Sitting, crawling, and standing
Now that he's eight months old, your baby is probably
sitting well without support and may be
crawling or moving about by bottom shuffling (scooting around on his posterior using a hand behind him and a foot in front of him to propel himself). He's probably starting to pull himself up to a standing position while holding onto furniture. In fact, if you stand your baby next to the sofa, he'll probably be able to hold himself up, hanging on for dear life and using the furniture for support.
This newfound mobility means that your baby is now entering the land of bumps and falls. These are an inevitable part of childhood, and although your heart may occasionally skip a beat or two, try to enjoy watching your baby explore his surroundings and discover his limits. Restraining your innate desire to protect your child allows him to grow and learn for himself. However, do make every effort to
make your home safe for your baby. For example, you should secure fragile objects (so they won't topple) and keep rickety furniture in rooms that don't get much baby traffic.
Using his hands
Your baby may start looking for dropped objects and use his index finger to point at them. He's also good at using his fingers to scoop up a piece of food and hold it with his fist closed, and he's learned to open his hand and fingers at will to drop and throw objects. He's probably beginning to master the pincer
grasp, the delicate maneuver that lets him pick up small objects with his thumb and first and second fingers.
Getting more emotional
By now your baby's emotions are becoming more obvious. He may perform tricks, such as throwing a kiss to familiar people, and may repeat his act if applauded. Over the next few months, your child may learn to assess and imitate moods and might show the first stirrings of empathy. For instance, if he sees someone crying, he may start crying, too.
Dealing with separation
At this age, most babies have typically already begun to show the signs of
separation anxiety. Your baby may start to be shy or anxious around strangers, especially when tired or irritable, and when you're out of sight and not with him, he'll become upset. Although it's hard to see your baby distressed, it's important to let him experience this. When you leave your baby and return, proving that you always come back, you're helping him develop trust and the ability to form attachments to other people.
When you leave your baby, kiss and hug him and tell him you'll be back. If he's frightened or just falls apart, take the extra time to calm and reassure him. It's hard not to cry when he starts crying, but your breaking down only prolongs the agony. It may help to have someone else he's familiar with (not a new
babysitter) there to calm him. If your baby gets anxious about nighttime separations, spend some extra cuddle time reading, snuggling and softly singing together before you put him to bed.
Some babies are good at separation and some aren't - it depends on their temperament. Every child is different, as is the amount of reassurance each needs. If you know your baby needs more calming, don't feel bad about giving it or worry that you're just drawing out the process. You know your child better than anyone else, so follow your instincts.
Exploring objects
Most babies now explore objects by shaking them, banging them, dropping them and throwing them before falling back on the tried-and-true method of gumming them. The idea that you do something to an object is beginning to emerge, so an activity centre with lots of things your baby can bang, poke, twist, squeeze, shake, drop and open will fascinate him.
At this stage, babies like to see things fall down, get picked up (by you, of course) and then get thrown down again. Your baby isn't trying to goad you with this cycle; he just finds the spectacle interesting, and naturally wants to see it again and again.
Your baby now understands how objects relate to one another, too. For example, he realises that smaller things fit inside bigger ones. He'll easily find something you hide, and he'll point or look at the correct picture when an object is named. And over the next few months, he'll start to use objects for their intended functions - brushing his hair, drinking from a cup and babbling on his play phone.
Improving vision
Your baby's
vision is now almost adult-like in its clarity and depth perception. Though his short-range sight is still better than his long-range sight, his vision is good enough to recognise people and objects across a room.
Is my baby developing normally?
Remember, each baby is unique and meets physical milestones at his or her own pace. These skills are simply a guide to what your baby has the potential to accomplish - if not right now, then shortly.
If your baby was born prematurely, you'll probably find that it will be a little while before he can do the same things as other children his age. Don't worry, most doctors assess a premature child's development from the time he should have been born and evaluate his skills accordingly.
qaleesya will turn 8 mth dis 19 dis..makin aktif,makin kurus ler ummie ^___^
by AkUGaDiSiKaN
