Developmental milestones: 6 weeks to 3 months
After several weeks in the world, your child is beginning to become familiar with you and the world. Babies are fortunately born with natural, unique and dynamic skills for learning and development. They need a loving family and supportive environment and that is suited to innate needs, to grow and develop in the best possible way. Their relationship with their parents and the environment greatly influences the way they maximize their inherent developmental potential.
It is important to remember that although babies differ from each other and develop at their own pace, there are predictable milestones in their development you can monitor to determine whether they are progressing. Once you are familiar with these milestones, you can offer the infants age-appropriate activities, games and experiences that will help them develop and advance.
Developmental milestones
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Sensory Development
- Following your face or a moving object.
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Motor Development
- Lifting the head while lying on the stomach.
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Social Development
- Making sounds in response to your voice.
- Smiling when others smile at them.
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1Smiles, toys and eye contact
Babies prefer human faces. As such, when your baby is alert and relaxed, you can bring your face closer to his hers, establish eye contact and smile. You can then slightly move left and right to help the baby follow your face with his or her gaze. Gradually, you can also encourage a wider turn of the head left and right, and later up and down. You can practice gazing with colored objects, such as a booklet with photos. Do this while playing and encouraging attention. Since vision at this age is limited to a short distance, stay close to the baby's face, a distance of about 30 cm, to allow the baby to get to know you.
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2Daily routine is an excellent time to enhance development and communication
Feeding, diapering, dressing and bathing – are all excellent opportunities to speak with your baby and show enthusiasm and involvement. You should do this while the child is alert. Speak to him or her in a pleasant and quiet voice, encourage eye contact and offer opportunities to mimic (for instance, say something, smile, stop while maintaining eye contact and give the baby the opportunity to react).
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3Name of the game: midline
In the center of your baby's body, you can see a sort of imaginary line running right down the middle, from head to toe. Reaching beyond that midline is the basis for many of the motor skills: crawling, reaching for toys and objects, flipping through a book, taking objects out and putting them in a box, clapping and more.
To encourage your baby to use his or her hands at the midline, allow them to play with colorful objects. Place the object within grasp with the infant lying on his or her back. Initially, stimulate their hands with an object you hold and encourage the baby to grasp the object. Later, gradually pull the object away and present them to the baby at midline within grasp, with the baby lying on the back so that he or she can reach out to it.
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4Tummy time – difficult but worthwhile
You should place the infant on the stomach when he or she is alert and under your supervision. Tummy time is important and beneficial, helping babies gain control of the head and neck, which is the basis for their motor development.
At this age they are already more curious and begin to explore their surroundings. At first, they lift their head and move it from side to side. Next, they will raise their head and chest with the support of their forearms, then with the support of their hands with the elbows straight.
If your baby shows interest in a certain object or person and wants to reach it, this is the time to encourage this. The object can be placed within reach but only at a slight distance away, forcing the baby to reach and grab it.
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5Maybe it’s too much?
It is important to notice the baby’s mood and to adapt the activities and stimuli accordingly so that the baby will find it pleasant. Occasionally, too much stimulation can overwhelm and tire the baby. If he or she diverts the glance or shows signs of irritability and tiredness, you should ‘clean’ the environment and remove stimuli. The baby may have had enough play and would like to sleep.
Safety
Safety
During all activities with your baby, it is important that you keep him or her safe. Newborns are vulnerable: their head is relatively large in comparison with their body. The neck muscles are still weak and they lack head control. You must never shake infants. Shaking infants, even in play, is extremely dangerous and may cause irreversible harm.
No less important: Take care of yourself
Parenthood can be an incredible as well as an extremely challenging experience. To be a parent requires patience, attention and persistence. It is therefore important to take care and do something for yourself that will revitalize you. Taking care of yourself is not a luxury but an inseparable part of being a parent. Try to incorporate time, even if it is brief, for yourself so that you can plan (and do) something that will be good for you. This will allow you to return to your child with renewed energy, more patience and attention.