little while before you leave. This way you will make them feel comfortable, especially if they are worried about strangers.
- To teach words, point to objects and say their names, such as a ball, a dog, a cat, a car, and a spoon.
- Be an example for your child. You, too, need a balanced diet rich in vegetables, whole grains, fruits, and lean protein.