Approaching the age of 4-5 months, significant changes are coming in the development of the baby. The rapid development of the senses and motor abilities - the baby achieves success in new opportunities, delighting his parents. This is no longer a peacefully snoring newborn. The baby begins to grab toys, roll over and at some point you notice that he is trying to rise and sit down. At what point does the child begin to sit on his own, is it worth speeding up this process with exercises? Consider when the child should start sitting, according to the rules of healthy physical development.

Sitting position - terms and norms for skill development

The child masters independent ability to sit down not earlier than 6-8 months. It is difficult to give a more accurate answer, because the development of each individual infant takes place at an individual pace. You can navigate by the table of stages of development of the baby. In accordance with age, the baby should have average movement skills.

When does a child begin to sit independently?

The baby begins to keep the back in a sitting position when the muscles of the upper body are sufficiently strengthened.

• At 6 months, the baby is able to take a sitting position with support, resting on the handles, but quickly loses balance and falls on its side. The baby himself is not yet able to rise from a prone position, only when adults pull him up by the handles.
• The average age when babies start to sit and crawl on their own is 7 months. The child already knows how to keep the body in balance and can even turn to the right / left while sitting.
• Having crossed the threshold at 8 months, the child already takes a sitting position on his own from any position option (sitting, lying down).

Most parents start to worry when familiar children from the environment are ahead of their child. A scheduled examination by a neurologist at 6 months will tell you whether to worry and resort to physiotherapy exercises, other auxiliary exercises and massage to master the skill of sitting.

Ability to crawl and walk - when?

The ability to crawl develops in most babies in parallel with the skill of sitting. The baby will show an active desire to crawl from the age of 5 months, the first “reverse” movements at 5.5 months, and at six it will be ready to crawl forward. The child is full of desire to explore the world around him, so it is necessary to create a safe environment around him.

The baby will start walking already after 8 months of age, it is at 8-9 months that babies take their first steps in the crib and playpen. Full walking should be expected no earlier than 11-12 months, although it has been noticed that some babies prefer the ability to crawl to immediately master the ability to walk.

Parents can independently monitor the signs by which you can determine whether their baby is ready to hold the body in a sitting position:

• lying on the tummy, the baby raises the chest high and is able to stay in this position for at least 5 minutes;
• the baby skillfully and without problems turns over in both directions;
• the baby tries to raise the back in the supine position, pulls his head up (for the toy in your hand) and may linger in this position for a split second.

It is worth watching your baby during the day, and if you notice the above actions, you can be sure that the child will soon please you with his successful development of the skill.

Confident landing: how to strengthen the muscles of the back

Parents can help their baby practice sitting well on their own. It is important to understand how babies begin to sit down so as not to harm the baby's fragile spine. Any exercises to strengthen the back and form a confident fit can be started no earlier than 5.5 months.

• There is a great exercise that an active baby likes. The baby desperately grabs the adult's arms to try to sit up? Pull it up and let it stay in a sitting position for half a minute. Then gently lower to the surface. Repeat the lesson 4-5 times several times a day.
• Perfectly strengthens and develops the muscles of the back, the development of the ability to roll over from the stomach to the back. Lay your baby on his tummy often and help him roll over onto his back. It is important to teach the baby to be able to roll over in both directions, even if he has chosen “favorite” and is too lazy to roll over to the other.
• The ability to sit is also developed through another skill - crawling. Crawling stimulates muscle tension. Put something bright and rustling in front of the baby, let him try to reach the object while lying down.

On a note! Make it a rule to carry out a daily light back massage. Regular massage actions help to strengthen the muscular corset.

Boys before girls - myth or reality

In numerous forums, discussions of parents do not subside about the fact that there are significant differences in the development of boys and girls. According to the observations of mothers, girls sit down on average at the age of 6-7 months. Boys sit down at 5.5-6 months, although they may try to get up earlier (for example, from 4.5 months), but an independent skill often comes at this age.

Scientific studies have not confirmed that a particular gender has an advantage in physical development. The development of back muscles and strengthening of the spine is the only principle that should be guided by when assessing the skills of sitting and walking.

When does the baby start sitting? Experts have a special opinion on this issue. Is it possible to rush the development of the baby? Are there special methods that contribute to high-quality physical development? There are definite answers and useful recommendations for all these questions.

