When does a child begin to sit and what exercises contribute to this?

When their baby sits up on their own, parents frequently look forward to that day with great anticipation. This significant developmental milestone represents a child’s increasing strength and coordination. While every baby is different, most babies begin to sit with some assistance at six months of age, and a few months later, they can sit on their own.

It takes time for development to reach this exciting stage. A baby’s muscles can be strengthened and prepared for sitting with a few easy exercises. Parents can help their baby progress toward confidently sitting up by promoting gentle movement and good posture.

Timeframes and norms

The capacity to sit is highly complicated and necessitates meeting several requirements. The baby’s spine and hip joints must be developed enough, and the back muscles must be prepared for this.

In line with accepted pediatric practice, a child should start sitting with assistance at six months of age, and by seven months, they should be able to sit on their own. Doctors agree that by the time a baby is eight months old, he or she should be able to sit up from a laying position without assistance.

However, these norms are called average because they do not take into account the individual characteristics of an individual child. And therefore, from a practical point of view, it is more reasonable to consider that a baby begins to sit between six months and 8-9 months. The time it takes to master a new skill ultimately depends on how well the muscles of his back, stomach and arms are prepared. Having learned to sit, the baby will receive a significant expansion of his capabilities in learning about the world. In addition, this pose is considered a transition to the ability to stand, and then move on his own two feet. More active children may attempt to sit up before six months, while less active ones may well hesitate until the last. There is also nothing unusual or pathological about this. Although much depends on how the pediatrician observing the child treats average norms. A specialist who does not bother himself too much can dryly state that the child is lagging behind the physical development norms, which will greatly upset the parents.

Experts in the field of pediatric health place a strong emphasis on the unique characteristics of sitting positions. The skill develops in accordance with a set plan, and observant parents who are aware of the traits of the stages of formation will undoubtedly see indications of their child picking up a new skill quickly.

Stages of skill development

Babies begin to prepare for the upcoming sitting in advance. As all muscle groups and especially the muscle tissues of the back strengthen, the baby begins to roll over, twist, try to take a vertical position on the bottom, leaning on the arms. In a physically developed healthy baby, the first such attempts can be observed as early as 4.5 months. The child, of course, falls, but he stubbornly tries again to rise on his hand and sit down. The first stage is called the stage of short-term sitting. Even if the baby manages to sit up, he cannot hold his body weight in this position for a long time and falls back onto his side. It is at this stage that injuries to the face and head are not excluded, because when falling, the baby may well hit his head on the side walls of the crib. Already at the preparatory stage it is important to ensure a safe fall for the baby — put small soft pillows on four sides of him. Attempts to sit down must necessarily take place in your presence, because the likelihood of injury or mechanical asphyxia will remain even with the presence of pillows. The short-term stage is usually mastered in a couple of months. Then the baby begins to sit down and hold his weight for a short time, although his balance is still quite problematic. The second stage of skill acquisition begins—sitting with support.

By holding the baby, you can assist him in maintaining his balance. Eventually, you can sit the baby with assistance on his own hands. Inconveniently and impractically, children tend not to sit for extended periods of time because they require both hands for games and tactile exploration of their surroundings.

It is the inability to fully use both hands that stimulates the child to move to a new stage. In just one month, babies can sit without support, with all the load falling on the spine. By 8 months, many children can already spend quite a lot of time sitting, playing with an interesting toy. It is at this stage that you can begin to move on to crawling, if the baby has not previously made independent attempts to move on his stomach or all fours. At the final stage (approximately 9-10 months), the child can sit up independently from a lying position. Some find this easy, others clearly suffer, puff and try to do it quickly, but it does not work. The way the baby sits does not matter much. Some do it with support on their hands, others – through an intermediate position on all fours, others look for something to grab onto in order to pull themselves up on their hands and sit down. The main thing is the result.

Why the baby does not sit?

Parents often turn to pediatricians with this question. But it is quite difficult to answer it unequivocally, because there can be quite a lot of reasons. So, if the baby was born before the obstetric term, the development of his skeletal and muscular systems requires more time: premature babies begin to sit later due to their lack of readiness to master a new skill. An overweight baby, although he delights relatives with his plump cheeks and legs, will sit down much later than children with normal weight. If the baby has problems with the hip joints, which were identified back when the baby was a newborn, there is no need to sit him down.

Youngsters who don’t have the right environment learn new skills more slowly. For example, a six-month-old baby who is tightly wrapped isn’t given much exercise, doesn’t participate in gymnastics or massages, and isn’t left alone with toys and open arms for extended periods of time.

The temperament of the child is also of considerable importance. There are calm and measured phlegmists and melancholys who simply do not see a stimulus for taking a different position, they more like to eat tightly and sleep longer. And there are mobile and inquisitive choleric and sanguine, which are difficult to keep from everything new, and therefore already by default interesting. If the lack of skill is the only complaint of parents, there is nothing to worry about, just the time for this baby has not yet come. However, if the absence of the skill is accompanied by other symptoms – with abundant frequent regurgitation, pallor of the skin, the lack of emotional reactions to mom and dad, the lack of the ability to turn over and confidently hold the head, then you must definitely consult a doctor. A history of such pathologies as ischemia, cerebral hemorrhage after birth, hypoxia of the brain in the absence of attempts to sit up after 7-8 months is also a good reason to visit a neurologist.

