Child development at 7 months: what your baby should be able to do

Physical development of a child at 7 months

The development of a child at 7 months is interesting even because the baby can sit down on his own and, accordingly, the world will be perceived in a completely different way. And already from the outside, parents see that their baby is becoming an independent person who is actively trying to move around. Some children spend their energy trying to quickly learn to crawl on their own, while others are happy to stand on their own legs and stomp along the sofa, holding on to it.

Parents should pay special attention to the physical development of the child at 7 months. As an example, one child will be well developed, but it will be problematic for him to move from one point, while other children are already actively crawling and pushing off with their legs. And even a beautiful and new toy shown to a child will not make him crawl. This is typical for those children who have learned to sit well.

The main thing is to stimulate the baby to various kinds of movements, and so a child of 7 months can be easily taught to crawl independently. In this case, parents will come to the aid of daily encouragement of the child to crawl with the help of bright toys and various games.

Speech development

Children at 7 months gain invaluable experience that will greatly influence their subsequent lives, so you need to talk to them. It is too early to do any special exercises, but the child should hear correct speech, a large number of different words. There is no need to “babble” with him - parents should speak clearly and understandably, and become role models. In this case, subsequent sound production classes will be more successful.

The development of speech should be combined with work on fine motor skills, so the mother can play “Magpie-Crow” with the baby and clap “Ladushki”. You can read books to the kids, look at pictures with them, and invite the little one to try turning the page himself.

What can a 7 month old baby do?

Every parent watches with considerable interest how every day the baby learns something new and, of course, they wonder what a child can do at 7 months. Each child is individual in this matter, and therefore you should not be too upset if the child does not know how to do something from the list below:

1. A child of 7 months can sit on his own without outside support and tries to sit up on his own.
2. At this age he can already crawl on his own, but it is difficult for him to lift his whole body completely, so the crawling style resembles moving on his belly.
3. Babies at this age already lie on their tummy with one hand, and with the other they can reach out to the toy and grab it.
4. The child is already actively turning over from side to side. The physical development of a child at 7 months is focused on increasing the activity of movements and therefore the risks of injuries and bruises are high. Despite the fact that the baby’s motor activity has increased, all his movements are still awkward and clumsy. You should not leave your baby unattended at this age.
5. A 7-month-old child holds a bottle with his own hands and can pick it up if it falls.
6. In his crib or playpen, he gets up on one knee or both legs and holds himself, and if you hold him under the armpits, he will walk.
7. A child at 7 months actively uses his hands, moves the toy, throws it, pulls it into his mouth and examines it.
8. A child at this age can transfer small objects into large ones on his own.
9. At this age, a baby’s vision and hearing are perfectly formed and he actively reacts even to a quiet sound by turning his head. At the same time, as pediatricians note, you should not teach your baby to sleep in complete silence, since in the future he will wake up from the slightest noise. A slight background mode is allowed - a quietly turned on TV or radio.
10. Many children at this age are already erupting their first teeth, and even if they are missing, you should not worry and continue to wait up to a year for their appearance. At the same time, heredity also plays a significant role in the timing of the appearance of teeth, and if the parents have them at 9-10 months, then the baby will erupt too late. This is how some babies develop 2-3 or more teeth at once.

Mental development

The baby carefully examines familiar objects and toys. Handing the rattle to your child, you notice that he is trying to make a sound - he shakes the rattle, listens and shakes again. This observation leads you to believe that the child is beginning to develop long-term memory.

The main achievement of this age is considered to be a clear distinction between the child’s reactions when seeing familiar and unfamiliar people.

At the seventh month, the child begins to perceive individual differences in facial expressions and appearance, and clear images of the faces of familiar people are formed in his memory. The appearance of a stranger leads to a slowdown in general movements and wary study of the “stranger.” This behavior is due to the fact that the child does not know what to expect from strangers, since he has no experience communicating with them. If the mother starts talking to the friends who came, smiles at them and encourages the baby, then he stops being afraid and after some time he can smile at a stranger.

The proximity of parents immediately causes animated movements, a smile and spontaneous chatter in the baby. He emotionally and expressively pronounces chains of syllables: “ba-ba-ba”, “de-de-de”, “me-me-me”, changing the pitch and strength of his voice. The similarity of such chains with the first words - “mother”, “woman”, “grandfather” - misleads many parents who think that the child is starting to speak. At this age, the baby actively shows his desire to communicate, but the baby’s babble only begins to resemble a request or question.

What should a 7 month old baby be able to do?

Now parents know what a child can do at 7 months, but it is worth noting another minimum list of what a child at 7 months should be able to do:

• First of all, be able to roll over from your back to your tummy and back.
• crawl forward on your own, and also be able to stand on your knees or legs at a support.
• intuitively understand what exactly dad or mom is telling him.
• worry if his parents move away from him.
• be able to put a smaller object into a larger container and drink from your own cup, eat from a small spoon.
• play simple games - ladushki or a horned goat, and also remember in what sequence this or that ritual is performed, for example, bathing or dressing, walking, and so on.

