The fourth month of life can be called a transitional period, as the child reacts more and more meaningfully to communication with him, examines toys longer, his movements become more confident, and some babies begin to try "adult" food.

Your child already knows...

Boys:

57.2-68.2 cm.
5-8.4 kg.
39.6-44.5 cm.
38.1-45.7 cm.
57.2-67.4 cm.
5.1-7.4 kg.
38.2-44.2 cm.
38.1-44.3 cm.

Physical development of the child at 4 months

During the fourth month of life, the child gains in weight 700-800 grams(total weight gain over the entire time is about 3 kg). The younger the child, the faster its body weight increases. The older the baby gets, the less his monthly weight gain.

Starting from the second quarter (from 3 months), the growth of the child increases monthly by 2.5 cm. So for the period from 3 to 4 months of life, the baby will grow by 2.5 cm. Over the past period (from birth to 4 months), the body length increases by 10-12 cm.

Head circumference by the fourth month of life increases by 1.5 cm, and chest circumference by 1.5-2 cm.

Neuropsychic development of a child at 4 months

At the 4th month of life, manual activity of the hands is actively developing: the baby actively brings the upper limbs closer to the eyes, examines them, rubs the diaper, pillow, clothes.

The movements of the child become more purposeful, for example, the baby can take a toy, bring it to his face and examine it.

The baby reaches for toys that hang at arm's length above his chest.

Also at 4 months, the coordination of movement of the back muscles develops, which is manifested by turning the child from the back to the tummy, and later from the abdomen to the back.

The child holds his head well both in an upright position and lying on his stomach, while leaning on the handles.

Follows the toy as it moves up, down, left, right.

Lying on his back, the baby can hold the hands of an adult and pull himself up.

At four months, the baby is able to distinguish the color and shape of objects, recognizes familiar people.

The child begins to repeat and imitate sounds, makes up the first syllables (ma, pa, ba).

At this age, the child really needs attention and communication, to which the baby responds with pleasure as best he can (smiles, coos, gurgles, laughs, joyfully moves his arms and legs).

Video about the development of a child at 4 months from a child psychologist

The kid actively learns the world, now he drags everything into his mouth. Therefore, make sure that the toys are clean, and there are no small parts nearby that the baby can choke on.

The child may increase salivation, this may be defensive reaction to the fact that the baby has something in his mouth all the time (so that his mucous membrane clears faster), and also be one of the symptoms of teething the first teeth.

Also, the baby begins to press the gums on the mother's breast, sometimes so much that it can cause discomfort to the mother.

At 4 months, the child begins to be more wary of strangers and it takes him more time to get used to a new person.

By four months, your baby begins to distinguish the tonality of musical sounds.

Interest in his own body does not disappear, but only becomes stronger, the baby feels his arms, legs, grabs his genitals, and especially dexterous ones manage to suck their big toes.

A four-month-old baby can already be upset and offended, which can manifest itself as a displeased facial expression, whimpering, crying.

That's how much a baby can do at 4 months.

Vision and hearing of a child of the fourth month of life

By 4-5 months, the formation of the visual apparatus is completed. The kid can already look from one object to another, he can also carefully consider it, just like an adult. At this age, children prefer light colors.

By the end fourth month the child can distinguish between flat and voluminous objects.

Able to distinguish between familiar and unfamiliar objects, toys.

The eye muscles are also already strong enough, so a healthy child should not have strabismus at 4 months.

The child's hearing is also improving; when various sounds appear, the child listens, then turns his head towards the source of the sound, finds it with his eyes, examines it.

At this age, parents may notice musical preference baby. Some people like cheerful fast melodies, others, on the contrary, are slow, calm, and someone generally prefers mother's songs.

In general, all babies react to a fast rhythmic melody with revival, amplification motor activity, and to a calm lullaby - they calm down and calm down.

Speech development at 4 months

At four months, the baby is actively cooing, humming, which is called babbling.

He laughs loudly and cries out joyfully, differentiates syllables well, so many parents take them for the first words.

He loves to listen to the speech addressed to him, understands the intonation of the voice.

By his actions provokes an adult to communicate.

If you ask the baby "Where is mom?" begins to actively look for her eyes.

Fourth month baby care

Walks with the baby are getting longer, especially in the warm season. In summer you can walk 2-3 hours 2 times a day, in winter - 1.5-2 hours 1-2 times per day (depending on the weather).

It is advisable to do massage and gymnastics 2 times a day (morning and evening).

In order for the child to fall asleep better, you can regularly conduct a “ritual of going to bed” before going to bed. Every day, at the same time, bathe the baby, after bathing, pat on the back, on the tummy, dress, feed, sing a lullaby. You can come up with your own “ritual”, the main thing is that this brings positive emotions to the baby and promotes healthy sleep.

