When the child begins to sit without support. When the child begins to sit independently. Sitting position - timing and norms for skill development


Parents often worry whether their babies are developing correctly. They are also interested in when the child begins to sit on his own, without outside help. After all, this is an important stage for children. In this position, they have a much greater view of the world around them, their hands are freed, so they can study various objects. Adults are proud of the success of their boy or girl. But it is important to understand that this must happen in its own time.

Features of a newborn baby

Young mothers are often suspicious. They compare their own child with the children of their friends and worry if their own child is lagging behind in some way. For example, when the neighbor’s boy is already sitting up on his own at six months, and yours has not yet made any noticeable attempts.

But this approach is fundamentally wrong. The main thing that parents must remember is that each child develops at his own individual pace. He doesn’t owe anyone anything; your boy or girl will sit up on his own when his body is ready for it. Not earlier and not later. There is no need to try to speed things up, this can only cause harm.

If you are concerned about the question at what age should a toddler sit down, then you can find out more about the development of the baby. A newborn is born with a straight spine. Gradually, curves begin to form. This happens under the influence of physical activity - first the baby learns to hold his head, then roll over, sit, and stand. As a result of these actions, the muscles that help the baby take the correct position are strengthened.

If you start to sit down the little one before he is ready, then due to the increased load the physiological irregularities of the spine will form incorrectly, it will sag too much. Already at school age this will most likely make itself felt. The child is likely to develop scoliosis and poor posture. So if grandmothers come up with an offer to put the little one on pillows, you can think carefully - why provoke future health problems?

Average terms

To avoid making such a mistake, you need to know at what age a baby should sit up on his own. There is no one timeframe that fits everyone. But average values ​​will allow you to assess the condition of the baby and not miss the moment when help may be needed. Therefore, it is recommended to remember when the child begins to sit for the first time, from how many months.

Most children develop like this:

  • At 6 months they can sit up with support;
  • At 7 months - independently, without support;
  • At 8 months they can sit freely on their own, easily lie down from this position and return back.

Attempts to sit up usually begin after 4 and a half months. The child tries to lift his upper body from the surface and pulls himself up from a lying position if the mother gives him her hands. From these actions one can understand his desire. Of course, he must be able to freely roll over from his back to his stomach and back. Until he masters these skills, he will not be able to sit down.

When a child just begins to sit, he may fall onto his side. You shouldn't prop it up with pillows all the time to prevent this from happening. This helps you quickly master the capabilities of your body and helps develop coordination of movements. We just need to provide safe conditions.

By this age and when interest in a new position appears, that is, when the baby wants to sit, you can begin to sit down little by little. But be sure to do it at an angle so as not to load the spine. This applies to high chairs, strollers, and even mother’s laps. The angle can be made about 45 degrees. This should be continued until the baby learns to sit on his own.

Is there a difference between girls and boys?

From grandmothers and old-school doctors you can hear that girls sit down later than boys. They justify their position by the fact that in this case deformation of the pelvic bones occurs. As a result, serious problems with the female organs arise in the future, such as a bent uterus. But modern research refutes this opinion. The uterus and appendages are located in such a way that no matter what time the baby sits down, it will not affect them in any way.

In any case, both girls and boys should not sit until 6 months. Even if babies have already learned to do this on their own, you should not allow them to sit for too long. It is advisable that this happens no longer than an hour a day. It is not recommended to strictly prohibit it, so as not to discourage interest in learning new capabilities of your body. It's better to distract yourself with a game.

What to do if the child is in no hurry to sit down?

It happens that even at 8 months the baby does not want to sit on his own. There is no need to sound the alarm if the child is active, inquisitive, eats well and gains weight, and has no problems sleeping. Most likely, this is just an individual feature. Perhaps he was able to learn another skill earlier, such as crawling, and the boy or girl is improving it. But it is still better to consult a pediatrician and orthopedist. Although the norms - from how many months children should sit - are very arbitrary, this is still a reason to pay closer attention to health.

