At eight months, the baby already remembers the latest events and draws the first conclusions and conclusions. The child can already solve the simplest problems on his own, for example, to get a toy, and also begins to imitate the facial expressions and sounds of other people and can cry with something in his hand. The eight-month-old baby gradually begins to be interested in communication games, such as “where are you?” or “catch me!”.
Physical development
In the eighth month, the growth rate of the child slows down a little more. During this month, the baby gains an average of 500-550 grams of weight and 1.5-2 cm in height. Do not worry if the child grew up in mass or growth a little less, especially if the child was previously ill, even with a common viral infection.
“The child knows, and we warn” – this rule must be followed by adults who live with an eight-month-old child, because at this age most of the day the baby crawls around the house in search of something new and interesting. First of all, it is necessary to warn and protect against sharp objects, medicines, chemicals, hot irons and curling irons, everything that may fall on the child from above. It is also worth taking care of your belongings, which can be damaged by the child and take coins, magnets and other small objects that can be swallowed from the baby’s accessibility zone.
An eight-month-old baby spends a lot of energy every day and is so active that no adult can keep up with him. After spending two or three hours in the rhythm of the child, mom or dad will fall from fatigue, and the baby will continue at the same pace. That is why you should not insist on the rest of the child, measuring by yourself. When the baby is tired, he will give a signal that he wants to relax.
Attention and interest
Kids of this age often love games with doors. Doors become a new discovery, because unlike walls and most furniture, they can be moved. For the child, it becomes an interesting observation and an element of the game. It is not worth forbidding to play with the door, but it is necessary to monitor the process so that the child does not press his fingers or leg.
Throwing something on the floor also causes pleasure and admiration for the baby. Spoon, toy, ball, plate – the baby is not picky in choosing what should knock on the floor. Despite the fact that curiosity is caused by both the process of throwing and what happens to the subject after the fall. The child actively observes, listens to the sounds of falling and is very happy if he gets a second chance to quit. The game with throwing and lifting an object can last a very long time, it is especially interesting if someone raises a thing from the floor.
The plate of mom and dad of the baby begins to interest more than his own. The child wants to touch with his fingers, rub in his palms, taste what adults try. The kitchen in general becomes a very interesting place for the child, because in this room adults spend a lot of time and do a lot of manipulations with dishes, bags, etc. – in the eyes of the child it seems like an interesting game that the baby wants to repeat.
Child activity at eight months
The rate of climbing at this age is very much increased – it is almost impossible to catch up with a child on his knees. Active crawling strengthens the muscle groups that are needed for standing and walking – both on the legs and on the back. At eight months, the child’s body begins to prepare for standing on its feet and it is clearly noticeable that each new movement raises the body a little higher than the previous level. For example, a raised hand in an attempt to grab onto a handrail is replaced by pulling up the whole body in this direction. You should not try to speed up events and “put” the baby – the child will gradually learn from his attempts and mistakes.
At this age, the baby is already sitting confidently, but still cannot independently rise from lying to a sitting position. At eight months, the skills of capturing objects with the palm are also improved – the child already uses his fingers more actively and can transfer objects from one hand to another.
Sleep
Eight-month-old babies tend to sleep twice more a day. Sometimes the baby can sleep once, but the sleep then lasts longer. The duration of night sleep increases – approximately up to 10-12 hours.
It happens that a child may wake up in the middle of the night, wanting to play. This should not be encouraged by joining the game, but it is also not necessary to invest the child by force. The best thing is to gradually calm the baby with a lullaby or conversation in a calm tone.
Language and emotionality
At this age, the child is already trying to repeat what he hears from adults. Speech becomes emotionally colored, tangible intonations, tonalities. The baby tries to repeat new and interesting sounds for himself, he can “tell” something for a long time and willingly, try to draw the attention of others to what is interesting to him.
The first “mom”, “dad”, “grandmother”, “dada” from the child can be felt just in the eighth month of life.
It becomes almost impossible to make a mistake, what emotions the child experiences, because at eight months she has already learned to express her states.
There is still wariness for strangers, but next to loved ones, the baby can already actively study a new person and even communicate with him. According to some studies, at this age the child feels comfortable when a stranger is no closer than 80 cm to her. Therefore, if there is a need to leave the child with someone for a short time, it is better that the person does not come too close and does not try to take the child in his arms – this can scare the baby and cause stress.
Medical support
Before the eighth monthly examination by a pediatrician, you should pay attention to the frequency of diseases of the child – both the respiratory tract and the intestinal tract. If there have been cases of diseases, then it is better to tell the doctor about them and consult. Usually, at this age it is advised to pay attention to a sufficient number of walks, air baths, hardening, massage, gymnastics and nutritional balance.
From the eighth month it becomes very noticeable how the child changes. Previously, changes also occurred and, of course, were noticeable, but with the beginning of motor activity and independent movement, almost every day you can notice new details of the baby’s behavior. This is a difficult period for parents that requires maximum attention and concentration. And a very important period for a child who can already approach, touch and pick up objects on his own, studying the world.
Natalia Kuzio