The first skills of newborns delight and touch parents: a smile, the ability to roll over from their back to their tummy, attempts to sit down on their own. But the development of children does not always follow generally accepted medical standards.

The opinion of experts on this issue is quite definite - up to the age of six months, the vertical position of the spine is not natural for a child. By artificially seating the baby, parents risk harming his health.

At an older age, this will turn into unpleasant consequences. If the child himself sits down before the age of one and a half years, this is also considered normal. But even in this case, the child should not be in this position for more than an hour.

According to pediatricians, at 6 or 7 months, the baby can sit with support. What time does the child start to sit without someone's help? Somewhere in the 7th or 8th month of life.

And at the age of 9 months, the child can easily sit up on his own, and even lie down from a sitting position. But there are children who can sit normally only a year. It depends on temperament and individual physical condition.

Some children may sit down a month earlier than their peers. This is also considered normal. In general, each kid has his own way of development and his own individual period for a certain skill.

The main sign of whether the child is ready to sit on his own is - if he does not fall sideways. If it collapses, then it's too early for him to do it. It will be much more useful if the parents actively stimulate his crawling.

Parents need to pay attention to whether the baby can raise the chest from a lying position on the stomach. This is evidence that the muscles of the chest and neck have become stronger and soon the baby can make attempts to sit down.

When children begin to sit on their own: norms for boys and girls

In the past, it was believed that girls should be seated on the ass much later than the representatives of the strong half of humanity. This was motivated by the fact that early sitting down affects the development of the genital organs and is harmful to the hip bones. Today, pediatricians have abandoned this approach.

When a child begins to sit unimportant, the main thing is that he begins to do it on his own.

In addition, the gender of the child does not affect this skill. Pediatricians note that the period of 6–9 months is the norm for sitting down children. The ability of the child in this matter plays a decisive role. You can get acquainted with the skills that a child should have depending on age in the table.

Children's skills according to age:

Age (months)	Capabilities
4–6	There are no independent abilities yet. The kid is able with outside help, for a short time is in a sitting position. Without support, the child quickly loses balance and rolls over onto his back.
6,5–7	The baby does not know how to sit down on his own, but being in an upright position, he maintains balance without outside help.
7,5–9	The baby is able to sit down independently from any position (being on the tummy, side, back)

Approximately babies begin to hold the body in an upright position without outside help at 7 months. But there are kids who master this skill only closer to a year. Later (according to parents) sitting down a child is not a deviation from the norm and does not indicate any health problems.

Stages of Skill Development

Several factors influence the development of the sitting process:

• Skeleton formation. The baby cannot sit on the "jelly" bones. They should get stronger by gaining enough calcium.
• Muscle formation. While the muscle tissues of the legs, neck and back are not sufficiently formed, the child simply cannot physically sit down and keep the body in this state. Poorly strengthened muscles are not able to fix the body in a sitting position.
• Psycho-emotional development. The baby will not attempt to assume a sitting position until he has such a need. Parents should interest the baby: a new toy, an animal or a change of scenery.
• Development of the nervous system. The baby will not begin to sit down until the brain gives the order to the body. It is nerve impulses that cause certain muscle groups to tighten. In an adult, the body is already accustomed to following commands. The muscles of the child are just beginning to study them.

When a child begins to sit, parents should be extremely careful. Maybe he's not ready for it yet.

The accepted average stages of infant development will help determine the child's abilities:

• In the period of 2-4 months. the baby, being on his stomach, is able to tear his head and shoulders off the surface and linger in this position for several minutes.
• At the age of 4–6 months. begins to make attempts to roll over from side to side. He is able to change position, moving from back to stomach and vice versa.
• In the period of 5–8 months. the baby is able to fix the body without outside help for 20-40 seconds. Then he starts to lay on his side. Since the bony corset and muscles are not yet strong, it can injure the face or head. Pillows will help to avoid unpleasant consequences. It is enough to impose them on a child. But leaving the baby unattended is not worth it. Having fallen face down on the pillow, the child may experience mechanical asphyxia.
• In the period of 6–9 months. the child begins to master the technique of crawling.
• At the age of 8-12 months. the baby learns to walk with the help of a support or adults.

Parents during the wakeful period should carefully monitor the abilities of the child. His skills themselves will tell you that the baby is already able to sit down on his own. Experts say that the later he learns to keep the body upright, the stronger his health will be.