Often the reason lies in the child's personality. For example, tall and plump boys and girls are likely to lag behind their thinner peers in learning new skills. There is nothing wrong with this; over time, their development will balance out.

In some cases, non-compliance with standards may indicate disturbances in the functioning of the nervous system and brain as a result of any diseases. True, most likely, other signs will be present. Only doctors can identify such problems after special examinations. They also prescribe medications and treatment procedures if necessary. How long the recovery course will last depends on the complexity of the situation.

Exercises to help your child sit up

There are also minor injuries, including due to hypoxia during difficult childbirth. In the first year of life, a child’s brain develops rapidly, and minor deficiencies are compensated for. But there may be consequences in the form of muscle tone or a weak muscle corset, which is why the child cannot sit down. A professional massage can help.

There are also special exercises that parents can do on their own. You can do them with completely healthy children.

  • The first exercise will help strengthen your abdominal muscles. The baby lies on his back, and the mother gently pulls his left arm with her right hand. Then - vice versa. You need to hold his legs with your other hand. At the same time, the child tries to sit up, but do not let him do this yet. He himself is not ready yet, for now it is necessary for him to kind of hang on his hands. You need to hold it in this position for several seconds.
  • The second exercise is designed to train the oblique abdominal muscles. You need to sit the baby down and put your finger in his hand. With the rest, grab his hand and rotate his hand in a circular motion. At the same time, you need to hold your legs.
  • The third exercise will help strengthen your back. The mother should stand up and hold the child facing away from her. One hand holds the legs, and the other the stomach. You need to put a little pressure on his back, then the baby will lean forward. Then push it under the tummy so that the little one straightens up.
  • The “Airplane” exercise also helps strengthen muscles. The child should be placed on his stomach, then lifted, supporting him under the chest and legs. At the same time, his legs rest against the chest of the elder, the back is tense, the baby tries to hold his head.

It is necessary to stimulate the child's interest in acquiring a new skill. To do this, he is seated on the laps of adults. But not at a right angle, but at an angle. A little boy or girl will be happy to explore the world, and in the future try to accept this position on their own.

When the musculoskeletal corset is ready, the child will begin to be able to sit independently. At first, he helps himself with his hand to do this. After a year, the baby will easily be able to sit up on his own from a lying position.


The ability to sit is the most important skill that a child will learn. We need to help him, but not rush him, he needs to figure it out on his own, no matter how many months he is. It doesn't matter if it's a boy or a girl. It is important not to forget to praise the little one even for small successes. After all, there is no better reward for him than the joy of his parents.

Every parent is waiting for that cherished day when their child can sit independently. This event is important not only for the child, but also for his parents. Every mother should understand when that moment comes and the child can sit without the help of an adult. In this article we will tell you about when a child begins to sit.

When does a child begin to sit up independently?

This happens when the child’s body is sufficiently formed. Namely, psychologically and physically. Each parent can determine if the baby is not ready to sit on his own by observing his movements.

  • The child's spine and neck are bent, the head tilts forward;
  • arched lower back;
  • the child’s hands are looking for support;
  • due to the fact that the hip joints are tilted, the child’s legs are spread apart.

When a child tries to take a different position, he quickly gets tired; this indicates that the child’s body is not physiologically ready for such stress.

Typically, this occurs closer to the baby's six months. The averages are as follows:

  • At six months the child sits unsteadily.
  • Closer to 7 months, babies are already sitting with a straight back, without parental support.
  • And only at 8 months are children able to sit up independently. It will not be difficult for them to lie down from a sitting position and get up again.

But it also happens that children sit down much earlier. He can make his first attempts as early as 4-5 months.

Who sits in the front, a boy or a girl?

There is an opinion that girls sit down much later than boys. Since there is a risk of improper development of the pelvis, which can lead to infertility. But if you think about it, it’s also important for a boy that his body is physically ready, so as not to damage his spine.

If a child is started to sit before the due date, this can lead to curvature of the spine. The consequences can be much more complicated. Damage to internal organs, which will lead to deviations in the development of the baby.

