Approaching the age of five months, the baby becomes very active and inquisitive. The baby stares at the sides, turning the head in different directions, confidently grabs and holds toys, with ease flips on tummy. Some kids even try to sit down, which for parents becomes an occasion for pride and admiration, because every mommy is looking forward to that happy time when their child starts to sit on his ass on his own.
Terms of readiness of a child to sit according to Russian pediatricians
According to pediatricians, the child should sit approximately according to the following indicators:
- at 6 months - sits with support;
- at 7 months - sits without support;
- at 7.5 - 8 months. - easily sits on its own.
Union of Russian Pediatricians: Transition of a child from a supine position to a sitting position
It happens that active and physically strong babies sit earlier for a month and a half. In other babies, this happens a little later. According to doctors, such indicators are also considered normal.
If an experienced doctor is asked the question, how many months do children usually begin to sit, then he will answer that each child has its own period and development time. Each kid is individual and unique.
Is it possible to sit a child on purpose
The opinion of pediatricians and orthopedists on a popular question from young parents: “Is it possible to help and sit down a child” unequivocally: the vertical position of the spine is unnatural for a child up to six months of age. Artificially seating a baby, grief-parents can harm the health of the child. Already at school age, this can come across serious problems with the spine. If the back muscles are not sufficiently strengthened, then the baby will not sit down, because not yet ready for such a serious load.
Another thing is if the child sat on his own before he was six months old. But even in this situation, the baby should not be in the "sitting" position for more than 1 hour per day.
Important to remember: all of the above are averaged indicators, each child is individual. You should not rush things and worry.
Signs by which you can understand that the child wants to sit down
There are signs that indicate that the baby is trying to sit down:
- Lying on his tummy, the child all the time tries to rest his hands on the floor and raise his chest;
- Resting his hands on the floor, the baby tries to raise its torso;
- If the child lying on the back is grabbed by the hand, he will grip his fingers tightly and try to rise;
- Able to turn in both directions
These signs indicate that the muscles of the neck and chest are quite strong and the child is ready to sit down.
Attention!If the child begins to sit down by himself, then his skeletal and muscular system is ready. Sitting the baby in bed, cushioning pillows on all sides, so that he does not fall on his side, is very harmful. If the child cannot hold the body himself, this means that his back muscles are still weak and can not cope with the task. The ability to sit independently, with a fairly straight back, without leaning on pillows, depends on the strength of the muscles. And she comes only with age - at 6-8 months.
The correct pose of a sitting child
- The neck and upper spine are straight.
- Lower back bent
- Support on the side of the legs
- Legs apart and turned outward.
- Hip bending and leaning forward
- Resting on hands in front of you
- Chin down
Doctor Komarovsky advises: When to plant a baby? How many months?
A series of exercises with a child to strengthen the muscles of the back
What should parents do to help the baby learn a new and necessary skill?
Every day, from 3 months of age, perform gymnastics and massage with a child, swim in a bath or pool (in large cities there are pools for joint visits with young children). Thus, the muscle corset is well strengthened.
From the age of four months, pediatricians are recommended to perform exercises to strengthen the muscles of the back. You need to perform them on a changing table or other hard surface.
Exercise 1. Pulling the handles. The child lies on the table. As soon as he reaches out with his arms to his mother, give him his index fingers. The kid will try to sit down, grabbing his mother’s fingers. The back of the child breaks off the surface by 45 degrees, in this position the baby is held for several seconds and again returns to the “lying” position. In this way, the muscles of the abs and arms are trained.
Exercise 2. Plane. Put the baby on the tummy. Raise the child, with one hand supporting him under the chest, with the other - under the legs. The legs rest on the adult's chest, buttocks and back are tense, head is raised. Lock the position for a few seconds.
Exercise 3. Balance. Keep the child on his reclining knees so that he rests with his legs in the palm of an adult. Thus, the balance of the body develops and muscles are brought in tone.
Exercise 4. Coups. From the “lying on my stomach” position, help the child roll over and back. This exercise will be easier to perform, interest the baby with a bright toy.
