When you are a parent, many times you want to live all the experiences at the same time and all at once, but the truth is, as much as we want this is not so, our little ones have a rhythm, their development is on the rise and although each child carries its own rhythm, developmental milestones also take their own time.

Motherhood can be overwhelming, especially during the first year of life, between breastfeeding, growth spurts, the sensory stimuli the baby should receive and the secure attachment (the baby will most likely become attached to the mother because she is the one who feeds him), there is little time to rest.

Many parents feel the imperious desire to see their baby talk, walk, eat alone, sleep alone, learn to regulate himself quickly, give up the diaper, give up the pacifier, in short, go to school and soon come back with a degree in engineering.

Let him walk soon so that he can rest a little!

The success at this point is not how much you can do to achieve it, the success in reality is how much you allow the child to do so that he can achieve it by himself, just as everything has a maturation time, in the same way children prepare themselves to take this big step or rather their first steps.

So what can I do to help him?

There are certain things that you can do to help him, although the decision to walk will depend entirely on your little one, as parents you can help him, pay attention:

• Stimulate free movement: it is not about leaving the baby alone and let happen what has to happen, but if you can create a safe environment where the little one can stretch his arms and legs freely and where he has the feeling of freedom (comfortable clothes, safe places, pleasant environment).

• Prepare him for crawling: it is the first step for him to walk safely, crawling allows him to develop his motor and physical skills, allowing the child to have an adequate perception of space and his movements.

• Allow him to walk barefoot: The ideal for those first steps is that your little one feels safe and what better footwear than his feet feeling the cold of the floor, or the different textures or the security of feeling with his little feet the ground where he has to walk.

• Don’t show your insecurities, stay calm: If the child feels that his parents trust that he is capable, in a short time he will be able to do it. Give him that backing, encourage him and don’t give up, in no time there will be a little one running around the house.

• Don’t use walkers: This could delay the process, anything that offers him a false security will kill his self-esteem and self-confidence.

Let him fall down and get up

There is an old saying “the habit does not make the monk”, your baby will not be an expert with the first steps, but we are sure that after a short time his small and insecure legs will take the necessary strength to walk firmly.

Finally, always remember that children should crawl between 6 and 8 months, they will walk between 8 and 12 months, it can be earlier or later.

La entrada How to help your baby walk? se publicó primero en yademasmama.

Movement in our little ones begins to develop from an early age, even before they are born they explore their body’s movement capabilities by giving us little kicks. But once out of the womb it is time to help them in their development, and we can do it through simple activities.

Gross motor skills refer to large movements, those that activate the muscles of the body, maintain balance, work on strength by lifting weighted objects, and encourage agility and speed. In general, gross motor exercises will work with various body muscles and specific skills.

Depending on the age of your child we have some activities that will encourage gross motor development.

0-1 year old

• Touching the palms

Once your little one is able to hold his head you can sit him in front of you and sing a song in which you slowly clap your hands together. Take his palms and guide him to slowly learn the movement.

• Reaching for objects

During tummy time, place toys or other objects of interest to your little one at a distance he can reach by stretching out. Lying on his back or even sitting up, you can place objects higher than head level so he can reach them by stretching.

• Rolling and crawling

Place your little one on his back on a soft but firm surface, show him an interesting toy and place it to the side to encourage him to turn his body to reach for it and get into a crawling position. Now take the object with you in front of your little one so that he starts to chase you, once he catches up with you give the object as a reward.

1-2 years old

• Obstacles

Learning to use their limbs and make movements will be of vital importance at this stage. Place books or small boxes on the floor and show him how he can crawl over the obstacles. This can be by crawling over them or standing by placing one foot before the other and taking your lead at first.

• Getting out of an obstacle

Put a couple of chairs together and surround them with brightly colored rope creating a sort of maze, take the little one to the entrance of the maze and wait for him on the other side talking to him and encouraging him to go through it. This activity will show him the limits of his body, where it fits and where it does not.
Another great idea is to place a pair of inflatable life rings on a mat, stacked on top of each other. Your little one in the center sitting down, you take his hands to show him how to get out of there and let him do the rest.

2-3 years

• Construction

With empty cardboard boxes start building a wall or tower, once finished ask him to kick it down, this movement will test his balance and skills to carry large objects.

• Walking without help, in different directions

Let your little one walk without holding on to objects or your hand, look for a suitable surface for this. You can play at walking sideways and backwards to develop balance skills.

• Touching the tips of the toes

A basic exercise to maintain flexibility, stand slowly bend your back to touch your knees and ask your little one to imitate you. Then continue down until you reach the tips of your toes without bending your knees too much.

3-4 years

• Jumping

An activity that seems simple, like walking, but involves many muscles and requires coordination and balance. Make games to jump with both feet or with only one foot, you can draw circles and squares on the floor, circles are jumped with two feet and squares with one.

Frog hops are another fun activity, find an ideal surface such as grass or a mat. Show him the squatting position and allow him to imitate you, if necessary correct the position. Once squatting it is time to jump, he may not be able to jump at first or he may only be able to do it a couple of times without losing his balance, gradually increase the duration until he jumps ten times without falling.

• Walking in a straight line

Draw a line on the floor with thick, colored tape, at least 5 centimeters long. Try to walk on it while keeping your balance. As time goes on you can add more difficulty by holding a ball while walking, or a hoop in each hand.

4-5 years old

• Baseball

The game of baseball is ideal for developing arm strength and coordination of movement and sight. They can start by tying a ball to a strong tree branch or pole so they can practice without having to pick up the ball each time.

• Wheelbarrows

A very fun game, especially when you have competitions. Ask your little one to lie down on the grass and then support himself on his hands and knees. Explain that he will be the wheelbarrow and you will hold his ankles. Start the race.
You’ve probably already realized how easy it is to help your little one’s development, as these are mostly fun games.

Remember that the age guidelines are general, but it is possible that your little one will be able to do some activities earlier or later. We hope our tips have been useful and that you have more options to encourage gross motor development.

La entrada Activities to stimulate gross motor skills in my little one se publicó primero en yademasmama.