• What does a 4-5 month old baby know and do?
• What does a 5-6 month old baby know and do?
• Useful games for children under six months old
  • Gross motor skills: learning to crawl
  • Fine motor skills: pressing buttons
  • Developing attention: hiding a toy
  • Developing speech: finger games
  • Gross motor skills: kicking and pushing
  • Fine motor skills: holding a ball
  • Let's introduce the baby... to himself!

Soon your baby will have his first “anniversary” - six months since his birth! Until recently, he was just a tiny little bundle who slept and ate, but now he is already actively exploring the world around him and loves to communicate with his parents. How to make these months joyful, eventful and most useful for his development?

What does a 4-5 month old baby know and do?

Read about the basic skills of a 4-5 month old baby

Physical development

The baby is already confidently holding his head, which allows him to begin exploring the world around him. He develops not just a strong, but also an accurate grip - he confidently takes the toys he likes, and if he puts them in his mouth, he doesn’t miss.

Attention and memory

After three months, the child can clearly distinguish between familiar and unfamiliar faces, moreover, he clearly expresses joy when mom and dad appear and dissatisfaction when he sees, for example, a medical form, if he did not like the previous meeting with the doctor. He can concentrate on an object in the hands of an adult for a long time and recognizes his favorite toys.

Speech

Sounds at this age play an important role in the baby’s life - he begins to perceive their emotional coloring. A child may be cheerful when he hears a joyful melody, but sad when he hears angry voices.

He himself is already beginning to master speech - he moves from cooing to babbling, in which several distinct syllables can already be distinguished.

What does a 5-6 month old baby know and do?

Read about the basic skills of a 5 - 6 month old baby

Physical development

Now the baby needs an eye and an eye - after all, he has already mastered the technique of turning over from his tummy to his back and back to his tummy again. With such a “bun” he can roll off the sofa or bed if the sides don’t stop him! Some babies at this age are already mastering such a useful skill as crawling, but this is not necessary - there are lazy people who do not want to crawl at all, and later immediately start walking.

The child no longer just confidently holds toys, but can already move them from hand to hand and feel them.

Attention and memory

The child begins to find “hidden” objects. If, for example, you took a toy and hid it under the pillow in front of him, he can already logically comprehend the “mysterious disappearance of the bear cub” and get the toy from its hiding place.

Speech

The baby already steadily associates many words with phenomena and objects. He not only turns his head towards you when you call him by name, but can also answer simple questions with gestures: “Where is mom, where is dad, where is grandma?”

Useful games for children under six months old

Gross motor skills: learning to crawl

Turn your baby over onto his tummy and offer him an attractive toy at such a distance that he cannot grab it. Let him stretch and try to crawl towards the goal! When you notice that your child's mood is getting worse, let him take the toy.

Fine motor skills: pressing buttons

By four months, the baby is already comfortable enough with his hands to begin practicing with complex toys that make sounds when pressed. Ordinary rubber “squeakers” are also suitable if they are comfortable for a child’s hand, but you can also find more complex toys that have musical buttons and keys.

Developing attention: hiding a toy

As we have already mentioned, a child at this age already understands that an object is hidden and knows how to find it. So you can easily play this kind of hide and seek with him. Probably, the first few times you will have to “rescue the lost bear cub” yourself. If you demonstrate your joy at the same time, the baby will quickly understand the meaning of the game and actively get involved in it.

Developing speech: finger games

Gross motor skills: kicking and pushing

Toys can not only be grabbed with a brush, but also kicked and thrown away - a very useful skill that is worth developing. A light ball is ideal for this - roll it along the floor towards the child so that the child pushes it away. You can hang a toy over the baby's crib so that he can kick it while kicking his leg.

Fine motor skills: holding a ball

A child at this age confidently grabs rattles, squeezing their hands in a fist. But he still has no experience of interacting with objects of complex shape. Try to find small balls or soft cubes that are large enough for your child to hold with an open hand. Practice transferring such objects from one hand to another.

Let's introduce the baby... to himself!

In fact, the child already knows perfectly well what his mother and other family members look like, but he does not yet know what he himself looks like! This is where a large mirror will come in handy. Approach him with the child in your arms, first point to yourself and your reflection, then to the child and his reflection.

Six months is an amazing and wonderful age, but remember - this is just the beginning! It will be even more interesting further!

Physical development
The baby will gain about 650 grams in weight and grow by approximately 14 cm from the day of birth.

In the fifth month, the child becomes more flexible and mobile. The baby lies on his stomach, leaning on his forearms and keeping his head straight. At the same time, he examines with interest the toys lying in front of him, sometimes trying to reach them with his hand. Lying on his stomach, he turns over from his stomach to his back, tries to crawl forward and backward. Help your child master this skill. Place a toy in front of the baby and praise him for trying to reach it. To begin with, make sure that he can rest his legs against something or put your hand up and help him a little. Be sure to praise him for his success.