Parents need to be patient and just wait for the baby to sit down on his own.

The desire of 3-5 month old children to sit.

Already at the age of 3-5 months, children are trying to lift their body. Some people manage to take a vertical position while sitting on an adult’s lap or in a crib. When the baby turns 5 months old, he is able to hold onto a support and lift himself up.


Parents often confuse the baby's grasping reflex with an attempt to sit up. And they prematurely try to help the child and sit him down. What you shouldn’t do, because this can harm the baby.

A child of 6,7 or 8 months does not sit on his own or sits poorly

There are cases when at 6-8 months the child does not yet sit independently, but already knows how to crawl. In such situations, doctors make a diagnosis of delayed motor development. Often children with this diagnosis are mentally behind the developmental norms of this age.

There are several reasons for developmental delays:

  • Intrauterine growth retardation;
  • Intrauterine infection of a child through the mother’s body;
  • low or polyhydramnios;
  • oxygen starvation of the fetus, intracranial pressure;
  • premature birth;
  • Rapid labor and caesarean section;
  • Medicines during pregnancy.

When, in addition to the inability to sit, the baby has:

  • underweight;
  • anxious and restless behavior;
  • slow closure of the fontanelle;
  • fine motor skills are not developed, the child cannot fix an object in his hand.

These factors are an alarm. To avoid further deviations in the child’s development, parents need to consult a doctor. For further treatment of the baby at an early stage of its development.

Of course, we must not forget that each baby develops in its own way. Perhaps the child’s body is simply not yet strong enough for the child to sit up on his own. Often the child simply does not want to sit, he is lazy and you also need to know about this. Sometimes the child begins to walk and stand, and then sit.

We teach the baby to sit independently. First exercises.

Every parent should know how to teach a child to sit.

The main factor is the conditions for the child to crawl. . This exercise helps strengthen muscles and improves coordination. The sooner the baby begins to crawl, the sooner he will learn to sit. For such exercises, you can use a playpen. Where the child can not only move actively, but also try to stand up by pulling himself up by the handrails.


It is important to remember the benefits of a general body massage and swimming. Do exercises with your baby in the morning. A set of exercises includes simple actions:

  • The child lies on his back. The mother, taking the baby by the chopsticks, smoothly pulls the legs towards the baby’s nose. Without lowering your knees. During gymnastics, it is important to communicate with the child: “Legs once and twice,” the exercise is repeated six times.
  • We do not change the starting position. The child, holding your index finger, independently pulls the body to a half-sitting position. And so on for ten repetitions.

Apply exercises with a gymnastic ball:

  • We put the child on his stomach and hold him with his hand, without shaking the ball too much. It is advisable to place a warm blanket on the ball for the child. To make the baby feel comfortable during the lesson. The exercise is aimed at strengthening the child’s muscles and developing the vestibular system.

We wish everyone success. See you in the next article.

Having taken their baby from the maternity hospital, parents surround their precious child with all the best and sincerely rejoice at every achievement, even the most trivial one at first glance. Young mothers who spend a lot of time not only with their beloved child, but also with other mothers and their little ones, cannot always wean themselves from the habit of comparing their own child with others.

Being one-on-one with her son or daughter, it is unlikely that a parent will be very worried about the fact that her child turned over a week or two later than expected, or, conversely, sat up a little earlier than is customary for children of a certain age . However, after listening to friends and “colleagues,” mothers often begin to push their child to take certain actions, ahead of natural development.

Stimulation of physiological processes is only good under the strict supervision of a pediatrician, because in many cases it is strictly prohibited. First of all, this concerns sitting; many people are perplexed: why can’t girls be seated until they are 6 months old? What’s wrong with that? The answer to this, as well as many other questions, can be read in the article.

Changing position

In order not to force particularly zealous readers to nervously scour in search of the necessary information, we will make a reservation right away: you can change the baby’s position from lying to sitting before she celebrates her first half-year, but only if she herself is ready for this.

