When a child starts sitting and how to help him

How to understand that a child is ready to sit

Children are born weak: at first, their muscles cannot keep their bodies upright. But every day they develop and become stronger.

The first sign that a child will soon learn to sit is the ability to confidently control head position.

The fact that the kid has learned keep your head in an upright position and twirling it in different directions, means that the muscles of his neck and back are strong enough. Typically, this skill is acquired at the age of 5–6 months. There is literally one step left until the ability to sit, keeping not only the head but also the back upright.

When the child starts to sit

Most babies begin to sit confidently around 6 months of age.Infant and toddler health. Although the boundaries of the norm, as often happens, are rather blurredBaby milestones: Sitting - someone makes attempts as early as 4 months, and someone closer to 7.

True, sitting does not mean sitting down. You will most likely need to help your son or

daughters take the desired position (do not do this before the child learns to hold his head!).

Sit your baby so that he has support. For example, surround him with pillows. Or sit in a feeding chair - just make sure it doesn't fall out.

Even children who seem to have mastered sitting are often knocked over in the first few weeks after learning a new skill. Sometimes - simply because they became uninterested in maintaining an upright position. Take this into account and do everything so that the child does not hit his head when falling.

By 7-8 months, almost everything children They sit down independently from any position - lying on their back, stomach, side - and confidently keep their balance with an upright back.

What to do if the child is not sitting

First of all, don't worry. The boundaries of the norm are wide, and if your child refuses to keep his back upright even at 6-7 months, he has every physiological right to do so.

Worry is justified only in the following casesBaby milestones: Sitting:

• if by about 4 months you have not even noticed attempts to raise your head and hold it upright;
• if the child holds his head, but does not try to raise himself on his hands from a position on his tummy;
• the baby is already 9 months old, but he still has not learned to sit without support.

However, even lagging behind these key “reference points” is not yet an indicator that something is wrong with the child. Children develop individually. And for example, those of them who were born prematurely may be slightly delayed in development compared to their peers. In any case, the pediatrician will give you more accurate information.

How to help your child sit and sit

The ability to sit is directly related to how strong your back and neck muscles are. Therefore, if you want to speed up the process, take the time training.

1. Lay the baby on the belly more often

In this position, to see what is happening around, he will have to raise his head and shoulders, leaning on the arms. This is a great workout for your back muscles.

To prevent the child from getting bored while charging, lay bright toys around him or put a mirror in front of him. Children aged 4-5 months are already curious and ready to spend a lot of time studying new objects and their own face.

2. Show your child how fun a sitting position can be

To do this, sit the baby on your lap so that he rests on your stomach and chest, and show him toys, read books, make movements (for example, "box-box!") with his handles, stroke the cat together or sort the stones on the table. An interested infant will try to keep his back upright, which will strengthen his muscles.

3. Help your child to get up from a supine position

Stretch out your arms so that the baby grabs your fingers. Lift it up slowly and carefully. When the angle between the back and the supporting surface is 40–45º, fix this position for a few seconds, and then just help the child to lie down again. Repeat this exercise several times a day.