ENCOURAGING
PHYSICAL SKILLS
FROM SIX - TWELVE MONTHS
At
around eight to nine months most babies are able to stand
when held. If he/she wants to stand hold him/her on your
lap or a firm surface, give plenty of smiling approval and
don’t worry if the legs buckle at first. Some babies
love bouncers especially if they like movement. Some parents
use baby walkers but they are very dangerous and are the
cause of many accidents because the babies cannot see where
they are going. If you use a baby walker it is best to only
use it while you are with your baby and concentrating.
At this stage many babies start to crawl but this varies
from baby to baby. Some babies never crawl but bum shuffle
or do a crab like crawl. And there are many variations of
crawling. Crawling can be encouraged by putting a favourite
toy slightly out of reach to tempt the baby to crawl over
to it. You can also crawl together and have obstacle races
using cushions to crawl over or allowing them the experience
of crawling over you first on the floor. This it is great
fun and if you are happy they will be too. Toys that roll
are good to use when skills at crawling are improving. Crawling
is thought to be good for the brain because it helps to
develop the parts that are used later for reading and writing.
The
next skill they learn is pulling up to stand. To encourage
this put a toy on a chair that can take the baby’s
weight to encourage the child to pull up to stand. The first
time children do this it is important to show pleasure but
the child will need help to sit down again because he will
not be able to do that. Hold his hands and gently sit him
on the floor. Climbing may also start during this time and
this is also a time to be safety conscious because many
accidents occur at this time. Babies love to crawl up the
stairs but never know how to get down so parents have to
show them how to slide backwards. They also need to be shown
how to get down the stairs via the bottom when they reach
that stage and then how to walk down two feet per step and
then one foot per step holding the rail. They love exploring
and developing their skills and once they can stand they
will soon be walking around the furniture. Holding hands
and walking with them is a good idea and as the walking
progresses try holding one hand only and then a finger until
they are confident to take some steps alone. Push-along-toys
are good for increasing confidence. Let your child walk
a few steps towards you and increase the distance as they
gain skill and confidence. Play games with your child that
encourage walking such as asking “I can see the teddy
can you get it for me”, this also encourages speech.
Running games and a basic version of hide and seek are also
fun to do. This is an exciting time for parents and babies
but an exhausting one too because they want to practice
all the time. They get tired easily so you will still need
to use your buggy and many park benches for a few more years!
Have fun and try not to expect too much too soon and remember
that the average age for walking is fourteen months. All
babies are different and develop their skills differently
and while some babies walk at 10 months others will not
walk alone until 20 months.
If your are worried at any time about your baby’s
development or your intuition tells you that there is something
wrong it is best to discuss your worries with your Health
Visitor or Doctor.
Frances
Byatt-Smith RN RHV BA Psychology
Fighting
between siblings
Encouraging good behaviour
Link between emotions
and behaviour
The emotional needs
of children
The shy child
Dealing with Toddlers
fears
Why do children show
so much anger in the early years
Speech Development
Speech
& Language Development: Ages & Stages
Encouraging
Physical Skills
in the first six months
Encouraging
Physical Skills from six to twelve months
Check your child's
Development at two years
The stages
of emotional development in 0-5 years
Development
of Vision
What can my baby see?