Many babies at this age begin to act up and sleep poorly, perhaps this is due to the onset of teething. Although, most often, the first teeth appear at 5-6 months, at 4 months the gums may begin to itch in a child, which is very disturbing for the baby. Special teethers will help alleviate the condition. The use of medicines is possible only after consulting a doctor.

At this age, you should more carefully monitor the cleanliness and condition of the child's nails, cut them regularly. Since the baby pulls everything into his mouth, and first of all his hands, long, sharp nails can injure the delicate mucous membrane of the oral cavity.

Baby food at 4 months

At 4 months, breastfeeding remains exclusively breastfeeding.

By four months, many babies develop their own feeding schedule.

The baby's stomach becomes larger, as a result of which he no longer needs frequent breastfeeding.

During feeding, the child may be distracted by extraneous sounds surrounding people, therefore, it is better to feed the baby in a quiet, calm place.

Breast milk (or infant formula) contains enough nutrients for a four-month-old baby. If you still can not wait to treat your baby with something new, then before introducing complementary foods, be sure to consult a doctor.

Necessary examinations

At four months, be sure to visit the pediatrician to find out how much the baby has gained in weight and how much has grown. Also, the doctor will evaluate his neuropsychic development. No additional tests and examinations are required at this age.

AT 4.5 months it is necessary to make a second vaccination with DTP (for diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus) and OPV (for polio).

How to play with a 4 month old baby?

We continue the games that contribute to the development of fine motor skills and develop tactile perception (toys are different in shape, size, texture, bags stuffed with various materials, etc.).

During walks, the baby begins to look at everything around with great interest, so it is very important to talk about the world around him, to tell him what he sees.

At 4 months, the child is actively mastering coups, you can help him with this, for example, shaking a toy in front of him from the side on which he is best able to roll over.

At this age, some kids can play and occupy themselves on their own, which is good news.

Frequent communication with the baby, repetition of syllables, imitation of the sounds that animals utter contribute to speech development.

You can play hide and seek with your child: cover your face with your hands or hide behind a diaper. After a few seconds, look first to the right, and another time to the left, then up and down.

Finger games are indispensable for the development of fine motor skills.

What toys are suitable for this age?

For the development of tactile sensitivity, toys from different materials: wooden, plastic, rubber, rag. Toys should be hard and soft, smooth and rough, heavy and light, have different shapes and sizes.

For a 4-month-old baby, it is better to place and hang toys at arm's length so that he can reach them with a little effort, this will stimulate motor activity.

Rattles on sticks, rubber toys with squeakers, bells, bright cardboard books are indispensable for a child at this age.

Put a bright sock on the child's leg or tie a bell to it, lift the leg, move it back and forth, attract the baby's attention. Next, the baby will try to get the bell, for this he will bend his legs, pull them to his chest, touch. All this greatly contributes to the development of coordination of movements and concentration.

At this age, your approval and encouragement is very important for the baby, so praise him more often and rejoice at his success.

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Babies up to a year literally learn new skills every day. Therefore, the question becomes before young mothers: how to develop a child at 4 months in order to speed up the process of mastering new skills as much as possible? We will give you some examples of games and activities for a baby of this age.

Difficulties in conducting classes for a baby at 4 months

Many mothers believe that while the child is not sitting, it is too early to develop speech and other skills with him. In fact, this is not quite the right approach, at 4 months babies need something more than the usual light massage and exercise. At this age, attention should be paid to the development of tactile sensations and strengthening of the spine.

The baby at this age already holds his head perfectly and rises on his forearms, so part of the developmental lessons can be done in the prone position. Dr. Komarovsky notes that by the age of four months, the child is awake for quite a long time. It really is. A well-developed baby by this age can spend about two to three hours without sleep, and at this time it is necessary to play with him and conduct classes aimed at consolidating various skills. During this period, the baby begins to actively explore the world, and it is important to help him in this.

We help accelerate physical development

In the morning, before a long daytime sleep pay attention to the physical development of the child. In order for the baby to start sitting up and crawling faster, you need to strengthen the arms and spine. Perform massage after the completion of the gymnastic complex, and its second session can be done after bathing.

Gymnastics should include:

• pull-ups;
• bouncing;
• games with an inflatable ball;
• exercises to strengthen the arms and legs.

On days when the baby is not disposed to long games, perform the basic set of exercises:

1. Take the baby's arms in yours, cross them on your chest and take them to the sides.
2. Help the child roll over on his stomach, through the right side and through the left.
3. "Soaring" from a supine position. Additionally, this exercise can be repeated from a prone position.
4. Flexion and extension of the arms at the elbows.

Each exercise from the basic complex must be repeated six to eight times. The only exception is "Soaring", which is enough to repeat up to three times. Babies really like the additional exercise "Pull up". To do this, lay the child on a flat surface. Place a small soft pillow under your head. Let the baby grab your index fingers, and gently pull it up by the handles.