Lying on his back, the baby grabs his leg, pulls his toes to his mouth, and sucks them. He turns over quite well from his back to his stomach and tries to sit up. Can sit for a short time leaning against a support - in pillows or a child's chair, while holding his head well. The baby carefully examines the toys, then pulls them into her mouth. He shakes the rattle, listening to its sound; after dropping it, he looks for it with his eyes. Able to hold a bottle with one or two hands.

The child's skin is still susceptible to irritation and heat rash. Change your baby's diapers more often, bathe him every day, and treat irritated areas with powder.

Psychological development
At this age, the child continues to explore the world and is very eager to communicate. The sitting position gives him new opportunities to explore surrounding objects and play. Strives to actively participate in what is happening around him, attracts attention to himself with various sounds. The baby hums, coos, loudly pronounces many vowel and consonant sounds, and tries to combine them into syllables. When alone, he listens carefully to the sounds being spoken. When adults appear, the babbling intensifies. Repeat the baby’s language, he will support the “dialogue”.

The child begins to distinguish colors. Notices changes in the environment and reacts emotionally to them. He examines his parents with enthusiasm, feels his face with his hands, pulls hair, puts his fingers in his mouth. Looks at faces in pictures. The baby listens to sounds, tries to find the source of the sound, reacts to distant sounds - up to 3 meters.

A child plays happily if they do something to him - tickle him, lift him up and down, laugh loudly. He babbles to the rhythm of nursery rhymes, plays peek-a-boo. Place the baby’s hands against your lips or cheeks and pronounce simple syllables with different intonations and facial expressions, this will cause joy and laughter in the baby.

Play with your baby: bring it to the mirror, wave your hand to your reflection, say “hello!”, grab the baby’s hand and wave it. Perform simple actions in front of the mirror: shake your head, clap your hands, stick out your tongue.
Hang toys of different sizes in front of the baby so that he can reach them, put several toys, he will learn to pick them up on his own. Having picked up a toy, the baby learns to knock it, transfer it to the other hand, or throw it in front of him. Be sure to praise your baby for his success!

Let your child listen to different music, talk to him about what kind of music it is - sad or happy. Do not leave music on for a long time; constant sound quickly tires the baby. Take the baby in your arms and dance with him, smiling and encouraging the baby to laugh.

Exploring the world around him, the baby pulls all objects into his mouth: while studying them, he bites, licks, and tries to feel them. Keep things around your child clean, but do not prevent him from putting toys in his mouth. When he grows up, he will learn to study subjects differently. The main thing is that the toys are made from safe materials and are not too small. In the future, you can put a dryer or cracker in the baby’s hand - he will learn to bite and chew food.

Questions from mothers about the development of a child from 4 to 5 months

Child under one year old

The baby has tone, what is it and what to do?

17 0

Our child is only 5 months old and they have already told me that he has increased tone, although I still don’t understand what it is. It seems that the muscles are somehow tense and do not relax correctly, as I understand it. But it turns out that there is still a decrease in tone, ours does not have this. So what's now? Will massage help? Or do I need to see some kind of doctor, a neurologist for example? And is it worth panicking at all? I am an alarmist by nature, so it’s a little scary, the main thing is that the child feels good both now and in the future. If massage helps, how many treatments will be needed? What do you say?

After the milestone of 3 months, a new life stage begins for the baby, which includes the formation of sleep and wakefulness, games aimed at developing motor skills and intelligence. Until the age of one, children grow, develop and mature exponentially. Adults need not only not to yawn, so as not to miss the moment necessary for the development of a particular skill, but also to have a theoretical basis that allows them to teach the baby in a timely and complete manner. It is important to know what exactly to develop and in what time period.

The age of 4-5 months is a period of very active development of the child, when he needs close attention from his parents (see also:). It is very good if the mother is on maternity leave and can devote this time to caring for her son or daughter

Baby's basic physical skills

At 4 months, the child still spends quite a lot of time sleeping - from 12.5 to 15 hours, but nevertheless he is active, mobile and needs the attention of his parents, so that they devote time to his development and formation. You need to develop your baby correctly: it’s still too early to do anything, but some aspects need to be paid close attention. To do this, you need to know what a child should be able to do at 4 months (see also:). So, physiologically, by the age of four months a child should:

• hold your head while in the arms of an adult (quite confidently and for a long time);
• in a lying position (on your tummy or back), raise your head and rest your arms, lifting your body;
• roll over independently (from a position on your back to your side);
• actively move limbs while awake;
• increase the activity of movements when a familiar adult manipulates him (dressing, changing a diaper, etc.);
• show a reaction to the appearance of a loved one’s face in his field of vision, expressing joy by increasing activity, and freeze when a stranger approaches;
• they reach out with their hands to objects that come into their field of vision and interest them.

Often, children at 4 months try to sit up from a lying position, but there is no need to specifically sit the baby (no matter if it is a boy or a girl) at this age. The child will sit down when his skeletal system and muscle corset are ready.