When do girls sit down? There is a huge difference between sitting and sitting down. It’s one thing to cover a four-month-old baby with down pillows and sit her in this “nest”; it’s quite another thing to help the baby realize that she must learn to control her body.

The training process assumes that a specially trained person (patronage nurse, massage therapist, neurologist) or mother, after consulting a specialist, will engage in developmental gymnastics, health massage and special exercises that help children strengthen their skeletal and muscular systems. Mastering new skills, the child gradually learns to stand up on his arms, roll over, crawl, sit down, and then rise to his feet and walk. Each stage of this long path must go one after another; you cannot skip “steps” so as not to cause irreparable harm to a delicate and fragile body in a hurry.

Everything has its time

Why can’t girls be kept until 6 months and when can the baby be allowed to see the world from a different angle? The parents' desire to show their princess the whole world is quite understandable and justified. It’s simply difficult for them to understand everything that a little person will have to go through, because they have already gone through their path of growing up a long time ago and have forgotten what it was like.

However, children are designed in such a wonderful way that before young mothers and fathers have time to look back, their little one will be running away from them not only throughout the apartment, but all over the yard; they just need to give him the opportunity to get there on his own. After all, the problem of why girls cannot be imprisoned before 6 months is more likely to concern not the baby herself, but her parents.

At the moment when she is ready for this, both physically and psychologically, she will rise herself, without asking permission or advice. It is important for mom and dad to prepare her for this, but not to rush her. Theoretically, it is already possible to sit children at six months, but since everyone has their own pace of development, for some babies this can happen at five months, for others at seven months.

If you hurry, you'll hurt the girl.

There are many myths regarding why girls should not be imprisoned before 6 months. The most common theory is that in the case of early sitting down, the baby will certainly face related female problems in the future. Orthopedists and gynecologists refuted this legend a long time ago; medical science claims that this pathology does not depend on when the child began to sit down or when he sat down on his own. The bend can occur as a kind of congenital anomaly or be acquired, the cause of which is various kinds of infectious diseases.

But in fact, pediatricians tell you why you can’t start a child early, without secrets or circumstance. A fragile spine, which is not supported by a developed muscular corset, bends in a completely unnatural way as a result of irrational load. If a mother does not want her daughter’s back to be arched in the future, it is better not to rush into a sitting position.

Shall we sit?

Frightened by recommendations and warnings, parents often resist the natural course of events. That is, the situation looks exactly the opposite: the baby is not even six months old, she is already pulling herself up by the bars of the crib or the wall of the playpen and sits as straight as a post. Seeing such a picture, parents place the baby on their shoulder blades and try to keep them in this position with jokes and jokes, because they know that when they sit girls down at such a young age, this is fraught with health problems.

We hasten to reassure worried parents: if the child is ready to sit, he himself not only wants, but makes his desire come true, then so be it. Doctors recommend not putting too much strain on the little back and trying to change the girl’s position, but not by laying her down, but by stimulating her to crawl, stand on all fours, and then rock. All these exercises help strengthen the back and spine and contribute to the harmonious and smooth development of the body.

Physiology of a girl up to six months

In six months of her life, the little lady has come a long way. Immediately after being discharged from the hospital, she could only lie on the crib and move her arms and legs chaotically. With each passing month, the parents watched as their princess grew stronger, at first she improved and realized that she could control not only her parents, but also her own limbs.

By turning the baby onto his tummy, the mother changes the baby’s world; after just a few weeks, the girl can hold her head up for a few minutes and look at the world around her. It is quite natural that after another couple of weeks she wants to spin from one barrel to another, and then roll over onto her tummy and back onto her back, without waiting for mercy from her parents.

The older a girl gets, the more intense her development occurs. Girls at 6 months can almost always sit, they have learned to crawl on their bellies. They play with their favorite toys with pleasure, independently take them, put them down or throw them. Parents should encourage their baby to move in every possible way, play tricks by placing objects dear to her heart aside, then she will have an incentive to crawl and turn. In addition, the list of acceptable physical exercises is significantly expanded. You can add fitball exercises to swimming and developmental gymnastics.