In the first days of training, it is enough that the child only slightly takes his head and shoulders off the surface. If you do this exercise regularly and correctly, then after 2 weeks the baby will sit down, after which it will be possible to complicate the task. Take a crossbar or two plastic rings, let the child grab them and do everything in the same way as in the usual version. Be vigilant in order to have time to pick up the crumbs if he decides to unclench his arms.

Bouncing is one of the most favorite exercises for babies and adults. To perform it, you need to take the baby under the armpits and lift it above the knees, so that the child barely touches them with their feet. The baby will try to reach the support with his legs, and you lift him up so that this does not happen.

For additional sports equipment, purchase a medium-sized beach ball. Place it close to the child's legs, then he will reflexively push him away, but these are not all the games that can be played with this inventory. The ball will also come in handy for classes at an older age. Lay the baby on his back and place the ball on weight over his chest. Spin it around and stimulate the grasp reflex. A baby at this age should try to grab a large prey with its fists. After the fingers and hands become more developed, he will begin to take the ball with his palms. Playing with a light beach ball isn't tiring, but you shouldn't play it in the afternoon.

Improving tactile sensations

At 4 months, you can start working on the child's tactile sensations and do finger gymnastics. First, let's deal with exercises for the development of fingers and hands. Finger gymnastics is carried out under nursery rhymes that are known to everyone since childhood:

• "Owl flew";
• "Okay";
• "Thief Magpie";
• "Squirrel"
• "Thumb boy".

DIY toys are sometimes much better than store-bought ones, so make new baby supplies every month. To develop tactile sensations at 4 months, you need to make bags with different fillers: cereals, pasta, beads, beads, nuts and buttons. Prepare two pairs of such bags at once, as you will need them even at an older age. It is best if the bags are made of two layers of fabric, so cereals and other small things will definitely not wake up. Sew them securely and let your baby wrinkle them with your hands.

Another tool for the development of the nerve endings of the fingers can be a book of shreds. Collect several fabric samples: cotton, fleece, drape, wool, velvet, satin, raincoat fabric, denim, and velor. Find as many images as possible that are different to the touch, and cut them into squares with sides of 20 centimeters. Sew them together to get a book. This benefit will look unusual if the edges of the squares are processed with scissors, leaving a zigzag cut. If you are making a straight cut, overcast the squares with an overlocker. If you don't have a sewing machine and an overlocker, this "book" will be made for you at a nearby studio for a small fee. There you can also find patches with different textures.

Visual and auditory perception

The easiest way to develop visual perception of the world around you is to decorate your baby's corner with a lot of pictures and photographs. A couple of years ago, many mothers were familiar with the “School of the Seven Dwarfs” manuals. They contained ready-made pictures and cards that could be placed in the room. If you do not have the opportunity to purchase a ready-made kit, then you should use alternative methods;

• download pictures from the Internet and print on a color printer;
• cut out images from children's books and then create a collage.

Part of the space must be given for photographs of people close to the baby - dad, mom, brothers and sisters (if any). The rest of the space can be filled with images:

• birds;
• animals;
• plants;
• furniture;
• vegetables;
• fruits;
• toys.

This exhibition may be updated periodically. Images must be large enough. On collages, they should be placed in three pieces. That's how much you need to study with a child at a time. Bring the baby to the pictures and tell what they show. As a result, the baby should recognize the images.

AT age 4 months, it's time for the games "Ku-ku" and "The bear is hiding." If the first game is known to almost everyone, then you will have to get acquainted with the "Bear" with your child. Lay the baby in bed and curtain the sides. Take a bright soft toy and alternately show it with different parties crib, accompanied by the word "hello". The disappearance of a soft toy must be accompanied by the word "bye." The child must find the bear or other plush animal with his eyes. After playing, let the baby explore the bear.

Your baby is already 4 months old, and every day you watch how he extracts the first sounds “a” and “o”, without stopping “gurgles”, tries to pronounce the sound “m”. I so want to push him in order to hear the long-awaited “mother” faster. In addition, the baby began to change in appearance - new hairs of a different color grow, the color of the eyes is formed, they can become brown or green. Life is becoming more orderly, the baby has long become a member of the family, and routine work has increased significantly. At 4 months, colic torments the baby much less, and he can sleep much longer at night without waking up, allowing parents to rest. Sometimes babies confuse day with night and sleep 6 hours during the day and stay awake at night.

But one thing is certain - any action expresses certain feelings relation to the reality around him. He cries and laughs, and these actions are quite meaningful. Before that, he simply attracted the attention of adults, but now the baby himself is showing interest in " adulthood". He may experience fear, curiosity, joy, and even frustration. In order for a child to develop stably, he needs constant communication with his parents. He associates caring and care with pleasant sensations, and when adults appear, he smiles joyfully, babbles, does not want to share you with anyone and nothing. You need to follow him well - after all, the baby easily rolls over from the back to the tummy and vice versa.