When a child starts to sit on the ass early, this can provoke the development of significant problems in the future.

For example:

• Rachiocampsis. Weak muscles and a weak skeleton are easily deformed under the influence of a load. Scoliosis leaves a mark not only on the appearance of the baby (posture deteriorates), but also leads to the development of serious problems in the work of internal organs and the back. Tellingly, girls are more prone to this problem than boys.

• Chest deformity. Pathological changes in the size, volume and shape of the sternum leads to a decrease in the distance between the spine and the chest. As a result, the position of the internal organs is disturbed. The child may develop breathing and heart problems. This disease is more common in boys.
• Problems in the formation of the hip bones. The fragile skeleton is plastic and under the pressure of the weight of the baby can be deformed.
• Vertebral injury.
• Disease of the hip joints. Diseases of this kind can cause clubfoot, lameness, flat feet and unsteady gait.
• Difficulties in psychoemotional development. An unfamiliar position for the baby, trauma or fear can lead to fear and unwillingness to carry out any actions.

Many adults don't know that unexplained low back pain after age 45 is also often caused by sitting too early. That is why orthopedists recommend parents not to sit down the baby until he does it himself. And do not lead the children by the hands until they walk along the support on their own.

When a child begins to sit, parents should take special care of him and take care of his health.

Every parent needs to know what not to do until the child sits down on his own. Information will help them in this, what actions with the child they should avoid:

• Do not sit down the baby until 2–2.5 months. It is allowed to give the body of the child a vertical position on the hands after 3 months. In this case, the child can only be in a semi-sitting position with slightly bent legs.
• Avoid a long stay of the child in a sitting position, it is forbidden to ride in a stroller in a sitting position, use walkers and carrying "kangaroos". The first attempts to assume a vertical position should be limited to 1-2 minutes.

In addition, parents should not make the first attempts to sit down on the floor or interior items. Acquaintance with a new skill should take place on the lap of mom or dad. Being in this position, the child feels safe. His back is fixed, and the rigid base does not injure the coccyx.

• Do not place your baby in a highchair or place pillows around him if he is not good on his feet or is not trying to roll over.
• Rare wellness procedures. To strengthen the muscular frame, the baby should be laid out on the tummy, thereby pushing him to raise his head and turn over.

It is also important to regularly carry out a light relaxing massage and do daily exercises. A daily massage complex and light exercises will help strengthen your baby's muscles.

For example, light exercises include pulling a child by the arms from a lying position. You can also do the "airplane" exercise. To do this, you need to put the baby on the stomach and lift it with both hands, after fixing the hands under the chest and legs of the baby.

Parents can safely sit down a child if he has the following abilities:

Often children do not want to sit down, even after reaching the age of 7 months. If the child tries to lie down, cries and refuses to stand on his legs, do not force him to sit on his ass. When the time comes, he himself will want to get to know the world from a new angle.

The correct position of the baby while sitting

According to adults, the ability to sit does not require special skills and knowledge. But in reality, conquering this ability is not as easy as it might seem. Babies often learn to crawl faster than they learn to sit. But it is in the power of parents to help their child learn a new skill.

To do this, you need to teach him to take the correct position while sitting down:

• Sitting upright, the baby's head should be slightly tilted forward.
• The neck of the child during the sitting down period should be in an unbent state.
• The baby's hands are his support, so they should be in front and rest against a hard surface.
• Your back should be slightly arched while sitting.
• The hip joints of the child look forward and are located in a bent state.
• The legs should be spread apart and, as it were, turned outward so that the support falls on the lateral part of the limbs.

When the child begins to sit, it is very important to ensure that the baby observes the correct posture.

If the position of the child's body differs from that described above, the baby will quickly get tired and act up.

• Strollers. The exception is samples that have an adjustable tilt level.
• Jumpers and carriers "kangaroos". In products of this type, the baby experiences stress. There is a strong load on fragile muscles and the spine, which can provoke the appearance of microtrauma of the vertebrae.
• Sit the child in pillows. It is allowed to resort to insurance of this kind only when the baby’s skeleton gets stronger and will be held vertically for at least 1 minute.

When a child begins to sit, parents must strictly ensure that he does not take pathological postures.

One of the dangerous positions for the baby is the position with the legs bent and turned back.

This arrangement resembles the letter "W". During this position, a strong load is placed on the hip joints and knees, which leads to severe pathologies.