The ability to roll over from back to tummy or vice versa is very important for a child, as it provides him with a greater degree of mobility and makes the baby less dependent on mom and dad. This is a natural part of growing up

Leading social manifestations

A baby is not only a physical body, his brain develops even more actively. The first meaningful social reactions to positive stimuli appear in the form of interest or joy. The main thing that babies should master upon reaching 4 months socially:

• master the ability to smile, understand the meaning of a smile and respond to an adult’s smile;
• laugh or increase the activity of the limbs when they are having fun and interesting (we recommend reading:);
• actively walk, make guttural, sometimes melodic sounds, listen to them;
• react when adults say his name;
• enjoy new toys and react to the appearance of favorite toys in sight;
• pay attention and follow with your eyes moving objects or objects (toys, passing animals and people);
• react to music (the baby listens to a melody he likes, stops crying, then can show joy in the form of animation and humming, as if he were singing along);
• recognize the voices of loved ones that you have often heard, clearly identify your mother’s voice.

At 4 months, the child loves to be held by the arms and held upright, increasing his visibility (see also:). This will give him an additional opportunity to actively explore the world. If at this age he is already sitting down, be alert - support the baby. Contact with mom or dad always gives the baby a feeling of security.

When should you worry?

Children do not develop at the same rate. What one child mastered at 4 months, another learned to do a month ago, and a third will master it only a month later. For example, some children by this age can take a sitting position on their own. It is worth showing concern and taking your baby to the doctor, if he is behind by more than 3 points. Particular attention should be paid to:

• absence of humming and babbling, motor activity (or it is minimal);
• the fact that the child does not hold his head up;
• lack of reaction to sound stimuli (mother’s voice, the sound of one’s own name, music);
• lack of reaction to the appearance of loved ones, primarily parents;
• lack of interest in toys;
• the fact that the baby doesn’t turn over (at least, it doesn’t try);
• because he is unable to smile meaningfully and does not respond to an adult’s smile.

Interest in toys and new objects is a mandatory feature at this age, since the baby is actively exploring the world around him. Mom should offer him a variety of objects and little things that diversify his knowledge of textures, colors, shapes

If vigilant parents notice all of the listed deviations or most of them in their child, this means that not all is well in the baby’s development. The existing problems are quite serious; to clarify them, you need to contact a pediatrician, who will give qualified advice on how exactly and what area to develop, and will help to find out the origins of the problem. If necessary, drug treatment may be prescribed.

Basics of correction of physical development

If a particular baby is not able to do everything it should by 4 months in terms of movements, perhaps the cause is a neurological disorder or other pathology that for some reason was not diagnosed in the first days of the baby’s life. What should parents do in this case? Be sure to show the baby to specialists.

In some cases, pathology is difficult to identify and a thorough examination is required. But quite often massage and electrophoresis are enough. In some cases, parents can increase the time they spend with their baby and properly perform daily massage and exercises. This will allow you to correct the physical condition of the baby.

Basics of correction of psychological development

The psychological and emotional state of the baby, what he is able to do socially, largely depends on the completeness of communication with his parents, and this a whole range of classes:

• walks;
• feeding;
• bathing;
• massage performed by mother;
• conversation with a child;
• reading poetry, singing lullabies, etc.

At the age of 4 months, the child reacts to a harsh voice, rude tone or shouting. It is unacceptable to communicate with him in this way. The intonation palette is reflected in the baby’s consciousness and in the future can serve as the basis for your child’s subconscious fears.

Parents, when communicating with their child, should show maximum positive emotions to acquaint him with the whole spectrum of joyful experiences. When communicating with a baby, you need to address him by name and affectionately, teach him dialogue. For example, after he babbles, say something back to him and pause, letting him know that now it’s his turn to speak.

The baby already experiences a whole range of emotions, especially when he is alone with mom and dad. Therefore, it is important for parents to please the baby, play with him and use a pleasant tone of speech, without becoming rude or judgmental.

Bright colorful toys, daily listening to melodic music, children's songs, conversations with the baby - all this contributes to its proper development. Normally, parents want their child to develop well and actively. But if something is not going as well as parents want, you need to:

• firstly, compare your expectations with the norms - maybe you expect too much from a baby just a few months old;
• secondly, perhaps you just need to work with him more.

What should parents of a 4-month-old baby not do?

• You should not feed a 4 month old baby immediately as soon as he cries. This behavior of the mother has no medical contraindications for breastfeeding, but it creates incorrect food stereotype. The child learns to “eat” negative emotions and failures. You should not combine sleep and feeding your baby, since the same part of the brain is responsible for sleep and hunger, and incorrect reactions to fatigue and hunger may form.
• The child's development will proceed correctly if don't feed him in his crib, or on your hands while falling asleep. At least at four months it’s time to wean him off this habit, if he has one. The formation of a regime should not be neglected. After reaching the 3-month mark, it’s time to teach your baby the routine and the difference between daytime and nighttime sleep.
• Do not let the baby cry for a long time and bitterly, this negatively affects his nervous system. If something has made the baby upset, he needs to be distracted by switching to an activity that is interesting to him. A child will learn more actively and willingly if he forms positive associations. If a baby does not do something well enough, he should not be scolded, but rather encouraged for any attempts to do something.