Development of a child at 4 months (what he should be able to do)

- Recognize mom, or a person who is nearby and cares for him more than others.
- recognize familiar voices and distinguish them from other unfamiliar ones;
- sing songs, pronounce the first syllables;
- grab toys with one or two hands;
- distinguish your name and respond to it;
- raise the head along with the shoulders;
- to show emotions in the form of familiar and unfamiliar things;
- play with the breast or bottle while feeding.

Baby care at 4 months

Little kids love gymnastics, massage, swimming. Make it a rule every morning to wash your face and wipe your eyes with swabs with clean warm water. Clean the ears and nose with special devices - cotton flagella. Toddlers become more active, so you need to carefully trim the nails so that it is impossible to get hurt. The kid does not like to be alone, carefully observes the face of the person who is with him, reacts to the presence of his mother and loved one.

If he is naughty, you can calm him down by taking him in your arms - this is how he feels maternal warmth. In addition, the mother needs to prepare mentally - at the age of four months, the first teeth begin to appear. It is necessary to purchase and give the child silicone rings so that the gums are massaged and kneaded. A lot of saliva is released, even a rash on the chin may appear. To prevent diaper rash and irritation, leave the baby for a while to contact the air with an open ass and legs.

How to take care of your baby while using diapers

When changing a diaper, each time wash the baby with running water, or wipe it with special antiseptic wet wipes (they can be used only when it is not possible to wash). When changing a diaper, leave the baby undressed for 15-20 minutes. It is advisable to alternate diapers with gauze diapers. Diaper rash and skin irritation occurs if the child is hot (room temperature 24-25 ° C). In summer, in the heat, it is better not to use diapers at all, or only at night.

But you should not completely abandon them, because according to numerous studies, these deviations also occur with ordinary gauze diapers. Don't use diapers small size. Wash clothes only with special baby soap or powder, make sure that the knots and seams do not press on the delicate body of the baby. If diaper rash is nevertheless formed, you can wash these places with decoctions of herbs, or make baths. Suitable chamomile, oak bark, sage, bay leaf, eucalyptus. Watch out for allergic reactions to herbs.

Baby food at 4 months

At the 4th month of life, most of the crumbs are still on breastfeeding, there are no fundamental changes, with the exception of the introduction of the first complementary foods. Babies who are artificially fed also continue to eat adapted formulas. As a complementary food, you can already try to give the baby fruit puree(25-30 grams) and juices (25-30 grams). Complementary foods are given half an hour before feeding, preferably in the first half of the day. Water is given only in cases where frequent constipation is observed.

breastfeeding it is better to give the baby on demand, in total 6 feedings are obtained. The most persistent can withstand 3.5-4 hours between feedings, and at night up to 6 hours. With a good weight gain, this is enough, but if the child often asks for breasts and cries, it is possible that he does not have enough milk. Ask your pediatrician for advice on a suitable formula. Per day, the baby should receive food 1/7 of the weight of the child, up to 1 liter of milk or mixtures.

The daily routine of a child at 4 months

walks

Regardless of whether the child is sleeping or awake, it is necessary to walk with him in the fresh air in a large amount of time. In the warm season, you can be outside almost all day. In winter, the temperature limit is 10-15 degrees below zero. You should not go out for a walk in a sharp cold wind and rain - it is better to limit yourself to a loggia or balcony or veranda.

Intervals between sleep

On average, at 4 months, the baby sleeps 11-12 hours. At night, the baby can wake up for various reasons - because of the urge to urinate, wet diapers, just hungry, or because pain or discomfort. Doctors say that if the baby is fed at night, the mother produces milk better. During the day, the baby sleeps 2-3 times for 2-3 hours.

Classes with a child at 4 months (how to develop)

Even if the baby does not pronounce words yet, he gradually learns the language, so you need to constantly talk to him, read books to him, especially paying attention to the emotional connection. No wonder scientists note the increased ability of children to study foreign languages. If at the age of 4-6 months you constantly talk with the baby, later it will be easier for him to learn. You need to look closely at the child when you tell him about the surrounding objects, about the events of the past day, plans. The baby can imitate you, and this desire can be developed by repeating the sounds during the monologue of your child.

Join his conversation more often, and he will also repeat the sounds after you. Introduce new sounds, vowels first. With the help of toys you can arrange a real puppet show. Toddlers love to follow bright little animals with certain voices. They learn to communicate and perceive emotions. Tell your baby poems - so he will learn to memorize texts when studying at school. Physical exercises of the past months can be strengthened - spread the arms to the sides and cross them on the chest. Rotate the legs so that the pelvis turns slightly to the side. The head and shoulders of the baby will also turn. Turn the baby over on the tummy.

Games and toys for children at 4 months (how to entertain)

A four-month-old baby responds perfectly to the sound of a rubber squeaker. Now he tries to squeeze the toys himself to get sound.

