At what months do babies start sitting

How to understand that your child is ready to sit

Children are born weak: their muscles initially cannot hold the body in an upright position. But every day they develop and become stronger.

The first sign that a child will soon learn to sit is the ability to confidently control the position of his head.

The fact that the baby has learned to hold his head upright and turn it in different directions means that the muscles of his neck and back have become sufficiently strong. As a rule, this skill is acquired at the age of 5–6 months. The ability to sit down, holding not only your head but also your back upright, is literally one step away.

At what months do babies start sitting?

Approaching the age of five months, the baby becomes very active and inquisitive. The baby looks around, turns his head in different directions, confidently grabs and holds toys, and easily rolls over onto his tummy. Some children even try to sit up, which for parents becomes a cause for pride and admiration, because every mother looks forward to that happy time when their child begins to sit on his butt independently. When a child begins to sit up on his own According to pediatricians, a child should develop and sit up according to approximately the following indicators: at 6 months. – sits with support; at 7 months – sits without support; at 7.5 – 8 months. – easily sits down independently and can lie down from this position.

Transition of a child from a position lying on his back to a sitting position. It happens that active and physically strong children sit down a month and a half earlier. For other babies this happens a little later. According to doctors, such indicators are also considered normal. If you ask an experienced doctor the question at what months do children usually begin to sit down, he will answer that each little person has his own time, because the development path of each baby is individual and unique.

Is it possible to sit a child down specifically? Is it possible to sit a child up? The opinion of pediatricians and orthopedists regarding the popular question from young parents “is it possible to help and sit down a child” is clear: the vertical position of the spine is unnatural for a child under six months of age. By artificially seating the baby, unfortunate parents can harm the health of the little one. Already at school age this can lead to serious problems with the spine. If the back muscles are not sufficiently strong, then the baby will not sit down on his own because he is not yet ready for such a serious load. It’s another matter if the child sat up on his own before he was six months old. But even in this situation, the baby should not be in a “sitting” position for more than 1 hour a day. The moment when you can sit your baby down comes when the little one turns 6 months old. Let me emphasize, not to seat, but to sit down.

Doctor Komarovsky advises: When should you sit your baby down? How many months? A series of exercises with a child to strengthen the back. What should parents do to help their child learn a new and necessary skill? Every day, from the age of 3 months, perform gymnastics and massage with the child, swim in the bathtub or pool (in large cities there are swimming pools for joint visits with young children). This way the muscle corset will be well strengthened. From the age of four months, pediatricians recommend doing exercises to get the baby to sit up. They need to be performed on a changing table or other hard surface.

Exercise 1. The child lies on the table. As soon as he reaches his arms towards his mother, extend his index fingers. The baby will try to sit up, grabbing his mother’s fingers. The child’s back lifts off the surface at 45°; the baby is held in this position for several seconds and then returns to the “lying” position.

Exercise 2. “Airplane.” Place the baby on his tummy. Raise the child, supporting him under the chest with one hand and under the legs with the other. The legs rest against the adult’s chest, the buttocks and back are tense, the head is raised. Hold the position for a few seconds.

Valentina Ershova: How to teach a baby to sit It is recommended for the physical development of the baby to hang rings over the crib, which he can grab onto and try to lift himself up. When laying it on the stomach, place a bright object (toy) at a short distance in front of the baby, to which he will try to crawl.

It is important for every young mother to know how to sit down a child correctly (this has already been mentioned above) and what not to do. If the child does not sit up on his own, then you cannot: Place him on pillows; Carry in a stroller in a sitting position (you can fix the back of the stroller at 45º) Carry in various Kangaroo-type carriers in a sitting position; Place on your hands (can be held on your knees in a “reclining” position).

Boys and girls: assumptions and facts In the philistine environment, there is an opinion that boys can be seated earlier than girls. In fact, regardless of gender, planting before six months is harmful for both. 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 take a less categorical position: it is believed that there is no great fear if the little princess decides to sit up on her own before six months, and the grandmothers’ fears are not greatly exaggerated. Also, the age at which a child sits up on his own does not depend on gender. Everything is individual, only the physical development and mental maturity of the baby matter. When boys or girls suddenly sit down before the age of six months, this event serves as a reason for parental pride and even boasting to other mothers. There is no need to rush things. Your baby is unique and unrepeatable, so the path of his individual development will also be unrepeatable and unique. Healthy and smart children and happy motherhood to you, dear mothers!