Knowing about the baby’s skills that he acquires by 4 months, parents will be able to notice shortcomings or possible deviations in time. This will make it possible to adjust classes, consult with specialists and show the baby to doctors, if necessary. Even if the lags are minimal, it is better to correct them as soon as possible.

And remember: there are simply no exact tables with a child’s skills, since each child develops individually. Watch your baby, but do not look for flaws in him, but simply develop him. Good recommendations on this matter are given by Dr. Komarovsky, as well as teachers from the “Little Leonardo” school in their video school:

With the fourth month in the life of the baby, new stages of development begin: more emotional manifestations, new physical skills, first aspirations and already small victories. The peak of the formation of the digestive system is behind us, painful pains overwhelm the child less and less, so there remains more strength and mood for exploring the still unknown world around.

Physiological development at 4 months of life

Height and weight

Having crossed the line of four months, the child continues to actively gain weight. Despite new skills, physical activity is still not great, so weight gain can range from 600 to 750 grams. According to standard parameters, weight should approach the border of 6-7 kg, and height should reach up to 65 cm.

Reflexes

Against the background of constant development, the old skills and reflexes of the newborn are gradually replaced by new, more advanced ones. Among them:

• Robinson's grasp reflex. Previously, it was unconditional, but by 4 months the baby consciously reaches out to objects in his field of vision, grabs them and carefully holds them. The further development of fine motor skills in a child depends on the degree of manifestation of this reflex.
• Crawling according to the Bauer reflex. Previously, the baby tried to crawl when he felt support at his feet. But by the time the baby is 4 months old, these aspirations are forgotten: the reflex either fades away altogether, or the baby tries to crawl without anyone’s help.
• Automatic Moro reflex. In most children by this age, this reflex no longer appears. Previously, it could be caused by a sharp bang or a blow to a surface. It was expressed in moving the arms to the side and unclenching the fists, and then returning to the starting position.

At 4 months, the baby should completely get rid of two stimulus reflexes:

• The Perez reflex, which, when moved along the spine with light pressure from the fingers, causes the child to cry and straighten the torso and limbs.
• The Galant reflex, which, when the skin along the spine is irritated, provokes a bend of the back, and sometimes an extension of the leg on the side where the fingers are drawn.

The condition of these reflexes is checked directly by the pediatrician and, if they are present, he is referred to a neurologist for consultation.

In addition to the absence of certain reflex reactions, acquired abilities are signs of a baby’s healthy development. These include:

• Turns the body both onto the stomach and from it back onto the side and back.
• Support on your palms while lying on your stomach. In this case, holding the head must be confident and long (at least 15 minutes).
• Rapid jolts from a hard surface with the toes when the baby is held by the armpits.
• Lack of tone in the arms. It can still appear on the legs, because most of the activity during this period occurs on them.
• Grasping and holding objects for 20-30 seconds. The baby should already have an understanding that when the rattle moves, it will make sounds.
• Active participation in feeding: the baby tends to support the bottle or hold on to the breast.
• The first skills to control your hands: reach out and touch surrounding objects, consciously put your fingers in your mouth.
• Opening the palms and unclenching the fingers.
• Ability to sit down when lifted by the arms. At this stage of development, you should not be overzealous with planting, since the spine is still just getting stronger.

• The child becomes more active and reacts more emotionally to his mother’s voice: he animatedly twitches his legs and arms, smiles joyfully or even laughs, and chats with her in his own way. Such manifestations can also be observed as a reaction to new toys or people.
• The baby begins to understand his name, so you should address him in the third person more often. In response to conversations with him, the child should respond with the first sounds: predominantly long vowels, but elements of hard consonants can also occur.
• The baby begins to remember the sequence of daily actions and understand what will happen after this or that event. For example, wait patiently for a massage after bathing; when dressing, understand that you are planning to go outside; when you see the breast, calm down in anticipation of feeding.
• He begins to have his first feelings: he feels hurt, scared, happy, sad, and even interested or bored.
• The baby begins to feel curious about his own body. So, he carefully examines his hands, touches his face, ears or head, even recognizes himself in the mirror and watches with interest.
• He already easily recognizes his loved ones and demands their attention, especially his mother. The baby still has a strong connection with her, so he needs constant contact: both in terms of touching and stroking, and in the emotional aspect. The mother must understand that the child instantly feels both joy and sadness - his mood depends on this.
• When seeing previously unfamiliar people, the child behaves quite cautiously, carefully studying new faces. The same reaction can be observed if one of the family members is wearing a hat, hood or sunglasses, because the child will not recognize them in this form. And having removed such a “disguise”, you can observe vivid emotions of surprise in the form of sounds, facial expressions and active body movements.
• At four months, the baby’s perception of the world around him through vision and hearing is actively improving. Now he not only closely observes moving toys in his field of vision, but also remembers them. And if you show your child how a rattle rumbles, and then make noise with it in the other direction, he will turn his head listening in search of a familiar sound.