1. Choose Stuffed Toys so that the baby is pleased with the result with a slight compression of the toy.
2. It is very important for the baby to develop tactile sensations. Give him different fabrics in his hands - for example, fastened patches of velveteen, velvet or velour, or small pillows with buttons sewn on them.
3. Connect the ribbon with the knotted cord, and put it in the baby's hand, pull a little so that the baby can feel the difference. Play with your baby so he can grab objects and intercept ribbons.
4. Use bathing for educational games with your child. But remember that at 4 months this is a soothing ritual that should help the baby fall asleep. Let the baby in the water reach for bright toys, floating multi-colored sponges.

Medical supervision at 4 months

Once a month, you should visit the pediatrician at the clinic for an examination on "baby" day, in addition, the second vaccination against diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus and polio has come up. The vaccine can be administered in a complex, only vaccination against polio with an inactivated vaccine (IPV) is carried out separately. By the end of the fourth month, the baby should perform some operations on his own.

Keep an eye on him, and if, for example, lying on his stomach, he does not raise his body or does not lean on his legs when he is held vertically, be sure to inform the pediatrician about this. It should also alert if the baby does not smile, does not like to be played with, bows his head when he is raised. It is not superfluous to visit an ophthalmologist to prevent the development of visual impairment. Also, check with your pediatrician if your baby has frequent diaper rash that doesn't go away. artificial feeding may need to change the type of mixture.

Useful tips for parents

A small child tries to drag everything into his mouth for testing, and this is easily explained. A baby's tongue has 1,000 times more taste buds than a baby's. one year old baby. At the age of up to a year, babies taste most of the objects. It is normal when they constantly put toys in their mouths, the main thing is to carefully monitor the cleanliness, and also so that it is impossible to get hurt by sharp corners or small details.

Some mothers, trying to get ahead of events, try to put the child in pillows, even before he gets stronger. Pediatricians and orthopedists are unanimously negative about this, urging parents to wait until the baby does it himself. Otherwise, a fragile spine can bend, which will bring a lot of problems in the future. Update toys often, but do not remove them completely - babies love familiar things. Just swap toys around, buy bright items.

The baby begins to rejoice at his reflection in the mirror, some even attach a small mirror so that he can catch his own gaze. Although the baby loves to look at faces, this joy extends to those who pay him a lot of attention. Take your time to arrange numerous parties - the baby will definitely fall in love with all your friends, but a little later, and this is normal.

The development of a child at 4 months of life is aimed primarily at improving emotions. He feels much better physically, the problems of the adaptation period, the colic have receded into the background. Now the baby enthusiastically learns about himself, learns to contact with his father and mother, tries to actively explore the world. The task of parents is to help him in this difficult matter. The development of boys and girls in such early age not too different, which should not be surprising. Differences between the sexes are manifested only in terms of height and weight, and even then not always.

The physical development of the baby

At 4 months, there is no particular difference between the physical development of children of both sexes. Unless a boy can be a little bigger and recover faster than a girl. On average, a baby gains 600 grams during this month, weighs 6.2-6.8 kg., Almost twice as much as a newborn. The baby is still growing very intensively, it is stretched by about 2 cm. The average height of four-month-old children is 62-65 cm. physical development children can be different, which should not be surprising. After all, each baby develops according to its own plan, why yours must necessarily be similar to others. Much depends on genetics, in what conditions the baby lives, what kind of diet he has.

The fourth month of life is characterized by the appearance of new physical skills in the baby. He is already rolling over from his stomach to his back and back. For some children, this can be done already at the beginning of the month, for others - at the end. Boys sometimes roll over faster than girls, but not always. In no case should a child be left alone on a large bed at this age, so that he does not roll over and fall. Lying on his stomach, the little one confidently holds his head, sometimes throws it back, rises not only on his elbows, but also on his palms. If you take it by the handles and pull it up, the baby can sit down. It is not worth planting it for a long time, the back muscles of the crumbs have not yet grown stronger. When the child is taken under the armpits, he stands on his toes and tries to push off.

The hypertonicity on the arms almost disappeared by the age of four months, on the legs it still persists. The baby's palms are no longer clenched into fists, but are almost always open. He can clap, confidently put his finger in his mouth. Children at this age already manage to grab toys on their own and hold for thirty seconds. Most know how to play with the pendant, they hit the toy with a pen and watch closely until the toys stop. This is one of the first skills of active knowledge of the world. Lying on his back, the child can raise his legs quite high. In the position on the stomach, the baby tries to crawl. True, half of it turns out to move not forward, but backward. When you take the baby in your arms, he tries to actively "help", strains and diligently tightens his body, sometimes he even sweats from tension.