When does the baby start to sit?

Most children begin to sit confidently around 6 months of age. Infant and toddler health. Although the boundaries of the norm, as often happens, are quite blurred. Baby milestones: Sitting - some people make attempts as early as 4 months, and others closer to 7 months.

True, sitting does not mean sitting down. Most likely, at first you will have to help your son or daughter into the desired position (do not do this before the child learns to hold his head up!).

Sit your baby so that he has support. For example, surround it with pillows. Or sit him in a high chair for feeding - but just be sure to make sure he doesn’t fall out.

Even children who seem to have mastered sitting often fall over in the first few weeks after learning a new skill. Sometimes - simply because they have become uninterested in maintaining an upright position. Take this into account and do everything to prevent your child from hitting his head when falling.

By 7–8 months, almost all children sit up independently from any position - lying on their back, stomach, side - and confidently maintain balance with a vertical back.

How to help a child learn to sit?

Sometimes the baby sits well, but it’s hard for him to do it on his own. Many parents do not know how to guide their child and teach him to sit. There are a number of exercises to strengthen your back muscles.

Gymnastic exercises should be performed every day, along with bathing and massage:

Pull up by handles 30 degrees . You need to give the baby your thumbs so that he can grab them. From the “lying” position, slowly lift up, but do not sit down. This way the abdominal and arm muscles are trained.
From the “lying on your stomach” position, help roll over onto your back and back . This exercise will be easier to perform if the child is interested in a bright rattle.
Hold the baby on your lap, reclining so that he rests on the palms of an adult. This is how body balance develops and muscles are toned.
The “airplane” exercise will help strengthen your back . After laying the baby on his tummy, you should place your hands under the chest and under the stomach. At this time, the legs should rest against the parent. At the same time, the head is raised, the muscles of the back and butt are tense. Hold this for a few seconds.

ADVICE OF EXPERIENCED MOMS:

First, crawl! Put the child on all fours and teach him to move. When he learns to stand on all fours from this position and push him to sit down.
In order to teach him to crawl, you can lift him under the chest on a diaper folded in four, as if teaching him to stand on all fours. And the child feels good - he is supported, and the mother does not have to bend over too much.
You should not interfere with the natural process in order to boast about how early your child sits. There is no need to teach this to your child.

Fitball exercises are great for strengthening the baby's muscular skeleton. This is a fitness ball. You should choose a smooth fitball without ears or bulges, with a large diameter.

Exercises should be performed half an hour after eating:

Swaying. With your stomach on the ball, gently rock the baby in forward and backward directions, holding your lower back. Later, you can put a toy on the floor in front of him so that he can reach for it while rocking.
Rocking from right to left, slowly increasing the inclination.
Spring on the ball.
Swinging in a circle in one direction and in the other.
Spring with your back to the ball.
Perform swings with your back to the ball.

With regular massage with light strokes in combination with gymnastics and water treatments, the baby will learn to sit independently.

There is no need to push your child because all children are different and do not fit into clear standards. The main task of parents is to always be close to the baby and support him at every stage of development.

What to do if the child does not sit

First of all, don’t worry. The boundaries of the norm are wide, and if your child refuses to hold his back upright even at 6–7 months, he has every physiological right to do so.

Concern is justified only in the following cases: Baby milestones: Sitting:

if by about 4 months you have not even noticed attempts to raise your head and hold it upright;
if the child holds his head, but does not try to raise himself on his arms from a position on his tummy;
The baby is already 9 months old, but he still has not learned to sit without support.

However, even a lag behind these key “reference points” is not an indication that there is something wrong with the child. Children develop individually. And for example, those of them who were born prematurely may be slightly delayed in development compared to their peers. In any case, your pediatrician will give you more accurate information.

Moms' concerns: what to do if the child does not want to sit?

Many mothers begin to worry if the baby does not meet generally accepted standards in physical development and think about how to teach the child to sit independently. Shouldn't you start sitting your baby up?

Most often, the baby learns new skills on his own and just needs time. If the baby does not begin to sit by 11 months, you should contact a good pediatrician.

Until this time, there is no need to worry; it is better to help the child’s body get stronger. Regularly do gymnastics with your child, carry it correctly in your arms, allowing your back muscles to become stronger.

