Well, it’s nearly been a year since Finn and Harriet were born and every cliche you are told about parenting is true. Yes, the days are long but it goes fast, they are growing up in the blink of an eye and it is the hardest thing I’ve ever done. But also, it is so enjoyable watching them take in everything around them and the rate that they are learning.
When you think about what is happening in their brains it is completely mind blowing. At birth babies are born with 100 billion neurons, that’s roughly as many stars as there are in the milky way. As they age these neurons mature and form thousands of connections with other neurons. Imagine how complex this network becomes.
The way these connections are formed and then function is by the baby’s experience of the world, what is reinforced by response from those around them and repetition. This might explain why playing peek-a-boo, which is apparently the most fun anyone could ever have, is on high rotation in our house.
It also explains the normal stages of development. What starts as turning their heads to look at lights and faces, and moves into rolling over, sitting up, crawling and walking. We respond to them at each of these stages, reinforce the pathway they are setting up and give them a reason to keep going – big smiles, claps and cheers.
It is important to note that every baby will develop in their own time. Remember these pathways are hugely complex. Another factor that will influence their development is their physical traits – how easy it is for their muscles to respond and build strength and control. This is how Harriet, a couple of weeks shy of her first birthday, is very chuffed with herself for taking a couple of steps and Finn is working hard on his stability in standing (he is a bit more wobbly on his feet). Same pregnancy, same birth and same upbringing but different stages.
We do of course have an idea of when babies and children should hit their major milestones. If you have concerns about this please check in with a paediatric physio, like Caitlin at Physique. Sometimes kids might need a bit of a hand to get there and there’s heaps of things we can do to encourage and allow our children to flourish at their own pace.