So, let's sum up what physical skills are characteristic of four-month-old children. Here's what they've already learned:

• Most people can roll over from back to stomach and vice versa.
• In the position on the stomach, they lean on the palms and raise the torso, confidently hold the head
• They sit down if you pull them up by the handles
• Repelled by legs when held upright
• They know how to grab toys and hold them for half a minute
• Playing with pendants
• Raise your legs high while lying on your back
• They try to crawl on all fours if they are lying on their tummy
• Actively help mom when she takes them in her arms

Vision, hearing and speech of a four-month-old baby

By the age of four months, children complete the formation of the organ of vision. They clearly see not only objects that are at a distance of 30-40 centimeters from them, but also those that are located at a distance of 3.5 meters. True, children still cannot focus their eyes on distant angles. A four-month-old child learns to distinguish colors, most of all he is interested in bright contrasting toys and pictures. The kid turns his head and knows how to look at 180 degrees, it works especially well in an upright position. The baby is confidently following with his eyes different subjects, follows them with his eyes. Taking a toy in his hand, the child first evaluates it with a glance, only then pulls it into his mouth. He also distinguishes the faces of mom, dad, grandmother and reacts to the appearance of loved ones with a smile. The baby begins to be interested in moving objects, which was not the case before. He is happy to follow electric trains, cars, pets, older brothers and sisters.

Hearing in a child of 4 months is also improving, becoming almost the same as in adults. He already knows how to determine the source of the noise and turns his head towards it. True, before this, he thinks for a few seconds, the brain analyzes the information received. The baby begins to distinguish between the voices of mom and dad. Four-month-olds really like to listen to themselves, they experiment with sounds, walk now quieter, then louder, make loud cries.

Sometimes the child hums for a few seconds, then babbles, gurgles, and falls silent again. All this is an educational game, you should not be afraid. Very interesting babies react to music. A cheerful melody excites them, while a calm one, on the contrary, calms them down. At this age, children begin to be divided into visual and auditory. The former perceive visual images better, the latter - auditory. There is a stereotype that girls perceive the world with their ears, and boys with their eyes. In fact, this is not so, the type of perception is absolutely independent of gender. What the child will prefer, sounds or images, depends solely on his individual characteristics.

The development of hearing in a child at 4 months of age goes in parallel with the development of speech. Children can not only hum and pronounce simple open vowels “a”, “o”, but begin to combine them with consonants. First of all, they learn to pronounce the sounds "m", "p", "b". Sometimes they manage to say the word "mom", "dad" or "woman", but more often the syllables "bo", "ma", "heh", "yy" are obtained. In baby talk, the features of the language spoken by the parents are already beginning to be seen. The child begins to actively communicate with parents. He happily “answers” ​​his mother, reacts to her intonations, although he still does not understand the words. If communication is suddenly stopped, the baby starts crying. He is not afraid of strangers yet, when he sees a new person, he shows interest in him and tries to “talk”. Speech development a boy may be slower than a girl. Although in the fourth month it is still not so noticeable.

Let's sum up the main achievements of the baby at the age of four months, which are associated with the development of hearing and vision. Here's what the kids have learned:

• See objects at a distance of 3.5 meters
• It is good to distinguish between bright and contrasting colors
• Follow moving objects
• Change the angle of view by 180 degrees
• Determine the source of noise and turn your head there
• Distinguish the voices of parents, their intonations
• React correctly to different types of music
• Pronounce more complex sounds
• Children like to communicate with adults, they themselves take the initiative.

Mental and emotional development of the child

The development of emotions and mental abilities in a child of 4 months is very rapid. He learns to establish connections between visual, auditory images and subsequent events. For example, many children understand that the sight of their mother's breasts means food. They quickly calm down when they see a nipple, even before they take it in their mouth. The child's emotions become much richer, he knows how not only to smile, but also to laugh out loud, which parents are incredibly happy about. Rapidly shows joy at the appearance of mom or dad, just as violently reacts to their sudden disappearance. Excited at the sight of a favorite toy, a pet, the sounds of a cheerful song. Often squeals and growls with pleasure, actively waves his arms and legs. With the help of a rattle or a bell, you can easily distract the baby, make him stop crying.

The needs of the child in the fourth month become more diverse than before. He signals not only that he wants to drink and eat, write and poop. Now he is naughty, because he is bored, the baby shows curiosity at the sight of new toys, is interested in new unfamiliar sounds.

The baby begins to react to his name, perceives the voices of mom and dad differently. At 4 months, children like active games. They rejoice if they are thrown up, circling, doing gymnastics. Even more kids like to communicate with adults, even not quite familiar. At this age, they still poorly distinguish between their own and others, the fear of strangers will come a little later.

In a child at 4 months of life, intensive development of memory begins. He can recognize objects and toys that he saw a minute ago. The baby already knows well everyone who lives with him (dad, mom, grandmother), but most of all he is attached to his mother. He still perceives himself and her as a single whole, therefore he constantly needs tactile, voice contact. The visual image of a mother in a child is associated with how she looks, with clothes and hair. Therefore, when changing hair color or in a new dress, the baby may not recognize her. Children like to explore their own body, it takes up most of their time. The kid often plays with his own arms and legs, feels his nose, lips, tummy, sucks his fingers, rubs his eyes, tries to pull the leg into his mouth. You can quietly watch the baby until she sees you. You will be able to better know what the baby has already learned.