If a child at 7 months is apathetic, does not respond to sounds and does not show a desire to develop, he should be shown to a pediatrician.

Psycho-emotional development

The child still speaks poorly.
But he already understands well what you are telling him. He distinguishes objects and can point to familiar things with his finger. He responds well to his name. Recognizes himself in the mirror. The baby also distinguishes familiar people and relatives from strangers. He is still psychologically attached to his mother. Feels her absence well. The baby is afraid when his mother leaves him and he already shows his fear, which is more associated with moral insecurity than with a feeling of hunger. The baby grows and develops psycho-emotionally.

The baby already distinguishes your mood, understands facial expressions and gestures. He knows when and why people might raise their voices at him. The baby shows his feelings in a very simple way through hugs or, conversely, turning away in the other direction.

The child’s “speech” also develops and becomes no longer so primitive. She is already more meaningful. The baby tries to imitate the sounds he hears, repeating words or syllables after adults.

If you hide something from a seven-month-old child, he will try to find it with his eyes, realizing that the thing has not disappeared, but it has simply been moved somewhere and he does not see it.

The baby makes better contact with strangers. Although he himself is not yet the first to offer friendship, but is waiting for the initiative from others.

At seven months, a child's right hemisphere is better developed than the left. The right hemisphere is responsible for the actions of the left side of the body. During this period, the baby tends to do everything with his left hand. Therefore, many parents may at first think that their baby is left-handed. But over time this may change.

Seven-month-old babies are afraid of very noisy and sharp sounds. Therefore, adults should not turn on a vacuum cleaner, hair dryer or other loud objects near their children.

How to develop a baby at 7 months

1. In order to develop coordination of movements, simply sit the child on your leg and gently rock him, throw him up and down.
2. You can invite your child to tug of war - a bright scarf can play this role.
3. You can hide a bright toy under a blanket with your child and invite him to find it. The child will like to watch how you hide the toy in your palm or behind your back, under a scarf, and so on.
4. Teach your child to show you the object that was announced to him with his finger and make “bye” with his palm and clap. Give your child simple and understandable tasks - pick up a spoon or open a toy box, also introduce him to the words “no” and “no”, and they must relate to real situations.
5. Play different music for your child and, for example, with calm melodies the baby will feel calmer, and with fast melodies he will begin to dance.
6. Develop fine motor skills of your hands. To do this, you can use bags with a variety of fillings or finger paints, or play with toys that have buttons. The main thing is that the baby can touch, squeeze and press all this.
7. Tell your child about everything you do in everyday life, which will increase his vocabulary. Name the things and toys around him, call him by name, show photos of relatives and friends, calling them by name.
8. Walk with your child not only when the baby is sleeping, but also when he is awake, give him the opportunity to observe nature.
9. When playing with your baby, you can use Doman cards. You can also buy him bright and colorful children's books, with thick pages, with short rhymes that are read aloud to the child.
10. Introduce your child to other children. Invite them to visit or chat on walks, let the children watch one after another.
11. While your baby is bathing, add a few bright rubber toys that will float on the surface of the water.

Useful tips for parents

• If your baby has already started crawling or is just preparing for such an activity, carry out an inspection of your apartment or house: remove all dangerous and breakable objects higher up, do not place a hot kettle on the floor or the edge of the table, “relocate” the first aid kit.
• Do not leave your baby alone on sofas or beds; it is better to lower him to the floor. If your toddler is standing in the crib, lower the bottom to the bottom position.
• Try to go for a walk not during sleep, but when the baby is awake. Tell him about the world around him, let's hold leaves, flowers, show birds or animals.
• If your baby suddenly begins to shy away from “strangers,” do not try to force him to “go into his aunt’s arms” or at least smile at strangers. Hug and talk in a quiet voice - this will calm the baby and prevent hysteria.
• Pay attention to the children's diet: gradually, very smoothly introduce new foods. Do not try to switch your child to regular adult food - the stomach is not ready for this.

Developmental exercises for a 7 month old baby

To speed up the development of a child at 7 months, it is necessary to do simple exercises with him every day; they are best perceived by the child in a playful way.

Exercises for the physical development of a child at 7 months

Correct and harmonious physical development of a child at 7 months is a necessary component in order to strengthen the muscular corset of the back and prepare the baby for walking.