Vision

In addition to increased attentiveness, the child begins to be interested in flowers. The first things he will notice are colorful and rich colors, such as sunny yellow or rich red. Less saturated shades (green, blue and blue tones) also attract his gaze, but to a lesser extent. Therefore, you should choose new toys based on these preferences: bright colors, but not mixed with each other. The baby will better accept the entertainment if the toy contains no more than 4 shades, otherwise he will quickly get tired and lose interest.

Hearing

The period has come when the child diligently listens to the sounds around him, distinguishing between the voices of his father and mother, and begins to turn his head in search of them. Listening to a melody or song, he already shows his sympathy or, conversely, dissatisfaction with what he heard. A baby at this age finds rhythmic tempos more pleasant than high-pitched sounds, since his hearing perceives only a couple of tones from the entire possible spectrum. A clearly audible rhythm will have a calming effect and make it possible to add an element of play in the form of movements of arms and legs to the beat of the music.

At 4 months, the baby reaches a stage when he needs constant communication. It depends on this when the beginning of his future first words and sentences occurs. Therefore, parents need to become more sociable: explain any action in words, talk about joint plans for today, describe the situations happening around them. It will be effective to read the first books with large pictures or use cards with words and illustrations for them.

In turn, the baby will respond to the speeches he hears with his own tongue. In order for him to start trying to repeat after his mother, he needs to be shown how this is done: you need to wait until he finishes “his sentence” and then reproduce his sounds. In this way, the child develops the skill of imitating speech, which will help him learn to speak more easily.

Lack of skills: what should alert you

Each child is prone to his own individual development. Therefore, in some children the listed abilities appear earlier, in others they appear later. This isn't always a cause for concern, but it's worth knowing what skills you're lacking should attract attention. Warning signs include the absence of:

• Grasping and holding even the lightest objects in the handle.
• Attempts to roll over onto your stomach or unsuccessful attempts.
• Initial hand raises while lying on your stomach.
• Holding the head confidently when the baby is lifted by the arms.
• Elementary emotions and reactions to attention, conversations and games: surprise, enthusiasm, sadness, smiles, laughter.
• A confident stand on your toes if you hold the baby to stand.

Feeding and sleeping schedule

When breastfeeding

Children on breastfeeding should be fed according to an already developed individual schedule: . At this age, there is no longer any need to carefully measure the amount of food eaten or check the fat content of milk. If the baby gains weight every day, then the food he receives is quite enough.

When done correctly, her milk contains everything necessary for the baby’s good health, so there is no need to introduce complementary foods. Additional food in the form of fruit purees and juices is resorted to in some cases after the recommendation of pediatricians. If there are no peculiarities in the development and growth of the baby, then there is no need to increase the risk of allergies and digestive problems due to new food.

For future complementary feeding, it is best to use vegetable products in the form of purees. The microelements and vitamins contained in them are more necessary for the child's body than in fruit foods. In addition, many kids do not accept less tasty vegetables after tasting sweet fruit purees.

With artificial feeding

If the baby's diet consists of formula milk, then juices can be introduced from 4 months. This product, new to the baby’s tummy, should be introduced gradually, no more than 30 grams per day in diluted form.

The frequency and amount of mixture consumed depends on the dynamics of weight gain. On average, by four months a child should eat 5-7 times a day and eat 150 grams per feeding.

Dream

The norm for sufficient rest and complete restoration of children's strength is sleep that lasts at least 13-15 hours. By 4 months, the number of night feedings should be reduced to 1-2 times, and total sleep should be 10 hours. If the baby already sleeps all night and wakes up only in the morning, this is a natural phenomenon and is not considered a deviation from the norm. The remaining 3-5 hours fall on daytime rest and sleep while walking.

By this age, it’s time to accustom your baby to a nap schedule. Then it will be easier for him to fall asleep and sleep better, which will prevent him from overwork and disruptions in night sleep. The optimal time for bed is also important, which is considered to be the period from 7 to 9 pm.

At 4 months, the child directly depends on contact with his mother. The same applies to the development of his new skills and abilities. That’s why it’s so important to take your baby with you and not leave him in a playpen or crib. For example, take him with you to the kitchen in a stroller or sling and, while doing household chores, tell him all the details. Use for these purposes Kangaroo care is not recommended until 6 months of age when the child's back gets stronger.

You should constantly talk to the baby and actively engage in dialogue. It is very important for the baby to understand and feel that he is not only heard, but is one of the main characters in the conversation. Therefore, it will be very interesting for him to hear how this or that object is used, what color it is, what else comes in that color. If the item is safe, then you can allow the baby to touch and taste it. He will be happy with such new non-standard toys. Moreover, such objects or homemade toys made from strings tied in knots, fur and smooth fabrics develop motor skills well and give the joy of new sensations.