Required skills

At this stage, parents often ask doctors: what should a girl be able to do at 6 months?

  • A child of six months is very active, in order to satisfy his thirst for knowledge, he must be able to turn his head and turn his whole body, sit, roll over, get on all fours, try to crawl, take objects with his hands and put them back.
  • Fine motor skills are developing, and you can help with this by letting your baby feel objects of different texture, temperature, strength and size. These can be educational toys bought in children's stores or made with their own hands; it really doesn't matter for kids what to play with, as long as there is variety.
  • Children at 6 months are quite developed intellectually and emotionally. They already know their surroundings, they know how to show grief, joy, anxiety, and delight. They develop gastronomic preferences and taste preferences.
  • The child can focus his eyes very well on moving objects and loves playing with a ball, a car, he likes toys that have something to pull and have rotating and moving elements.

So what?

Someone, after reading these lines, will be happy for their baby, someone may be alarmed. What if the baby does not know how to perform certain actions, is he really behind in development? It is not at all necessary - any lag or problems with the statokinetic, physical or psychological state of the babies is a question that must be confirmed or denied by the doctor.

If, in your opinion, the time has come when it’s time to sit the girls down, but your baby still doesn’t want to please her parents, you shouldn’t force her to sit down, it’s better to turn to specialists.

A pediatrician can identify primary problems and assess the degree of lag from certain standards in a comprehensive manner. It is important to take into account the presence of concomitant diseases, whether the child was born full-term, with normal weight and height, or whether they were insufficient, whether he had problems with muscle tone or other neurological symptoms.

If you forcefully try to sit the child down, and do this often and for a long time, problems with the baby’s back will not be avoided in the future. With a curvature of the spine, not only will the musculoskeletal system suffer (which in itself is very bad), but internal organs may also develop abnormally due to the displacement.

First steps: help or harm?

In the context of this problem, another question regarding such a device as walkers will be relevant: can they be used for girls or not? Definitely no, if the baby is not yet sitting on her own. And their further use is a matter of developing walking skills.

The manufacturers of this accessory claim that it does not cause any harm. A number of pediatricians also do not see a problem with using walkers. The other half of children's doctors, including pediatricians, physiotherapists, and orthopedists, argue that the mechanism for moving babies in walkers has nothing to do with normal walking. Often children do not want to learn to walk on their own, because to do this they need to learn how to place their feet correctly, maintain balance, and sometimes fall.

Of course, even those babies who run around in walkers for up to a year or longer will eventually say goodbye to this thing and walk on their own, the question is different: is it worth delaying this moment for the sake of short-term relief for parents?

Princess potty

Another great place that children use as a seat is the potty. Very often, young mothers are attacked with urgent recommendations by experienced grandmothers; with all their hearts, they advise to potty train their child as early as possible. When will this age come? Child psychologists unanimously claim that a child will finally and irrevocably understand why he needs this personal hygiene item after a year. Until this time, he can be introduced to the potty, starting with demonstrative plantings (but not earlier than 6 months), which will last literally a couple of minutes (no more than five!).

Due to the fact that it is impossible to sit on such a “throne” for a long time, pediatricians do not recommend purchasing a potty with built-in toys, music, steering wheel, buttons and other devices. A potty is not a developmental or entertainment complex, but just a vessel for relieving oneself.

When do babies start sitting? Most babies can start sitting when they are between 4 and 7 months old. Until this point, the baby had definitely learned to roll over and hold his head up. Upon reaching 8 months of age, the baby should sit upright for several minutes without tipping over.

However, tipping over is not unusual even for children who have already learned to sit independently, as they may become tired of sitting for long periods of time.

Gradually, the baby's muscles become stronger with each coming month, and he will be able to sit without support for a longer period of time. When the baby is eight months old, he tries to sit up on his own, leaning on his hands when lying on his stomach. During these attempts, the back muscles become stronger and the ability to balance improves. However, most babies should be able to sit up independently by eleven months.