Exercises from Komarovsky, contributing to the development of the skill

According to a well-known pediatrician, children do not need the help of their parents to master the ability to take a vertical position. The only way that adult family members can help a child is to strengthen his skeleton and muscle corset with the help of daily exercises. In order for the healing process not to cause discomfort, it is necessary to combine passive and active activities.

To form the required skill, Dr. Komarovsky recommends using the following types of training:

• "Swing". The baby is laid face up on a hard surface. Parents stretch out their hands to him in such a way that he grabs only the index finger. After this, the child is slowly raised to a position where his body is in a semi-sitting position. It is not necessary to seat the baby on the ass, it is enough that his body rises by 45 °. Then the child is slowly lowered. It is forbidden to conduct this workout in a crib or on a couch. A soft surface does not provide proper support to the spine. In addition, it is important to slowly perform this exercise. Then the back and arms of the baby are strained as much as possible. Dr. Komarovsky recommends doing the "swing" training no earlier than 4-5 months.
  
• "Fish". This exercise is recommended during the evening bathing. An orthopedic circle is put on the baby. Due to a special device, the child feels safe, and his neck is clearly fixed. The baby is placed in the bath face down, and pushed by the parents by the legs. Parents need to make forward and backward movements. After completing the exercise, it is not recommended to turn the child on his back. He must try to do it himself. If he is lazy, his parents should help him. For this, the child is taken by the hand and shown to him how to roll over correctly. During the water workout, the baby should make as many turns as possible. It is recommended to start the “fish” lesson from 1 month.
• "Caterpillar". During this session, the child is positioned face down. An eye-catching object is placed at some distance. If the baby is not afraid, you can make the object emit sound signals. In this case, the child should not reach the established object. When he becomes interested in the object and tries to reach it, the task of the parent is to press his hands on his feet. Thus, the baby will inertially push off and crawl. The task of the child is to reach the goal and take it in his hands. It is recommended to resort to training "caterpillar" from 4 months.
• "Pilot". During the exercise, the baby is taken in such a way that the right hand of an adult clasps his stomach. The brush should be located under the sternum. The left hand holds the legs. Raising the baby above a hard surface, he will reflexively raise his head, tighten his muscles and spread his arms to the sides. After keeping the baby in this position for 20-30 seconds, he is lowered down. It is allowed to resort to training "pilot" from 4 months.
  
• "On the ball". The child is placed on the fitball face down and perform translational movements. During training, you can not make sudden movements, the baby just needs to be rocked a little. Then it is turned face up and the lesson is repeated. Due to training on the ball, the baby not only strengthens the muscle corset, but also develops the vestibular apparatus. This skill will definitely come in handy when mastering a new skill, since, being located vertically, the child must be able to balance.

Dr. Komarovsky's exercises have a complex effect on the body of children. First of all, they are designed to strengthen the muscular corset and only then are aimed at developing new skills.

It is advisable to give the child a light massage before starting the exercises. Due to this, the complex will be more efficient. You should also not focus on training. Classes should be carried out in the form of a fun game. Otherwise, the baby may not like the manipulations done to him, and he will begin to protest.

If the child begins to sit before the appropriate period, do not stop his attempts. An early skill indicates that the baby is well developed. But when he, having reached 7–8 months, does not try to sit down, you should not force him to sit down. It is better to visit a specialist and find out what methods can arouse the desire to rise in a child.

Article formatting: Svetlana Ovsyanikova

Video on the topic: when the child begins to sit

At what age does a child begin to sit and how to help him with this:

Babies grow and develop very quickly. It seemed that a couple of days ago the baby only ate and slept, but now the child is already holding his head, then he starts to roll over on his tummy, tries to crawl.

An important stage in growing up a baby is the development of such a skill as sitting.

When (at what age) should a child begin to sit independently, is there a difference in terms for boys and girls? How to understand that the baby is ready to sit, how to help the child master this skill without harming? Is it worth bringing kids? We will deal with all issues!

At what age does a baby start trying to sit up?

You come to the pediatrician for another examination, and vague doubts torment your soul. My friend is already crawling with might and main, but mine is not gu-gu. The neighbor’s baby is 7 months old, she herself saw how she sits in the sandbox, but you can’t seat mine - she immediately collapses on her side ...