Educational games with a child

You can include the following games in your daily routine:

• With an element of surprise at the end: the well-known “Horned Goat” or “Over the bumps, over the bumps.” They develop the child's reaction.
• To develop coordination and orientation: “Peek-a-boo.” It is best to hide on one side and appear on the other side of the baby so that he turns his head towards the sound.
• To develop the muscles of the arms: “Ladushki”. We need to show the baby how to open his palm when clapping, so that later he can practice unclenching himself.
• Including a light massage: “Magpie-Crow”. During the game, all points on the palm and fingers are affected, and each of them is responsible for a specific organ. So, in the center is the intestinal point, the little finger determines the heart, the nervous system point is projected onto the ring finger, the middle finger is responsible for the liver, the index finger is for the stomach, and the brain point is located on the thumb.

For the full development of the baby, it is better to use all methods in combination. It is also worth continuing the massage after bathing, adding new exercises, and carefully strengthening the little body. All this will help him learn new things faster and easier and please his parents.

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The development of a child at 4 months of age is aimed primarily at improving emotions. He feels much better physically, the problems of the adaptation period and colic have faded into the background. Now the baby is enthusiastically learning about himself, learning to communicate with dad and mom, and trying to actively explore the world. The parents' task is to help him in this difficult matter. The development of boys and girls at such an early age is not very different, which should not be surprising. Differences between the sexes appear only in terms of height and weight, and even then not always.

Physical development of the baby

At 4 months there is no particular difference between the physical development of children of both sexes. Is it possible that a boy may be a little larger and recover faster than a girl? On average, a baby gains 600 grams this month and weighs 6.2-6.8 kg, almost twice as much as a newborn. The baby is still growing very rapidly, he stretches approximately 2 cm. The average height of four-month-old children is 62-65 cm. Indicators of the physical development of children may be different, which should not be surprising. After all, every baby develops according to its own plan, so yours must be like the others. Much depends on genetics, in what conditions the baby lives, what kind of diet he has.

The fourth month of life is characterized by the emergence of new physical skills in the baby. He is already turning over from his stomach to his back and back. Some children manage to do this at the beginning of the month, while others do it at the end. Boys sometimes roll over faster than girls, but not always. Under no circumstances should a child at this age be left alone on a large bed so that he does not roll over and fall. Lying on his stomach, the little one confidently holds his head, sometimes throws it back, and rises not only on his elbows, but also on his palms. If you take him by the arms and pull him up, the baby can sit down. It’s not worth planting it for a long time; the baby’s back muscles have not yet become stronger. When the child is taken under the arms, he stands on his tiptoes and tries to push off.

Hypertonicity in the arms had almost disappeared by four months, but was still present in the legs. The baby’s palms are no longer clenched into fists, but are almost always open. He can clap and confidently put his finger in his mouth. Children at this age are already able to independently grab toys and hold them for thirty seconds. Most people know how to play with the pendant, they hit the toy with a handle and watch carefully until the toys stop. This is one of the first skills to actively explore the world. Lying on his back, the child can raise his legs quite high. In the tummy position, the baby tries to crawl. True, half manage to move not forward, but backward. When you take your baby in your arms, he tries to actively “help”, he strains and diligently tightens his body, sometimes he even sweats from tension.

So, let’s summarize what physical skills are typical for four-month-old children. Here's what they've learned so far:

• Most people can roll over from their back to their stomach and vice versa.
• In a prone position, they rest on their palms and raise their torso, holding their head confidently
• They sit down if you pull them up by the handles
• They push off the surface with their legs when they are held in a vertical position.
• Able to grab toys and hold them for half a minute
• Playing with pendants
• Raise your legs high while lying on your back
• They try to crawl on all fours if they are lying on their tummy
• They actively help their mother when she takes them in her arms

Vision, hearing and speech of a four-month-old baby

By four months of life, the formation of the visual organ in children is completed. They clearly see not only objects that are at a distance of 30-40 centimeters from them, but also those that are located at a distance of 3.5 meters. It’s true that children still cannot focus their eyes on distant angles. A four-month-old baby is learning to distinguish colors; he is most interested in bright, contrasting toys and pictures. The baby turns his head and can move his gaze 180 degrees, this is especially good in a vertical position. The baby confidently follows different objects with his eyes and follows them with his gaze. Taking a toy in his hand, the child first evaluates it with his eyes, only then pulls it into his mouth. He also distinguishes the faces of his mother, father and grandmother and reacts to the appearance of loved ones with a smile. The baby begins to be interested in moving objects, which was not the case before. He enjoys watching electric trains, cars, pets, and older brothers and sisters.

The hearing of a 4-month-old child also improves and becomes almost the same as that of adults. He already knows how to identify the source of noise and turns his head there. True, before this he thinks for a few seconds, the brain analyzes the information received. The baby begins to distinguish between the voices of mom and dad. Four-month-old babies really like to listen to themselves, they experiment with sounds, walk quieter and louder, and make loud screams.