So, let's summarize what the child learned at 4 months:

• Begins to understand the simplest cause and effect relationships
• The range of feelings expands, the child experiences fear, curiosity, joy, resentment
• Emotionally, the baby takes a big leap.
• Actively explores own body
• Recognizes the face and voice of loved ones, highlights, first of all, mom
• He perceives strangers so far without fear, but with some caution.
• There is an active development of memory.

You should not constantly look at the women's forum or ask constantly familiar mothers what their children have learned. Features of the development of a child at 4 months are very individual. Different children have different skills, so it’s not worth it to row everyone with the same brush. Boys and girls are not too different from each other in this.

Features of caring for a four-month-old baby

The basis of feeding a four-dimensional child is still mixtures and breast milk. The child eats 5-6 times during the day, sometimes wakes up once or twice at night or early morning which should not be surprising. Children spend a lot of energy on development and growth, so they are still not able to withstand a long night break in food. As for the timing of the introduction of complementary foods, there are different opinions. The old table recommends giving babies fruit juices, cereals or vegetable purees already at this age. The new rules state that complementary foods should be introduced to breastfed babies no earlier than six months, and formula babies at 5-5.5 months. Which diet and complementary foods to choose, your pediatrician will tell you better. He will examine the child and make a decision based on it. You can also ask the doctor for quality materials related to the nutrition of the child in the first year of life.

It is necessary to feed the baby when the mother has little milk. In this case, the child often gets up and screams at night, asks for food every 1.5-2 hours during the day. If you put it on the chest, he drinks milk very greedily. Dairy-free, buckwheat or rice porridge can be displayed as the first complementary food. Semolina and oatmeal are contraindicated for feeding babies, as they contain gluten, and corn is too coarse for the baby. vegetable puree can be made from zucchini, pumpkin, cauliflower. From fruits, children are given an apple, a chopped and mashed banana. Juices and compote are suitable for any, except for citrus fruits, red berries are also undesirable. They contain many vitamins that the baby will soon lack. Complementary foods are introduced in very small portions for two weeks. The first serving should be no more than half a teaspoon, with a gradual increase to 100 milliliters. The menu for additional feeding must be selected individually, make sure that there is no allergy to the products.

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The need for sleep in the fourth month is about 15 hours. Approximately 10 hours at night and three times for 1.5-2 hours during the day. It is necessary to put the crumbs to sleep in the period from seven to nine in the evening. Some children still wake up at night to eat, this is normal. But there are those who sleep peacefully until morning. It should be quiet in the room where the child sleeps, in no case do not keep, and do not turn on the TV or computer there. Otherwise, the baby will be restless, will toss and turn in his sleep, and in the morning he will wake up tired and capricious, and you don’t need tantrums. It is advisable to establish a sleep schedule during the day, put the baby in the crib at the same time. If the baby refuses to fall asleep, you can turn on quiet, calm music for him or sing a lullaby. For good night and normal appetite walks are important. It is necessary to take the baby outside at least twice, preferably in the morning and in the evening.

Baby skin care is still important. You should change diapers on time, every 2-3 hours, use high-quality baby cosmetics. Daily swimming is now turning into a real entertainment. Buy baby special toys for the bath, lengthen the time a little water procedures so he can play with them.

Baby clothes should be made of natural fabrics, without unnecessary seams. It is important that it does not hinder movements, and does not interfere, the size should correspond to age. Long ties, ruffles and buttons are useless for the baby; clothes should be primarily functional. Give your child air baths several times a day, put the naked one on the bed and play. This is not only good for the skin, but also hardens the baby, helps to better develop motor skills. In the fourth month, the baby goes bald, you should not be afraid, just fluffy hair is replaced by ordinary hair.

Activities with a 4 month old baby

In order for the development of the child at 4 months to go correctly, you need to deal with him. What can be taught at this age? When the baby is awake, put him more often on his stomach. It will strengthen the muscles of the neck and back, and will be able to more actively consider the world around. Try to encourage crawling. Put the toy at some distance from the child, let him try to reach out. If the baby has not yet learned to roll over, help master this skill. When the baby is lying on its back, lay one leg on top of the other and slowly turn it on its side. In the same position, put your hand under his back and shake from side to side. Lay the child on his side and lightly push so that he tries to turn himself. The baby should not immediately repeat what you are trying to teach him. Be patient, in a few days he will surprise you with new skills.

Active games are very useful for a period of four months. Try to lift the baby up and down, circle. Some children enjoy this exercise. Gymnastics and exercises are still passive, extension and bending of the arms, breeding of the legs "bicycle". You can try to pull the baby in your arms so that he sits down a little. But you can't keep him in this position for long. Take the baby under the armpits, in the vertical position, the children are active jumpers, they like to spring on half-bent legs. To develop finger motor skills, play “toshi-toshi” with the little one, sort out his fingers, give toys of various shapes, with moving parts, into your hands. In the evening, be sure to do a relaxing massage so that the baby falls asleep well.