• The “Crane” exercise will teach your child to sit down independently. When the baby is lying on his back, pull him lightly by the arms, while the child must tense the muscles of the peritoneum and neck and sit up himself. You can make the exercise somewhat more complicated if you lift the baby not by the arms, but by giving him a scarf or sticks in his palm, and so you can start such training with 2-4 repetitions.
• The “Frog” exercise trains the leg muscles and helps develop the hip and knee joints. Place the child on his back and bend his legs at the knees, pressing his feet to the floor. The main thing is to move them apart slowly and without sudden movements, while keeping your feet together and repeat this up to 10 times.
• The “Jumper” exercise helps strengthen the child’s legs and arms. To do this, simply take a thick and elastic sofa cushion and, holding the child by the arms, lift him up, rest his legs on it, lift him up and, as if simulating bouncing. It is also worth jumping in the opposite direction. The main thing here is to perform such exercises easily, without overloading or damaging the shoulder joint, so 3-4 repetitions will be enough.
• The “Bosyachok” exercise is suitable for the prevention of flat feet. To carry it out, buy a special massage mat and lay it on the floor of the playpen or in the crib. When the child gets up on his own, his feet will be massaged, although the baby can be supported under the armpits and placed with his feet on the mat. In this exercise, a few seconds are enough for the baby to stand on the mat, stepping over it.

Physiological parameters

The passive lifestyle of waiting for someone close to you to appear in your field of vision has already passed, and physical data, in particular, a strengthened spine and a developed muscular system, allow you to reach various objects. On average, the physical parameters of a baby in the seventh month are as follows:

The increase in activity level in the 7th month causes the baby's body to grow rapidly.

In the development of the immune system, the seventh month is a turning point, since the baby’s body begins to independently fight pathogenic microorganisms, of course, not without the help of maternal antibodies obtained from breast milk. It's time to develop the body's protective functions through hardening, exercise and massage.

Educational toys for a 7 month old baby

When choosing toys for a 7-month-old child, be guided by the fact that the child’s development at 7 months is aimed at perception and motor processes. Pediatricians advise choosing the following toys:

• Toys should have a simple shape, without sharp corners, and easy to grip.
• Be bright in color, but not too colorful, as this will negatively affect the baby’s vision.
• Toys should make sounds that are pleasant to the child, not sharp, for example, rattle or squeak, ring.
• Be easy to care for, wash and clean well.

At the same time, you should not buy toys for your baby with small parts that come off easily, and only 2-3 toys will be enough, for a 7-month-old child this will be enough. It is optimal to choose toys that have a different feel to the touch, smooth or rough, soft or dense.

What toys can you buy? These are tumblers and rattles, as well as pyramids and several cubes. It would be good if there was a doll among them, even a baby doll. It is also worth buying rubber toys for the bathroom, and also buy a bucket - the child will be interested in how many things can be put in it. You can sew toys yourself or cut them out of wood, and household items such as spoons, lids and bags can also be used as fun.

Child 7 months: height and weight standards

If you have not yet acquired children's electronic scales, see how to choose them at the link.

Baby's nutrition at 7 months

7 months is already a period when breast milk is not enough for a baby to develop normally, but it is still a time when it is not recommended to completely exclude it. The baby no longer eats as often as before; now the period between meals increases to 4 hours.

Sample menu for a child at 7 months of development:

1. Breakfast (6:00) – breast milk or formula (200ml)
2. Second breakfast (10:00) – porridge (150 g)
3. Lunch (14:00) – vegetable puree (170 g), vegetable oil (1 tsp), meat puree (30 g), fruit juice (70 ml)
4. Dinner (18:00) – fruit puree (70g), cookies (baby) (1-2 pieces), breast milk (supplementary feeding)
5. Second dinner (22:00) – breast milk (200 ml)

This is an approximate menu for feeding a baby at 7 months. It is recommended to give your baby porridges such as corn, buckwheat, and rice. It is too early to give oatmeal and pearl barley porridge, as these porridges contain too much protein, to which the child’s body is not yet accustomed.

Active speech

At 7 months of life

The babbling of a child indicates his comfortable state and good mood. At this moment, the articulatory apparatus is trained: vocal cords, tongue, lips, etc.

Speech therapists say that the more varied and expressive a baby babbles, the less parents can worry about his speech development in the future.

It’s great if a mother can speak her child’s language. It is imperative to maintain the baby’s speech activity, giving him the opportunity to “speak out.” As a result, the baby will feel that he is understood. It is at this time that the “mother-understanding-baby” relationship is formed, which will soon play a decisive role in the relationship between the child and parents.

Read: Baby development at 8 months

Development chart for children under one year old.

Summing up

In the article, you learned what a child at 7 months can and should be able to do and how to develop it so that the baby quickly learns new skills. Show patience and love for your baby, praise him for every new achievement and pay attention to educational games that will help the overall development of the child at 7 months.

Child development at 7 months: what he can do, nutrition, psychological development - Video:

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Gender difference

At an early age, a child’s development is determined more by heredity, body weight, nutrition and living conditions than by gender. Therefore, in terms of physiology, girls and boys grow equally at seven months. However, research shows that emotional and speech development occurs faster in girls. Scientists explain this by the fact that the connection between the hemispheres is formed immediately after birth, while in boys this occurs only in the seventh to ninth month of life.

In practice, this can be seen by paying attention to the communication sphere. Girls are more attached to their family and require more attention from adults, while boys spend most of their time examining and learning about objects in the world around them.