Fitball Exercises
The child lies on the ball belly down. Leaning on the handles, the baby will try to keep the back straight, thereby training the muscles of the back and cervical region. At some distance from the ball, lay out bright toys and, rolling the child forward on the ball, let him try to grab any of them. In the process of such a game, the back muscles are well trained.
Valentina Ershova: How to teach a baby to sit
It is recommended for the physical development of the crumbs to hang rings over the crib that he can grab onto and try to lift himself. While laying on the stomach at a short distance in front of the baby, place a bright object (toy), to which he will try to crawl.
We also read: How to make a newborn baby stronger: 4 basic exercises for developing strength and endurance in a baby
It is important for every young mother to know how to sit down the baby correctly (this has already been said above) and what cannot be done.
If the child does not sit down on his own, then you can not:
- Seat him in pillows;
- To carry in a carriage in a sitting position (it is possible to fix a back of a carriage on 45º)
- To carry in various carriers of the Kangaroo type in the sitting position;
- Seated on your hands (can be kept on your knees in the "reclining" position).
Video: Baby first time to sit down 🙂
Boys and Girls: Assumptions and Facts
In the philistine environment, there is an opinion that boys can sit down before girls. In fact, regardless of gender, planting earlier than six months is harmful both of them.
In addition, when girls begin to sit down early, in the future this can lead to deformation of the pelvic bones and serious problems of the female reproductive system. Therefore, pediatricians of the older generation often express the opinion that a girl should not be seated at all until the baby is 6-7 months old. Modern sources adhere to a less categorical position: it is believed that there is no big fear if the little princess decided to sit down on her own before six months, and the grandmothers' concerns about this are greatly exaggerated.
Learn more about when can I sit down a girl (will there be harm from sitting down early?)
Also, the age at which the child sits himself does not depend on gender. All individually, only physical development and mental maturity of the crumbs are of importance.
When boys or girls suddenly sit down before six months of age, this event serves as an occasion for parental pride and even boasting about other mothers. Do not rush things. Your baby is unique and unique, therefore the path of his individual development will also be unique and unique.
If the child does not begin to sit by 11 months, you should contact your pediatrician.
We continue to read further:When can I sit down boys
Healthy and smart kids and happy motherhood, dear mothers!
Read on child development
- After the baby learns to sit, the next step is to crawl: (see linkwhen the baby begins to crawl) But the child can skip the crawl stage, this is not scary;
- Next, the child should start walking, we read the article in how many months children start to walk (here, too, everything is individual);
- Look at the link to the article where it is painted monthly baby development (the calendar);
- And it’s also useful to familiarize yourself with the material that a child can do at 1 year old - link to useful article.
Video of Mom Lara’s consultation on when a child begins to sit
Video author: pediatrician, clinical psychologist Larisa Sviridova. She has been working with pregnant women and mothers of children of the first year of life for more than 20 years.
My son sat down late and even with pillows overlaid him, he did not sit. He didn’t have perseverance and after a while his screams were all over the apartment, and I’m looking at a lot of good ideas here, it’s a pity I didn’t find your site before.
It’s good that I didn’t forcefully sit the baby, as my grandmothers insisted! The son himself sat at about 6-7 months. And before that they did a special massage, it is in any case useful for the child.
I learned from another doctor that some babies are already starting to sit on their ass at 6 months old, but again, can you still have doubts about sitting down in 5 months?
There are many myths that have come back from the time of the youth of our grandmothers that boys, unlike girls, can begin to sit down, until then, when they turn six months old.
My opinion is that as he himself begins to try to sit down, so sit down. The child himself will begin to try to sit down when he is ready. After all, the development of each baby is different, for some it is too early for someone, and someone can sit at 3 months.
My boy is already 3 months old, laying on the floor, laying him on his lap, but he independently rises and sits down. Lying on his back he holds on to my hands and also rises, and if you obstruct him, he begins to freak out and cry. Tell me, can I sit him in such an age?