Sometimes a child hums for a few seconds, then babbles, hums, and then falls silent again. This is all an educational game, don't be scared. Babies react to music very interestingly. A cheerful melody excites them, while a calm one, on the contrary, calms them down. At this age, children begin to be divided into visual and auditory learners. The former perceive visual images better, the latter - auditory. There is a stereotype that girls perceive the world with their ears, and boys with their eyes. In fact, this is not so; the type of perception is absolutely independent of gender. What a child will prefer, sounds or images, depends solely on his individual characteristics.

The development of hearing in a child at 4 months of life goes in parallel with the development of speech. Children can not only coo and pronounce simple open vowels “a”, “o”, but begin to connect them with consonants. First of all, they learn to pronounce the sounds “m”, “p”, “b”. Sometimes they manage to say the word “mom”, “dad” or “baba”, but more often they get the syllables “bo”, “ma”, “he”, “y”. In baby babble, the peculiarities of the language spoken by the parents are already beginning to be visible. The child begins to actively communicate with his parents. He happily “answers” ​​his mother, reacts to her intonations, even though he doesn’t understand the words yet. If communication suddenly stops, the baby starts crying. He is not yet afraid of strangers; when he sees a new person, he shows interest in him and tries to “speak to him.” Boys' speech development may be slower than girls. Although in the fourth month this is not so noticeable.

Let us summarize the main achievements of a baby at the age of four months, which are associated with the development of hearing and vision. Here's what the kids managed to learn:

• See objects at a distance of 3.5 meters
• Good at distinguishing bright and contrasting colors
• Follow moving objects
• Change your viewing angle 180 degrees
• Identify the source of the noise and turn your head there
• Distinguish between parents' voices and their intonations
• Respond correctly to different types of music
• Pronounce more complex sound combinations
• Children like to communicate with adults; they themselves take the initiative.

Baby's mental and emotional development

The development of emotions and mental abilities in a 4-month-old child is very rapid. He learns to establish connections between visual and auditory images and subsequent events. For example, many children understand that the sight of their mother's breast means food. They quickly calm down when they see the nipple, even before they put it in their mouth. The child’s emotions become much richer; he can not only smile, but also laugh wildly, which makes his parents incredibly happy. He violently shows joy when mom or dad appears, and also reacts violently to their sudden disappearance. He gets excited at the sight of his favorite toy, pet, or the sounds of a funny song. He often squeals and growls with pleasure, actively waving his arms and legs. Using a rattle or bell, you can easily distract your baby and make him stop crying.

In the fourth month, the baby's needs become more varied than before. He signals not only that he wants to drink and eat, pee and poop. Now he is capricious because he is bored, the baby shows curiosity when he sees new toys, and is interested in new unfamiliar sounds.

The baby begins to react to his name and perceives the voices of mom and dad differently. At 4 months, children enjoy active games. They are happy if they are tossed up, twirled, or doing gymnastics. Even more, kids like to communicate with adults, even strangers. At this age, they still have difficulty distinguishing between friends and strangers; fear of strangers will come a little later.

At 4 months of age, a child begins intensive memory development. He can recognize objects and toys that he saw a minute ago. The baby already knows well everyone who lives with him (father, mother, grandmother), but is most attached to his mother. He still perceives himself and her as a single whole, therefore he constantly needs tactile and vocal contact. The visual image of the mother in the child is associated with the way she looks, with clothes and hairstyle. Therefore, when changing hair color or wearing a new dress, the baby may not recognize her. Children love exploring their own bodies and it takes up most of their time. The baby often plays with his own arms and legs, feels his nose, lips, tummy, sucks his fingers, rubs his eyes, and tries to put a leg into his mouth. You can quietly watch the baby until she sees you. You will be able to better understand what your baby has already learned.

So, let’s summarize what a child has learned at 4 months:

• Begins to understand the simplest cause-and-effect relationships
• The range of feelings expands, the child experiences fear, curiosity, joy, resentment
• Baby makes big leaps emotionally
• Actively exploring his own body
• Recognizes loved ones by the face and voice, highlights, first of all, mother
• So far he perceives strangers without fear, but with some wariness
• Memory is actively developing.

You should not constantly look at the women's forum or ask the mothers you constantly know what their children have learned. The developmental characteristics of a child at 4 months are very individual. Different children have different skills, so you shouldn’t paint everyone with the same brush. Boys and girls are not too different from each other in this regard.

Features of caring for a four-month-old baby

The basis of feeding a fourth-dimensional child continues to be formula and breast milk. The child eats 5-6 times throughout the day, sometimes wakes up once or twice at night or early in the morning, which should not be surprising. Children spend a lot of energy on development and growth, so they are not able to withstand a long night break from eating. There are different opinions about the timing of introducing complementary foods. The old table recommends giving babies fruit juices, cereals or vegetable purees already at this age. The new rules state that breastfed children should be introduced to complementary foods no earlier than six months, and formula-fed babies should be introduced at 5-5.5 months. Your pediatrician can best advise you on which diet and complementary feeding regimen to choose. He will examine the child and make a decision based on it. You can also ask your doctor for high-quality materials regarding the nutrition of a child in the first year of life.