Babies who spend a lot of time lying in their crib or without much physical activity reach this stage around the ninth month.

3 - 4 months

At this stage, the baby's neck muscles strengthen at a rapid rate and are strong enough to allow the baby to lift his head while lying on his stomach. Soon the baby's shoulder muscles will become strong enough to support the body, and the baby will begin to load them and lift the chest off the support, as if doing a mini push-up.

5 - 6 months

When the baby reaches six months of age, he will be able to sit correctly with his head upright. However, the baby will not be able to remain in this position for long and will need support to remain in this position.

At this stage, it is best to surround the baby with pillows so that if the baby tips over, he will not be injured.

Keep your baby in sight at all times. Don't use pillows that are too plump. This will reduce the risk of suffocation.

When a baby reaches six months of age, he will understand how to maintain balance while sitting upright and will begin to use his arms to provide support.

7 - 8 months

At 7 months of age, a baby can sit upright without support, even without relying on his or her arms to maintain balance. He will likely be able to turn around while remaining in a sitting position to reach the toy with his hands. Soon, using his hands, the child will confidently sit up from a lying position.

How to teach a child to sit?

At what age a child begins to sit independently depends on the readiness of his muscles to support the body. Therefore, you cannot teach your baby to sit prematurely.

But parents can help their baby train his muscles so that sitting becomes easier for the baby when his body is ready for it.

1. Let the child spend more time lying on his stomach.

The first step to an ideal sitting position begins with the ability to hold your head upright. The best way to achieve this is to strengthen your neck and back muscles while lying on your stomach.

Place your baby face down on his stomach and place his favorite toys in front of him. Encourage your baby to look at these toys with his head slightly raised.

When the baby learns to sit, repeat the exercise. This will help the baby learn to support and move their body weight while sitting. Hide toys and make your baby look for them while he's on his tummy. This will force the baby to lift his body.

2. Move the child yourself.

One way to introduce movement to a child is to first show him the movement itself. Place your baby on a soft surface and gently roll him over. This will help the baby develop a sense of orientation in order to make the movement himself.

3. Seat with support.

In the sixth month of a baby's life, you can teach him to sit with support. The best way to do this is to use your body as a backrest for your baby.

Sit on a bed or soft rug and place your child's favorite toys in front of you. Give your baby the opportunity to sit on your lap with his back resting on your chest and stomach. Let your baby play with his toys.

This will strengthen the back muscles and accustom the child to the sensations of sitting.

4. Use your baby's curiosity as a tool.

By the ninth month, the baby will be able to sit up on his own. Now is the time to encourage him to stay in this position as much as possible.

Place objects of interest within his hand so that he can reach them while sitting. You can also sit next to your baby and play with him.

5. Focus on strengthening your muscles.

Any movement of the body involves the use of muscles. Stronger muscles mean your child will learn to sit up faster. Massage your baby regularly and use active games every day to strengthen the muscle frame of your baby's body. Additionally, activities such as crawling, rolling over, and tummy time are natural ways to strengthen your baby's muscles.

How to teach a child to sit down. Exercises and games to help your child sit up

Here are some simple but great games and activities you can use to help your child sit up.

Find the rattle

Age to play: four months.

Exercise: Place the baby on his tummy and bring the rattle into view. When the baby begins to turn his head in the direction of the sound, rattle the toy above him so that the baby works to bend back to watch the rattle.

Advantages: Work is underway on the muscles of the neck, lower back and bone structure. The baby can use his arms to move his torso and also use his shoulder muscles in the process.

Twisting

Age to play: four months (when the baby can hold his head up).

Exercise: Place the baby on your legs with his legs facing you. Hold your baby's hands and gently pull him up in a motion that resembles an ab crunch.

Make sure you move your baby smoothly. To add some rhythm to the activity, recite a poem.

Advantages: The exercise will work the lower back and abdominal muscles, which are needed to help you learn to sit.