And you ask the doctor: “When will my child start to crawl and sit?” And the doctor answers you: “I don’t know.” And it's not about qualifications. No doctor knows what time each individual child will crawl or sit down.

The age limits are so vague and ghostly that you can not compare your baby with the neighbor's children. Even brothers and sisters sit down at different times, and the point here is not at all a gender difference.

The child will definitely sit down between 6 and 9 months of his life.

The skill of sitting develops in a baby due to a number of factors of growth and maturation:

• Skeleton development- the baby cannot sit on the "jelly" bones, they must absorb enough calcium and get stronger.
• Development of skeletal muscles. Do you know how many muscle groups are involved in sitting? Go to the gym for 2 days in a row for an enhanced workout for all muscle groups. In the morning you will feel everything. While the muscles of the back, neck and legs are not sufficiently developed, the baby cannot physically sit - the muscles are simply unable to fix the body in the desired position.
• Psycho-emotional development. The child does everything when he needs it and wants it. Children sit down out of curiosity - to increase the view, look at new things, see more on a walk. There is still no such need - there is nothing for him to sit down.
• Development of the nervous system. In order for the child to sit down, the brain must give an order to the body, under the influence of a nerve impulse, strictly defined muscles must tighten, which will subsequently hold the body in a sitting position. For you, this is natural, and the baby’s body is only learning all this.

At how many months each individual child should begin to sit on his own is the business of each individual child, and the baby does not owe anything to anyone.

Important! Many orthopedists argue that the later the child sits and walks, that is, the later his body acquires an upright position, the less problems there will be with posture in adolescence. Also, early sitting, and especially walking, has been associated with unexplained sharp pain in the lumbar region in people over 45 years of age. In this regard, orthopedists advocate that the child should not be planted until he sits down on his own, and not led by the hands before the baby walks, holding on to furniture.

Did you know? Some educators argue that the best period for this is when he can already sit down by himself. A sitting child feels a little more independent, and during this period it is much easier to wean him from motion sickness.

Do I need to seat the child

Dear mothers, especially young and ambitious ones! If you need a reason to be proud, be proud that you have a child, because many people only dream of such happiness. A sedentary baby is not a reason to be proud if you planted him at the cost of future scoliosis or pelvic deformity! It is strictly forbidden to sit down a child before 6 months. The child will decide when he can and should sit.

The only thing that is allowed is to massage the back and legs, do children's gymnastics, swim in the bathroom or pool and eat well, which will strengthen the skeleton and muscles, and the baby will sit down by itself. Your maximum is to seat the child while feeding or walking, leaning on the back of the stroller or placing pillows so that the child is tilted 30-40 °. Also, you do not need to put the baby in your arms - his back should always lean on your arm or belly at an angle of about 45°.

Important! If your child is active and sat down on his own before six months, make sure that the baby does not sit for a long time, no more than 60 minutes a day.

How does a child learn to sit?

The kid learns everything gradually. The average child tries to sit independently at 6 months, and there are usually no questions about how to teach him to do this. The process takes place in stages:

• The baby confidently rolls over from back to tummy and back.
• The child begins to crawl, gradually moving to the "on all fours" position.

• From the “on all fours” position, the baby falls on its side, leans on both arms, arches its back and sits down, legs wide apart.
• When sitting, the child leans on the ass, the sides of the legs, two or one hand, the chin is close to the chest.

• When such a position becomes familiar, the baby finally straightens its back, stops leaning on its arms, sits proudly, legs apart. Some children pick up their legs for themselves, sitting almost in Turkish.
• Each time the baby sits more confidently, sits longer, easily takes a sitting position from lying down and on all fours, easily changes it back.

Did you know? When the baby has learned to sit, it is quite possible to try. Later, he will be able to escape from this very pot, so do not miss your chance.

The child does not want to sit: what to do?

From how many months does an ordinary baby begin to sit on his own, we found out, but now he is 6, then 7, 8, finally 9 months, and the child still does not sit, what's the matter?

There may be several reasons:

• you started to sit down the child and he is too lazy to sit down himself;
• the child has poorly developed back muscles and he cannot do this physically;
• there is a pathology of the development of the musculoskeletal system, or a nervous pathology.

In the first case, stop sitting down the baby and wait until he himself is worthy of this action. You can leave the baby in the crib, hanging the toys so that the baby will certainly have to sit down to grab them.

