A psychotherapist Dr. Donna is giving some advices how to promote a 7-month-old`s physical development.
The activities are best to be held at home. Here a child feels safe and you have all materials needed for the activities.
Each exercise depends on the abilities of a child on this period. The first exercise is aimed at making a child move back and forth. Rocking is an important step to crawling. It helps a baby to learn how to balance on their hands and knees. A song like “rock, rock, rock your boat” can make this exercise exciting for a baby. Other activities are aimed at making an effort to crawl. First of all it is important to help a child take a correct position. So we should put a child in a tucked position, arms down and then find something that will attract his attention. In this case different toys and colorful books may be rather helpful. If we put toys and books at some distance, it will encourage a child to move. Taking toys requires some efforts and a child will be forced to start reaching for it. Later it will be possible to make this exercise a little bit more difficult. For example, we can put pillows or anything we have at home that can be used as a barrier. So in this case a baby will need to overcome an obstacle first to reach a favorite toy. Other activities are aimed at developing motor skills. Here we may use little foods (however it is important to be sure that the child will not choke on it) or musical instruments that baby will adore. And the last activities will encourage a child to stand. For example we can use bubbles and the child will try to reach them in the air. Bubbles are the greatest source of joy and not only for children, but for parents as well. Bubbles can be replaced by the balls. We can string some balls or a rope and a child will try to reach it and grab for it. Whatever the activity is, the parent should keep a close sight on a child.
Works Cited
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zbhjIfoO64