While sitting at the table and feeding your baby, you can hold him in a position that helps train your back. You will learn how to do this correctly from the course on introducing complementary foods to your baby.

You can place your baby on his stomach more often and place toys in front of him so that he can reach for them.

Parents should help their baby develop physically from birth. Often a course of restorative massage helps a child learn to sit.

It is better to carry it out to a specialist. The results will be visible immediately. This massage is performed to provide the necessary impetus to the child’s physical development.

ADVICE FROM EXPERIENCED MOMS:

You should not sit the child down even on your knees, it is better to keep him reclining;
pillows are useful to protect the child from hitting the corners of furniture;
It is necessary to carry out daily massage and gymnastics, which will help strengthen the muscles of the whole body and the baby will begin to sit;
encourage the baby's crawling by placing his favorite toys around him so that the baby tries to reach them.

When should you be concerned?

Sometimes the reason why a child does not sit at 8 months is a delay in psychomotor development. Then you need to urgently contact a neurologist. The inability to sit is not the only sign and is most often a consequence of:

fetal hypoxia;
early birth;
anemia during pregnancy;
fetal prematurity;
intracranial pressure.

How to help your child sit up and down

The ability to sit is directly related to how strong the muscles of the back and neck are. Therefore, if you want to speed up the process, take time to train.

Place your baby on his stomach more often

In this position, in order to see what is happening around him, he will have to raise his head and shoulders, leaning on his arms. This is a great workout for your back muscles.

To prevent your child from getting bored while exercising, place bright toys around him or place a mirror in front of him. Children aged 4–5 months are already inquisitive and ready to spend a lot of time exploring new objects and their own faces.

Show your child how fun sitting can be

To do this, sit your baby on your lap so that he rests his back on your stomach and chest, and show him toys, read books, make movements (for example, “box-box!”) with his hands, pet the cat together, or sort out the pebbles on the table. An interested baby will try to keep his back upright, and this will strengthen his muscles.

Help your child rise from a supine position

Extend your hands so that the baby grabs your fingers. Slowly and carefully lift it up. When the angle between the back and the supporting surface is 40–45º, fix this position for a few seconds, and then just as carefully help the child lie down again. Repeat this exercise several times a day.

How to help your baby sit up on his own.

In the first few months, children spend a lot of effort to master the basic skills that correspond to each stage of development. Trying to sit a baby down on purpose can harm the baby. But it is still possible to help his muscles get stronger and train children’s coordination and spatial orientation. No matter how many months a small child begins to sit, you can begin to help his muscles strengthen and develop from the first days of life.

Massage. A great way to help normalize the condition of your baby’s muscles. Due to the gradual development, some muscle groups of the newborn are in strong tone, while others, on the contrary, are in hypotonicity.
Gymnastics. From about 3 months of age, pediatricians can prescribe therapeutic exercises.
By five months, babies can be gently helped to roll over onto their back from a prone position. Toys and rattles perfectly stimulate children's interest in this.
Balance training. The following exercise will help you maintain balance and learn to feel your body in space: take the child on your knees, half-sitting, and offer him both your hands, palms up. Intuitively, the baby will begin to rest his hands on your hands.
Give your baby your index fingers so he can grab them. Help your baby rise a little so that his head and back form one straight line. So it should “hang” for several seconds.

Exercise “swimmer” or “airplane”. Raise the child, who is lying on his stomach, holding him under the chest with one hand, and with the other, fix his legs so that he rests them on your stomach. In this position, the child will work absolutely all the back muscles.

All babies need time to learn a new skill as they develop. If you have doubts or concerns about your baby’s condition, be sure to seek advice from a specialist.

What not to do when teaching a child to sit on his own?

Do you want to know how long a child can sit without harm to health? Take a closer look at it. If he is trying his best to stay seated, but his back is not rounded, the blockages in different directions become less and less frequent - this means that the child is almost ready and will soon sit up on his own.

But even in this case, it is strictly prohibited:

Covering with pillows and other devices to support the body in an upright position.
It is special to sit the child down until he does it himself.
Carrying in kangaroos and carriers that do not provide physiological position of the body.
Sit the child on your lap.
Early sitting in a stroller.

Neglecting these prohibitions will lead to significant problems with the child’s health.

The main rule for parents is not to rush things and under no circumstances make the child sit down until he does it himself.