It is necessary to feed the baby when the mother has little milk. In this case, the child often gets up and screams at night, asking to eat every 1.5-2 hours during the day. If you put him to your chest, he drinks milk very greedily. Dairy-free porridge, buckwheat or rice can be introduced as the first complementary food. Semolina and oatmeal are contraindicated for feeding infants, as they contain gluten, and corn is too coarse for a baby. Vegetable puree can be made from zucchini, pumpkin, cauliflower. For fruits, children are given an apple, sliced ​​and mashed banana. Any juices and compote are suitable, except citrus fruits; red berries are also undesirable. They contain many vitamins that the baby will soon lack. Complementary foods are introduced in very small portions over two weeks. The first portion should be no more than half a teaspoon, gradually increasing to 100 milliliters. The menu for additional feeding must be selected individually, making sure that there is no allergy to the products.

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The need for sleep in the fourth month is about 15 hours. Approximately 10 hours at night and three times for 1.5-2 hours during the day. The baby should be put to bed between seven and nine in the evening. Some babies still wake up at night to eat, this is normal. But there are also those who sleep peacefully until the morning. The room where the child sleeps should be quiet; under no circumstances should you keep or turn on a TV or computer there. Otherwise, the baby will be restless, begin to toss and turn in his sleep, and in the morning he will wake up tired and moody, and you have no need for hysterics. It is advisable to establish a sleep schedule during the day, putting the baby in bed at the same time. If your baby refuses to fall asleep, you can play quiet, calm music or sing a lullaby. Walking is important for good sleep and normal appetite. You need to take your baby outside at least twice, preferably in the morning and evening.

Taking care of your baby's skin is still important. You should change diapers on time, every 2-3 hours, and use high-quality baby cosmetics. Daily bathing is now turning into real fun. Buy your baby special toys for the bath, extend the time of water procedures a little so that he can play with them.

The baby's clothes should be made of natural fabrics, without unnecessary seams. It is important that it does not hinder movement or interfere; the size must be appropriate for age. Long strings, ruffles and buttons are of no use to the baby; clothes should be, first and foremost, functional. Give your child air baths several times a day, put him naked on the bed and play. This is not only good for the skin, but also strengthens the baby and helps to better develop motor skills. In the fourth month, the baby goes bald, you should not be afraid, the vellus hair is simply replaced by normal hair.

Activities with a 4 month old baby

In order for the development of a child at 4 months to proceed correctly, you need to work with him. What can you teach him at this age? When your baby is awake, place him on his stomach more often. He will strengthen the muscles of his neck and back, and will be able to more actively look at the world around him. Try to encourage crawling. Place the toy at some distance from the child and let him try to reach it. If your baby has not yet learned to roll over, help him master this skill. When the baby is lying on his back, cross his one leg over the other and slowly turn him onto his side. In the same position, place your hand under his back and rock him from side to side. Lay the child on his side and gently push him so that he tries to turn himself. The baby should not immediately repeat what you are trying to teach him. Be patient, in a few days he will surprise you with new skills.

Active games are very useful for a period of four months. Try lifting the baby up and down, circling. Some children really like this exercise. Gymnastics and exercises are still passive, extending and bending the arms, spreading the legs “bicycle”. You can try to pull the baby up in your arms so that he sits up little by little. But you can’t keep him in this position for a long time. Take the baby under your arms; in an upright position, babies are active jumpers, they like to spring on their bent legs. To develop finger motor skills, play “Toshi-Toshi” with your toddler, finger his fingers, give him toys of different shapes, with moving parts. In the evening, be sure to give a relaxing massage so that your baby falls asleep well.

At 4 months, a baby’s vision is already quite well developed; they can distinguish primary colors. Therefore, show them pictures on which a figure, number or letter is drawn. Play with disappearing objects, slowly remove the toy from the child's field of view, then return it to its place. Play music for your child more often, read books, children's poems, and be sure to sing a lullaby before bed. Activities for speech development are very important. “Talk” to your baby several times a day.” Speak simple words, syllables with different intonations, repeat speech exercises several times a day. You should always show joy and praise your baby when he succeeds in repeating sounds after you. If you are doing something with your child, comment on all your actions with words. Then his speech skills will develop much faster.

The correct feeding regime, development and care of the child are very important, because in the first year the baby can learn a lot. But the only correct recipe for what and how to teach a baby at an early age is not yet known. It is much more important to establish warm emotional contact and psychological understanding with him. Whatever you teach your baby, rejoice at even his slightest successes. Praise your baby, he should constantly hear positive feedback. Positive intonations in the voice will support and encourage him, and will become an excellent incentive for new achievements. Try to keep the stroller with your baby next to you at all times, even if you are doing your own thing. Be sure to film the first months of your little one’s life so that later he can look at his little self.