Flipping

Age to play: 6 months.

Exercise: Place the baby on his back. Place the toy in front of him and slowly turn the baby onto his side so that he does not take his eyes off the toy. By this age, many babies can roll over. Therefore, the child will try to roll over to better view the object. When your baby does this, praise him. Repeat this exercise regularly, especially when the baby shows readiness to play.

Advantages: Strengthens the back and oblique muscles, which help the child take a sitting position.

Bike

Age to play: 6 months.

Exercise: Place your baby on a soft surface. Carefully lift the legs up. Slowly make circular movements with your legs, imitating riding a bicycle. Add some fun sounds and noises to keep your baby interested. Pause for a few seconds after cycling five times.

Advantages: Strengthens the muscles of the lower back.

Assistance in getting up

Age: Eight months.

Exercise: Plant the little one. Hold your baby's hands and gently lift him to a standing position. Repeat this three to four times and then lower. Wait a few seconds before resuming action.

Advantages: Strengthens the muscles of the back, abdomen and hips. By eight months, children can sit independently and make their first attempts to stand up.

Caution: Your baby's body is delicate. Only perform these exercises when you are sure that you are not harming your baby. Do not overdo it. In addition, precautions must be taken for the safety of the child.

Respect the natural process of child development.

You should never give solid food to your baby until he reaches a certain age. Likewise, you should never force your baby to sit before he has reached an appropriate developmental milestone in his life.

Babies learn to roll over at four months of age, and any chance of sitting up will occur only after this point in his life. Moreover, a baby's body will be best prepared for sitting only six months after birth. Therefore, encouraging an infant to sit before this age will produce unsatisfactory results. In addition, it will harm the development of the child.

  • stay close to your baby as he learns to sit to avoid any dangers;
  • Place pillows around your child to provide support to prevent him from falling or hitting a hard surface.

Allow your baby to practice sitting, preferably on the floor, using a play mat rather than a high surface or the edge of the bed.

What to do if the child does not sit?

Some babies may slow down in their development, but what if your baby shows zero ability to sit even after nine months?

What should you pay attention to?

  1. If a baby is born prematurely, it may gradually slow down in its growth and development. It is quite possible for a baby to miss milestones in developmental milestones and reach them later compared to children born on time.
  2. Infants who have suffered serious infections or complex illnesses at an early age inevitably develop more slowly. The disease can delay their ability to perform physical skills such as rolling over, crawling and sitting. When the child is fully recovered, he will continue his developmental course, albeit slowly.

If the baby is not premature, is not suffering from the consequences of a previous illness, but still cannot sit, you should first look for other defects in physical development:

  • the child is unable to lift his head when lying on his stomach after reaching the age of five months. His face just falls and the baby doesn't lift him up;
  • the baby cannot roll over even after six months. Needs support even for basic movements;
  • not crawling after nine months;
  • unable to crawl and stand with support at 1 year;
  • does not walk or run after 18 months.

If your child exhibits the above signs, consult your pediatrician. Typically, the inability to sit is accompanied by other developmental problems that must be interpreted by a doctor.

It's always a good idea to keep a diary of your baby's developmental milestones and discuss it periodically with your pediatrician.

Remember that not being able to sit should not cause panic or anxiety while your child learns other skills for his age. Take your time and don't force your baby to sit. If this does not happen this month, it will happen a little later. The child sits down when he is completely ready.

Children aged 4 months make their first attempts to sit up on their own. In an upright position, it is easier for them to explore the world around them. Lying on his back, the baby raises his head, tries to raise his body, and when he fails, he gets upset and begins to be capricious. He needs to be carried in his arms with his back to you, showing and talking about what he sees.

Under no circumstances should a child be seated before he or she is six months old. Since his back muscles have not yet fully developed, this can lead to spinal deformation.

When a child turns six months old, it is necessary to sit him down first for a very short time and gradually, as the muscles strengthen, the baby himself will begin to sit longer. But at the same time, you should make sure that he has the correct posture. If the baby sits in the wrong position, his chest will become deformed.

