Development at 4 Months
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Activity 1
Age Appropriate Social Development
Shows Excitement in Anticipation of Familiar Event or Routine
Daddy and mummy, I am starting to understand and predict some of our everyday routine patterns. When I see you approaching me with the milk bottle in your hand, I know "It's time for my feed". If you also tell me what is going to happen, then I will learn to associate the words with the object I see. If I can smell too the warm milk from the kitchen, I will also learn to recognize that the milk is coming soon.
Watch me get excited when I see pleasant and familiar things or actions, hear familiar sounds and smell familiar scents. I can anticipate when something familiar is about to happen between 1 and 5 months.
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Steps
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Choose a familiar routine.
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Hold back a step in that routine.
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Observe your child's anticipation of what is going to happen next.
Feedback
Your child is learning to observe everyday routine experiences. He even remembers how these experiences are associated together! These attention and memory skills usually develop from 1 to 5 months old. You will do well to organize your child's daily sleep, eat, toilet and bath routines. He will know what to expect next for these routines because you have created a familiar and safe environment for him. Look below for more activities to develop your child in this area of learning.
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When you are going to feed your child, call his name. Tell him you are coming, "Mummy/Daddy is bringing your milk". Start talking before he can see you and continue until you reach him. Also, show him the milk bottle (object) that is associated with the feed (activity) and let him touch it first. He'll soon learn to associate both through sight, sound and touch for what is coming up next. If he likes the color red, you may even use a red milk bottle to elicit the response. If you are breastfeeding him, also talk to him so that he knows it is time to feed. Also show him the burp towel and place it around his neck. This will help him understand that he is going to be fed.
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If your child likes being lifted, play the 'flying' game where you can position him as if he is "superman". Tell him "Ready, steady, let's fly!", then lift him up and swing him. Say "Ready, steady, let's fly!" in an animated way. Stop and let him anticipate through his body actions that he wants to continue the game before you start again.
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Activity 2
Age Appropriate Gross Motor Development
Controls Head Position While Being Pulled Up to Sit
 My head is getting stronger now! When you pull me slowly from lying on my back to a sitting position, observe if I can keep my head in line with my body. I usually develop the ability to control my head position while being pulled up to sit when I am between 3 and 5 months old. |
Steps
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Lie your child on his back.
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Hold his hands and pull him up slowly to the sitting position.
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Observe if he can keep his head in line with his body as he is pulled up.
Feedback
Your child is developing good control of his front neck muscles at this stage. He should be able to control his head positions really well very soon. He is ready to sit up with less support given to the head. You may also look at the suggested activities for ideas to develop this skill.
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Pull your child up to sit in the above manner each time he wants to get from the lying to sitting position. This will give him more opportunities to work his front neck muscles.
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Hold your child around the elbows as you pull him up to sit. If he is able to hold his head in line with body with this, practice pulling him up to sit while holding onto his elbows. As his head control improves, gradually hold his hands as you pull him up from lying to sitting.
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If your child is still unable to hold his head in line with his body when you are pulling from his elbows, hold him from his shoulders and repeat the movement. This should make it easier for him to keep his head in line with his body when moving from lying to sitting. Gradually move down to holding his elbows, then hands, as his head control improves.
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Pulling your child up from an inclined position may make it easier for him to keep his head in line with his body. A steeper incline will be easier for him than a more gradual one. Practice frequently as an exercise. Gradually decrease the degree of incline as his head control improves.
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