At the age of 4 months, the baby's eyesight is already quite well developed, they distinguish between primary colors. Therefore, show them pictures on which a figure, number or letter is drawn. Play with disappearing objects, slowly remove the toy from the child's field of vision, then return it to its place. Turn on music for your child more often, read books, nursery rhymes, be sure to sing a lullaby before going to bed. Speech development is very important. Talk to your baby several times a day. speak simple words, syllables with different intonations, repeat speech exercises several times a day. You should always show joy and praise the baby when he succeeds in repeating the sounds after you. If you are doing something with a child, comment on all your actions with words. Then the development of speech skills will go much faster for him.

The correct feeding regimen, development and care of the child are very important, because in the first year the baby can learn a lot. But the only correct recipe for what and how to teach a baby at an early age is not yet known. It is much more important to establish warm emotional contact and psychological understanding with him. Whatever you teach your baby, rejoice even in his slightest success. Praise the baby, he constantly needs to hear positive feedback. Positive intonations in the voice will support and encourage him, will be a great incentive for new achievements. Try to keep the stroller with the baby always next to you, even if you are exercising. own affairs. Be sure to film the first months of the baby's life on video, so that later he can look at himself as a little one.

The fourth month is a new stage in the development of the baby. The child noticeably changes externally, and even more changes psychologically.

Physiology of the child of the fourth month of life

Starting from 4 months, weight gain will no longer be so noticeable. The increase in height remains stable for up to a year: on average, 2-3 centimeters per month.

In the fourth month of life, children begin active growth of hair and nails. Long, as they can cause skin scratching and microtrauma of the mucous membrane.

Psychology of a child of the fourth month of life

A distinctive feature of the psychological development of a baby in the fourth month of life is an urgent need for communication. Consciousness is actively included in the work, now the needs of the child are not limited to food and sleep, he really needs your attention. The child communicates with pleasure: as best he can, he answers parental remarks, makes individual sounds, hoots and hoots.

Skills and abilities of the fourth month of life:
- babies roll over from stomach to back and from back to stomach, try to crawl, helping themselves with their legs and arms, sit leaning on pillows;
- the baby distinguishes color, shape, volume, recognizes familiar people even in a new look;
- a child, regardless of nationality, tries to imitate sounds and composes his first syllables - "ma", "pa", "ba", - which parents often consider the first word of the child;
- can stay awake for more than two hours in a row, and even entertain himself for some time on his own, looking at and trying to grab new bright toys.

Another step in the progress of the child is the development of tactile sensations. Now, without hesitation, he immediately drags any unfamiliar object into his mouth: this is how he learns the world. Make sure that toys that come within reach are clean and that small parts do not fall off.

It is important!

How to organize the life of a child at 4 months

Walks become longer: in summer you can walk with a baby for 2-3 hours, in winter - about two. , in the morning and in the evening. It is advisable to establish a ritual for going to bed - bathe the child in the bath, stroke him, sing a lullaby: this way he will fall asleep better.

If the child is very naughty and often wakes up at night, this may be due to sleep conditions - too hot or cold, uncomfortable underwear, noise behind the wall. Anxious sleep can also speak about - in many children, they begin to cut in the region of six months, but the first symptoms begin to disturb the child a few months before that.

How to play with a 4 month old baby

The games started earlier continue - with large bright toys, with bags stuffed with various materials, developing tactile perception and fine motor skills. Communication with an unbreakable mirror that can be attached to the wall of the crib can be a great pleasure for a child - the baby will move his arms, make faces, watch his reflection and smile at him.

What can you teach a child at 4 months

At this age, the baby's vision becomes the same as that of an adult - he can focus his eyes and see objects that are at different distances from him. Therefore, he now examines the toy for a long time before putting it in his mouth.

During walks, the child will look at everything around with even greater interest, so parents can call him what he sees: animals, houses, people, flowers, and so on. It is imperative to continue to repeat the sounds that he utters after the baby, and introduce new ones into his repertoire - if at this age adults limit communication with the child, he can “turn the conversation” down to the usual cooing.

Initial development of speech

The child gets great pleasure from the fact that he can both hear and pronounce various sounds. He recognizes his mother’s speech by intonation, and he himself can constantly repeat the sounds that he liked. It can be a squeal, a cough, a squeak, a hiss, anything. Some children alternate the strength of the sound - at first they scream piercingly, then they barely audibly mutter, enjoying the effect. , mainly addressed to close adults and serves not only as fun, but also as a way of communication.

What does the baby feel and how does it behave at 4 months

The communication of a child at this age is very pleasing - the baby smiles at all the guests and carefully examines their faces. The same thing happens with puppets.

The baby will also feel the faces of their parents - put their fingers in their mouths when they say something, touch their nose, grab their hair. If you feel pain or discomfort, you can begin to say the first "no" by gently retracting the baby's arms. The word "impossible" is best reserved for now for more serious prohibitions.