Between the ages of 4 and 7 months, a child usually starts to sit up as their coordination and muscle strength increase. Simple activities like reaching for toys, tummy time, and gently assisted sitting can help build the necessary muscles in their neck, back, and core to support this development. Since each child develops at their own rate, encouragement and patience are essential.

Boys and girls – features and skills

On forums on the Internet, young mothers actively discuss the abilities and nuances of the physical development of children of different sexes. For some reason, it is believed that girls develop faster. This is not true. The time of the onset of attempts to sit down does not depend in any way on the gender of the child. Another common misconception is that boys can be seated earlier, but even independent attempts by girls to sit up before six months should be resolutely suppressed. They explain this by the fact that the girl"s reproductive system is designed in such a way that early verticalization can disrupt the anatomical position of the uterus in the pelvis. In fact,, early sitting is not recommended for children of both sexes, this also applies to boys. And not because something irreversible and terrible can happen to the reproductive system, but because something irreversible or difficult to cure can happen to the spine and hip joints. As for girls, early forced verticalization can lead to injuries to the pelvic bones, which in the future can really lead to problems with reproduction.

The question often arises whether it is worth stopping a girl"s attempts to sit up before six months. If the baby is well developed enough, as evidenced by her independent and spontaneous attempts to sit up, then you should not interfere with your daughter. Exactly the same tactics should be followed with little boys. But if the child himself does not yet show any desire to sit up, then it would be a big mistake to sit the child down, surround him with pillows and ottomans. Believing that this is how they help the child, parents harm the baby. Excessive load on the spine before the time set by nature itself for a particular child can lead to vertebral injuries, disruption of joint hardening, which in the future can not only spoil the child"s posture and gait, but also become the reason for establishing a disability.

Exercises and gymnastics

Gymnastics should not be just exercises "to sit down". This is a complex effect on the baby"s body, contributing not to the development of the skill itself, but to the development of the baby"s muscles. With developed muscles, the child will easily master this and other skills on his own. Before gymnastics, be sure to do a light general strengthening massage. This will make the exercises of the complex more effective. Always do the exercises in the form of a fun game, otherwise the child will quickly get bored with mom"s manipulations with his body, and he will begin to protest against such leisure. As we already know, to sit you need to have developed muscles of the back, arms, abdomen. And therefore, be sure to include active and passive exercises to stimulate these muscle groups in your daily exercises. Here are some interesting and useful exercises.

"Fish"

This exercise is performed in water, for example, in a large bath during an evening bath. For this, you will need a special orthopedic inflatable circle for the baby"s neck. It securely fixes the cervical vertebrae and does not allow the baby to sink to the bottom. After putting on the circle, place the baby in the water on his stomach and roll him back and forth by the leg. Then leave him in this position, wait a little – the baby should turn on his back. In the water, turns are performed much easier and simpler. After swimming on his back, take the baby by one hand and stimulate him to turn back on his stomach. The more turns he makes during the swimming session, the better. The exercise can be performed from a very early age – from 1 month.

"Swing"

Starting with your back facing up. It should have a hard surface. This exercise is not done on a soft bed, which cannot support the spine in the proper anatomical manner. Allow the child to grasp your extended index fingers. Lift the infant’s body gradually to a semi-seated position. The child’s upper body should be raised by 45 degrees; sitting them down is not necessary. Next, gently lower the infant’s back.

This exercise’s secret is to go slowly through each step. The back and arm muscles are strained as much as possible during the exercise. It is advised to start exercising after 4-5 months.

"Pilot"

Take hold of the baby who is on his stomach with your right hand, putting your palm under his chest, and support him under his legs with your left hand. Raising the infant above the massage table will cause him to instinctively tense his back, buttocks, and head while also spreading his arms out to the sides. Hold him like this for thirty to forty seconds, then gently lower him back down onto his stomach. It is advised to start exercising after four months.

"Caterpillar"

You perform this exercise while lying prone. The infant must be presented with a toy in a way that prevents him from accepting it. Gently place your hands on the baby’s feet to encourage his forward inertial pushing and crawling. It will have the appearance of a caterpillar moving in its typical manner. Continue doing this until the infant "crawls" to the object and seizes the toy.

“On the ball”

Back and abdominal muscles can be effectively strengthened with fitball exercises. The infant should be gently swung back and forth, to the right and left, and finally in a circle after being laid on his back with his legs supported by the ball. Once the infant is on his stomach, repeat the entire process. This will help build the vestibular apparatus and strengthen the muscles. Balance is a necessary skill when learning to sit, so this will definitely come in handy.

Since every child develops at a different rate, it’s crucial to take your time when teaching them to sit. The majority of babies begin to sit up on their own between the ages of 4 and 7 months, though this can vary. Regular practice combined with gentle encouragement helps develop the muscles needed to reach this milestone.

Simple activities that strengthen the child’s core muscles include tummy time and helping them sit with support. Regular participation in these enjoyable and safe activities promotes the development of motor skills.

Always keep your baby’s comfort and readiness in mind as you create a loving and supportive environment for them. Have faith in the process and acknowledge each small victory as it occurs.

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