If the child has poorly developed muscles, you can try to “pump” them. Massages will help (but only from an experienced specialist!), swimming in a children's pool (there are such in big cities) or a large home bath and a number of simple exercises:

• An airplane is flying. Take the baby under the chest and under the hips with both hands. The baby's legs rest on your chest. The back and buttocks are tense. We do this exercise for 7-10 seconds, a couple - three times a day.
• We reach for the toy on the belly. The child is on the tummy, put a toy in front of him, and let him reach for it, crawl.

• We reach for the toy on the back. Hang toys over the crib so that the baby can get it only by stretching the hand well. Let him try and play together.
• We download the press. The baby lies on his back, you give him your fingers to grab, lift him up to an angle of 30 °, hold him in this position for a second and lower him onto his back.

If you have a fitball, you can perform a set of exercises with this huge ball:

Also, do not forget to do gymnastics for babies, massage the back and legs of the baby. In winter, vitamin D should be consumed if the pediatrician has not found contraindications to it, for example, the use of a mixture that already contains vitamin D.

If you suspect a developmental pathology, you should immediately contact a pediatrician or pediatric neurologist.

Only qualified specialists can give an answer, what is the matter, establish an accurate diagnosis and prescribe the appropriate treatment. If you turn to knowledgeable specialists in a timely manner, all problems can be solved with little bloodshed and without complications.

How to teach a child to sit - video

In this video, mom tells when the child should start sitting. If the child sat down at 8-9 months, this is quite normal, and there is no need to rush the baby.

In this video, Dr. Komarovsky tells whether it is worth sitting the children down, whether it is necessary to help them sit down and get up.

This video shows exercises for the development of back muscles. Such exercises will help the baby to sit confidently.

It does not matter at what age your child will sit down - at 4 months (there are such babies), at 6 or at 9. The main thing is that the child does it on his own and when the time comes. Encourage your baby to crawl, develop his muscles with baby gymnastics and don't look back at your friends and neighbors.

Every child is different and should be approached accordingly. Do not rush the baby, and he will definitely succeed!

At what age did your baby sit? Did you help him, or did he do it himself? Did the baby crawl or sit up first? What do you think: should children be seated, or is it better not to rush? If you know interesting and useful exercises for the development of the skeletal muscles of the baby - share them with us in the comments!

When do babies start sitting? Most babies can start sitting when they are 4 to 7 months old. Up to this point, the child has definitely learned to roll over and hold his head. Upon reaching the age of 8 months, the baby should sit upright for several minutes without tipping over.

However, tipping over is not uncommon, even for those children who have already learned to sit up by themselves, as they may be tired of sitting for a long time.

Gradually, the baby's muscles become stronger with each coming month, he will be able to sit without support for a longer time. When the baby is eight months old, he tries to sit up on his own, leaning on his hands when he lies on his stomach. During these attempts, the muscles of the back are strengthened, and the ability to balance improves. However, most babies should be able to sit up on their own by eleven months.

Babies who spend a lot of time lying in bed or without much physical activity reach this stage around the ninth month.

3 – 4 months

At this stage, the baby's neck muscles are strengthening rapidly and have enough strength to allow the baby to raise his head while lying on his stomach. Soon, the baby's shoulder muscles will become strong enough to support the body, and the baby will begin to load them and lift the chest off the support, as if doing a mini push-up.

5 – 6 months

When the baby reaches the age of six months, he will be able to sit properly, keeping his head straight. However, the baby will not be able to stay in this position for long and will need support to stay in this position.

At this stage, it is best to surround the baby with pillows so that if the baby tips over, he will not be hurt.

Always keep the baby in sight. Don't use overly plump pillows. This will reduce your risk of suffocation.

When a baby reaches six months of age, he will learn how to balance while sitting in an upright position and will begin to use his arms to provide support.

7 – 8 months

At the age of 7 months, the baby can sit upright without support, without even relying on his hands to keep his balance. He will most likely be able to turn around while remaining in a sitting position to reach for the toy with his hands. Soon, using his hands, the child will sit up confidently from a lying position.

How to teach a child to sit?

At what age a child begins to sit independently depends on the readiness of his muscles to support the body. Therefore, you will not be able to teach the baby to sit ahead of time.

But parents can help the baby train the muscles so that sitting is easier for the baby when his body is ready for it.

