A New Parent's Guide to Child Development - The First 6 Months
by Reggie Moore Professional writer and proto entrepreneurBeing the parent of a newborn can be an exhilarating but
terrifying time for first timers. Along with the exhaustion of way too little
sleep and no longer having any personal space, babies can be one of the best
new additions to a growing family. It can be hard to know what's normal during
an infant's growth and development. Here are some quick facts about what to
expect from a new baby and how they're experiencing the world around them.
First Month
The first month can be the scariest because the parent is
getting used to the baby's signals and needs and learning to interpret the new
noises and body language. At one month, a baby can focus about eight to twelve
inches away from their face. They can't support their head on their own but
will jerk their arms around frequently. They will like black and white patterns
more than colorful patterns and can recognize and respond to familiar sounds.
At this age, baby should be encouraged to engage and reach out for toys.
Second Month
At the second month, the baby will be more likely to smile
at their parent and begin recognizing the frequent faces in their life. They
will be able to utilize their forearms to support themselves and will be developing
their hand eye coordination at this stage. They will most likely stop clenching
their fists as often. Now is the perfect stage for tummy time to strengthen
their limbs and coordination.
Third Month
Three months is a significant point in development for an
infant. They will start to engage more actively socially, with more smiling and
laughing. They may also start to babble or imitate sounds they hear around
them. While developing socially, baby will also be improving their coordination
and usage of limbs. They will be able to support themselves and stretch their
legs out while on their stomach. The baby's white matter in their brain is
growing and developing as they go through their three month growth spurt. Baby
may have an increased appetite or become frustrated more easily at this stage.
Fourth Month
A baby at this age will have clearly different signs for
different forms of distress. A parent will be able to recognize whether their
child is hungry, sad or needing some playtime. Baby will be able to use their
hands and eyes at the same time to track and reach for toys or other
interesting objects out of reach. Physically, the baby is learning to roll over
onto their back and can be encouraged to sit up with their own strength.
Everything the baby can reach will be going in their mouth out of curiosity and
newfound courage brought about by their new skills. The baby will be much more
active and wiggly at this stage, wanting to go out and explore as much as they
can.
Fifth Month
This month may be the first time the new parent gets a hug
from their baby. This may also be the month where baby gets their first tooth
or tries to pull themselves up. Their leg strength is developing, and they will
enjoy rolling over and bouncing on their legs when supported by a parent.
Babies have been found to really enjoy music and can recognize songs they like.
Testing the baby's music preferences is a cute and fun way to engage them at
this stage.
Sixth Month
At six months, a new parent will feel they've seen a great
deal of their baby's development into the beginnings of a toddler. At this
stage, the baby will like to look at themselves in the mirror and be able to
identify faces they know and those of strangers. Baby will frequently respond
to adults' emotions and words, repeating vowels back and engaging in what
sounds like back and forth conversation. Six months is a good time to begin
introducing solid foods while continuing a diet of breast milk. The baby will
be very interested in their parents' food and will be able to see more clearly
and focus better on toys and objects. Baby's social needs will only grow as
they learn to better communicate their desires and interpret their parents'
emotions.
Having a new baby can be terrifying for first-time parents.
With the unique stress of supporting a new life that can't support itself,
parents will be stressed and may not know what to expect from their little one.
Babies will rapidly develop in their first six months and continue to grow and
change as they become toddlers and develop further into children. The first six
months can be the scariest but with a little preparation and a lot of patience,
every new parent can get through this time without over-worrying or stressing
themselves. If you are looking for more information and are interested in
becoming a professional child care provider, check out courses like these child
care courses in Sydney.
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Created on Aug 12th 2021 17:08. Viewed 1,257 times.