You can help your baby sit up on his own faster by doing light physical exercises with him, teaching him to sit down, giving him a massage and encouraging him to crawl and lie on his tummy. This is the only way modern mothers help their children, while taking care of their health and full development. Work with your children and everything will be done on time. And this is the most important thing!

Author: Vladislava Kotovich, especially for Mama66.ru

What stages does a child go through in mastering the skill of sitting?

Some children develop faster than their peers, others a little later. Doctors believe that the age when a child begins to sit ranges from 6 to 9 months. This skill is followed by other skills in physical development. The baby learns to kneel, pull up the body, holding onto support, stand and then walk. All these actions are associated with the ability to maintain balance, which is not achieved immediately: At 6 months, the baby most often does not yet sit independently. Lying on his stomach, he lifts his chest. Can keep head level with body. Without support, he falls on his side because the muscles are not yet strong enough. You can pull it up by the handles for a short time, as a workout. The baby gurgles and gurgles and plays with a rattle for a long time. At 7 months, the baby sits more confidently. Can sit for some time without falling over, play, turn to the sides with the whole body. Makes snorting sounds. The baby is able to sit up independently from a lying position, pushing off with his hands. At 8 months, most babies are sitting independently. They spin and turn from their stomach to their back. They can easily sit down from the “lying on their side” position. Transfer the toy from hand to hand. At 9 months, the child makes an effort to reach the rattle he needs, lying at a distance. Plays pats, sits without support and tries to get up on all fours. Pulls up from a sitting position to a standing position. Indistinctly pronounces “mom” and “dad”. Enjoys playing peek-a-boo.

How to determine if your baby is ready for change

The first attempts to sit (or rather, sit down) a son in his arms can be done from 3-4 months - such a baby is not sitting in his mother’s arms, but rather reclining, and his legs are slightly bent. It can remain in this position from one to several minutes. After five months, the baby’s musculoskeletal system becomes stronger, but although some children are ready to sit, others are not yet developed enough for this. You can start sitting the boy down when he:

Actively, willingly and easily rolls over from back to tummy and back;
Raises his head from a horizontal position and holds it confidently;
He begins to try to rise, and by grabbing the adult’s fingers and holding on to them, he is able to stay in an upright position for some time.

It is better to start sitting the boy on his mother’s lap: when the back feels supported and the tailbone does not rest against a hard surface, it is easier for the baby to tolerate a new position for him. You can start sitting your baby on your lap from five to five and a half months - first for a few seconds, then gradually increasing the time. Children who have learned to crawl well can be allowed to sit longer, since the “on all fours” position helps the correct formation of the spine.

Doctors recommend placing chubby babies as late as possible: the greater the body weight, the more strongly it affects the fragile spine and internal organs. Thin boys tolerate the new position more easily; they can sit with support from five months and sit up independently earlier than overweight children. But parents need to remember that at five to six months the child cannot sit for more than an hour a day, and it does not matter how many months he sits down on his own.

How to determine the baby's readiness?

There are signs by which it can be established that the muscles of the neck and chest have become stronger and can support the body. These are baby actions such as:

The ability to easily lift the chest while lying on the stomach, and remain so for a long time.
Ability to roll over in both directions without problems.
Attempts to rise from a supine position.

You can do a test: sit the child upright and see what happens. When a baby's back noticeably rounds and he falls over, this means that his spine is not ready.

It would be wrong to ignore this fact by covering the baby with bolsters and pillows. It is better to be patient and wait as long as necessary for the child to sit up on his own.

Signs of a confident landing:

The back is straight.
The pelvis is slightly tilted forward.
The legs are placed so that they serve as support.
If you push the baby slightly, he does not fall over, but continues to sit.

It is important to understand:
After the little one learns to sit down, the angle of inclination in the stroller or on the high chair should be 30 degrees.

The baby's back is still weak and, being in an upright position for a long time, experiences unjustified stress.

When does a child begin to sit up on his own?

According to pediatricians, a child should develop and sit according to approximately the following indicators:

at 6 months – sits with support;
at 7 months – sits without support;
at 7.5 – 8 months. – easily sits down independently and can lie down from this position.

It happens that active and physically strong children go to school a month and a half earlier. For other babies this happens a little later. According to doctors, such indicators are also considered normal.

If you ask an experienced doctor the question at what months do children usually begin to sit down, he will answer that each little person has his own time, because the development path of each baby is individual and unique.