1. Let the child spend more time lying on his stomach.

The first step to an ideal sitting position begins with the ability to keep your head steady. The best way to achieve this is to strengthen your neck and back muscles while lying on your stomach.

Lay the baby face down on his stomach and place his favorite toys in front of him. Encourage your baby to look at these toys with their head slightly raised.

When the baby learns to sit, repeat the exercise. This will help the infant learn to support and shift body weight while sitting. Hide the toys and have your baby look for them while he is on his tummy. This will make the baby lift his body.

2. Move the baby yourself.

One way to introduce a child to movement is to first show him the movement itself. Place your baby on a soft surface and move gently. This will help the baby develop a sense of orientation in order to make the movement himself.

3. Sitting with support.

In the sixth month of a baby's life, you can teach him to sit with support. The best way to do this is to use your body as a backrest for the baby.

Sit on a bed or soft rug and place your child's favorite toys in front of you. Let your baby sit on your lap with their back against your chest and belly. Let the baby play with his toys.

This will strengthen the muscles of the back and accustom the child to the sensations when sitting.

4. Use the baby's curiosity as a tool.

By the ninth month, the baby will be able to sit up on his own. Now is the time to encourage him to stay in that position as much as possible.

Place objects of interest within his arm so that the toddler can access them while sitting. You can also sit next to your child and play with him.

5. Focus on strengthening your muscles.

Any movement of the body is associated with the use of muscles. Stronger muscles mean that the child will learn to sit faster. Massage the baby regularly and use active games daily to strengthen the muscular frame of the baby's body. In addition, activities such as crawling, rolling over, and lying on your stomach are natural means of strengthening your baby's muscles.

How to teach a child to sit. Exercises and games to help your child sit up

Here are some simple but great games and activities you can use to help your baby sit up.

Find a rattle

Age to play: four months.

An exercise: Place the baby on the tummy and bring the rattle into view. When the baby begins to turn his head in the direction of the sound, rattle the toy over him so that the baby takes the trouble to bend back to observe the rattle.

Advantages: Work is underway on the muscles of the neck, lower back and on the bone skeleton. The baby can use their arms to move their torso and also use their shoulder muscles in the process.

Twisting

Age to play: four months (when the baby can hold his head).

An exercise: Position the child on your feet, turning his legs towards you. Hold the baby's arms and gently pull him up in a motion that resembles a tummy swing.

Make sure you move the baby smoothly. To add some rhythm to the activity, recite a poem.

Advantages: The exercise will work on the muscles in your lower back and abdominal muscles, which are essential to helping you learn to sit.

flipping

Age to play: 6 months.

An exercise: Lay the baby on your back. Place the toy in front of him and slowly turn the baby on his side so that he does not take his eyes off the toy. By this age, many babies can roll over. Therefore, the child will try to roll over to get a better view of the object. When the baby does this, praise him. Repeat this exercise regularly, especially when the baby shows willingness to play.

Advantages: Strengthens the back and oblique muscles that help the child to sit up.

A bike

Age to play: 6 months.

An exercise: Lay your baby on a soft surface. Carefully lift your legs up. Slowly make circular movements with your legs, simulating cycling. Add some fun sounds and noises to keep your baby interested. Pause for a few seconds after five cycling actions.

Advantages: Strengthens the muscles of the lower back.

Help getting up

Age: Eight months.

An exercise: Plant a baby. Hold the baby by the arms and gently lift him to a standing position. Repeat this three to four times and then lower. Wait a few seconds before resuming the action.

Advantages: Strengthens the muscles of the back, abdomen and hips. By eight months, babies can sit up on their own and make their first attempts to stand up.

Caution: Your baby's body is delicate. Perform these exercises only when you are sure that you are not harming the baby. Do not overdo it. In addition, precautions must be taken for the safety of the child.

Respect the child's natural developmental process.

You will never give solid food to a child before a certain age. Likewise, you should never force your baby to sit before he reaches the appropriate developmental milestone in his life.

Babies learn to roll over at four months of age, and any chance of sitting will only come after this point in their lives. Moreover, the baby's body is best prepared for sitting only six months after birth. Therefore, encouraging the infant to sit up to this age will give unsatisfactory results. In addition, it will harm the development of the child.

• stay close to the child when he is learning to sit to avoid any dangers;
• place pillows around the child as support so that he does not fall and hit a hard surface.

Let the baby practice sitting, preferably on the floor, using a play mat, and not a high surface or edge of the bed.