At six months, the baby sits down for the first time with the help of adults. There is no need to sit him down; the baby must make some effort to sit down. It’s best to just give him your hand so that he grabs it and begins to be drawn towards it until he sits down.

Independently, without the help of an adult, the child begins to sit up closer to 7 months of age.

It is important to know! When the child begins to sit down, he needs to have solid support for his back.

At what age can a child sit

You need to start sitting your child down when his back muscles are already sufficiently developed to maintain correct posture. Most often this happens when the baby is six months old. Do not rush and try to seat the child ahead of time, covering him with pillows on all sides. This can lead to poor posture in the future.

They begin to prepare the baby to be able to sit independently from birth by doing age-appropriate gymnastic exercises with him. They need to be done as many times a day as you change your baby’s clothes.

When the baby is six months old and has not yet begun to sit down, you need to do some extra work with him. It is advisable to consult an orthopedic doctor about what exercises should be performed. Or start taking him to physical therapy classes conducted by a trainer.

It is important to know! If the baby is in a semi-sitting position (in a special chair or backpack), you also need to provide him with firm support under his back.

Should you start your baby early?

Many parents begin to sit their child when he is just trying to do it on his own. At the same time, they do not think about the harm they could bring to their baby. After all, a child’s spine is still very flexible, the muscles that hold the back straight are not developed. How many problems arise with correct posture because of this in the future.

It can be:

  • chest deformation;
  • lordosis;
  • kyphosis;
  • scoliosis.

Poor posture leads to pinched nerves and blood vessels. Various organs (heart, lungs) are compressed, which leads to their improper formation - as a result, the child gets sick.

It is important to know! Early development of motor skills is observed in hyperactive children. Do not rush to rejoice if the child tries to start sitting before the due date. This increased motor activity is characteristic of some neurological diseases. Therefore, it is worth consulting a specialist.

What exercises should you do?

In order for the baby to begin to sit independently, he needs help strengthening his back muscles so that he can independently lift his torso and keep his back straight. To do this, they perform special exercises with him and give him a massage.

Swimming and special gymnastics, which begin when the child is just born, promote muscle development.

Particular attention is paid to strengthening the back muscles from 4 months by performing gymnastics:

  1. The child lies on the palms of an adult, while resting on his chest. In this case, the baby should raise his head and tense the muscles of his back and buttocks.
  2. The child must be placed on his back. Let him grab your thumbs with his hands, while holding his hands. Then start pulling it towards you. The baby should reach out and sit down. In this case, it is advisable to say “sit down” or “let’s sit down.” When the child sits down, you need to take his hands in one hand and run the index and middle finger along the spine with the other. The baby will begin to straighten his back. Before your baby is six months old, he will begin to stretch and try to sit up on his own.
  3. The child is placed in the palms of an adult, on his back. In this case, it must be held by the posterolateral surface of the body. Then lift the baby into a horizontal position. In this case, the child should tilt his head forward and tense his abdominal and chest muscles. If this does not happen, then it is too early to carry out such an exercise.
  4. The child lies on his back. You need him to grab your thumbs. It is necessary to smoothly move the baby's arms away, then slowly lift them to the head, lower them forward and down, and do the exercise in the opposite direction.

Classes should be carried out as many times a day as the child likes.

Exercise videos

Exercises and massage can only be done after consulting a doctor. Only a specialist from physical therapy can show you how to exercise and do massage correctly. In addition, there are many exercises that can only be performed by a person who has been trained in this. If you do gymnastics incorrectly, you can harm your baby.

General conclusion

A normally developed child begins to sit down with the help of his parents when he is six months old. He will begin to sit independently and confidently hold his back straight closer to 7 months of age. It is undesirable to sit a child before the required age, as the spine and chest can be deformed. What will affect the formation of correct posture in older age? In addition, in order for the child to begin to sit up independently on time, you need to work with him. You should perform gymnastic exercises daily.



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