What to do if the child does not sit?

Some babies may slow down in their development, but what if your baby shows zero ability to sit even after nine months?

What to pay attention to?

1. If the baby was born prematurely, then it can gradually slow down in its growth and development. It is quite possible for a baby to miss the developmental milestone and reach them later compared to term babies.
2. Babies who have had serious infections or who have a complex illness at an early age inevitably develop more slowly. The illness can delay their ability to exercise physical skills such as rolling over, crawling, and sitting. When the child is fully recovered, he will continue the course of his development, albeit slowly.

If the baby is not premature, does not suffer from the effects of a previous illness, but still cannot sit, you should first look for other shortcomings in physical development:

• the child is unable to raise his head when lying on his stomach after reaching the age of five months. His face just falls and the kid doesn't lift it up;
• the baby cannot roll over even after six months. Needs support even for basic movements;
• does not crawl after nine months;
• unable to crawl and stand up with support at 1 year;
• not walking or running after 18 months.

If the child shows the above signs, consult a pediatrician. Usually, the inability to sit is accompanied by other developmental problems that must be interpreted by the doctor.

It is always a good idea to keep a diary of your child's developmental milestones and discuss it with your pediatrician periodically.

Remember that the inability to sit should not cause panic or anxiety until your child masters other skills of his age. Take your time, do not force the baby to sit. If it doesn't happen this month, it will happen later. The child sits down when fully ready.

The physiological readiness to sit on their own occurs in babies at the age of about six months. But each child is individual, so from how many months girls are imprisoned depends on the individual child. One girl can learn to sit on her own as early as five months, and another only at seven or eight.

The child begins to sit up on his own when his skeletal and muscular system is ready for this. Early disembarkation is too much stress on the child's spine, which can lead to bone deformity. Therefore, you should not rush to planting and rush the baby, regardless of his gender.

What time can girls be planted?

In the case of early planting girls, not only the spine is subjected to stress, but also the genitourinary system - this is one of the reasons why girls should not be planted early. Due to early planting, girls may experience pathologies of internal organs in the future, for example, a bend of the cervix, so it’s better for girls to wait a little while sitting on their parents’ knees or in a high chair. You can plant a girl when she herself, without the help of hands, can tear the body off horizontal surface and sit down.

Why it is impossible to plant girls, we have already considered, but what to do if a girl tries to sit down earlier than the terms approved by pediatricians, for example, already at four months? The task of the parents in this case is not to help the girl, to put her away from the sides of the crib or stroller, making it impossible to grab onto them and sit down. It is also not recommended to put anything under the girl's back that holds her in a sitting position.

But if the baby, even under such conditions, learns to sit down on her own, without the help of the sides of the crib or the hands of her parents, before the age of six months, at what time girls are usually planted, it is no longer worth preventing the child.

When do they start putting girls in walkers or jumpers?

Since babies at the age of four to six months are already quite active and do not want to lie still, parents try to provide them with physical activity by buying jumpers or walkers. On many such devices it is written that they can be used from three months, but orthopedists and pediatricians do not recommend putting children in jumpers or walkers early. It is better for a girl not to use these devices at all until she learns to sit on her own.

But even if the baby already knows how to sit, it is not recommended to put her in walkers or jumpers for a long time - she will not learn to walk faster, but unjustified stress on the spine and the risk of injury will increase. Orthopedists recommend using walkers or jumpers for no more than 15 minutes a day.

How to plant girls?

When at the age of five or six months the baby becomes bored just lying in the crib, he cries and tries to change his position. If your baby is not yet able to sit on her own, you can put her in a deck chair or a special children's swing. Some mothers use a car seat at home instead of a sun lounger. In a deck chair or car seat of group 0+, the girl is in a semi-lying position - this is safe for the spine and does not interfere with the normal development of the pelvic organs. At the same time, the raised position of the body does not allow the child to get bored, looking around or watching the mother doing household chores. If it seems to you that the child “falls” too deeply into a deck chair or chair, put a folded diaper under his back so that he does not sit, but rather reclining.

The period when the girl already wants to sit, but still cannot sit up on her own, is very short. Wait a month or two with planting, the baby's skeletal system will get stronger, and she will sit down by herself. Do not rush things, wondering: at what age are girls planted? The best way is to just trust nature and wait for the child to sit down, stand at the support, and then go.