The 7th month
Your life has probably been topsy-turvy for more than half a year – and now even more movement is coming into play, literally. Your baby will want to explore more and more of the world, and will be happy to do so at their own pace.
The 7th month in brief
- Your baby is now trying to crawl or practicing sitting up on their own.
- They can grasp things more purposefully and pass objects from one hand to the other.
- Finger food not only encourages the desire to eat, but is also a sensual experience for the baby.
- Your baby already understands some words and will try to form two-syllable words themselves.
- Children learn through repetition and love it. That’s why your baby may do the same thing over and over again, such as throwing down a certain toy.
Crawling and sitting
Your child may now be making their first attempts at crawling and may even be covering some ground. But maybe not in the way you expect: some children are creative and find other methods. For example, they push themselves forwards on their bums or simply roll to their destination. Your baby’s muscles will become stronger and stronger through constant practice and your baby may even try to sit up on their own. If your baby is already on the move, now is the time to walk through the flat or house with baby eyes and put any potential sources of danger – especially small parts that can be swallowed – out of reach.
What happens in terms of fine motor skills
While some babies are already lively, others prefer a more leisurely pace and prefer to immerse themselves in fine motor skills. After all, they’re getting increasingly crafty in this regard: your baby is now learning to grasp objects even more purposefully and to pass them from one hand to the other. In addition, your child may already be practising the scissor grip, in which they grip something with the entire length of the index finger and thumb. This is the preliminary stage of the tweezer grip. Spatial awareness is also developing and your baby can now better judge how close or how far away something is.
Their diet will be even more varied and if you haven’t offered finger food yet, it’s worth giving it a try now. This not only fosters the desire to eat, but is also a sensual experience. Cooked vegetables cut into large chunks work well, as do avocado, berries, mango or very soft pasta.
Discovery moment of the month: “understanding”
Your baby already understands their first words. Their own name, perhaps also the name of their favourite snack, the name of their pet and of course: mum and dad. If you say their name, they will almost certainly respond. And they probably often babble themselves, albeit mostly in gibberish. But you might recognise a few two-syllable strings burbling forth: this is because your baby is now busy practising imitating the sounds they hear over and over again. They can be pretty loud: screeching, squealing and whooping are so much fun! But maybe you can whisper something in their ear: many babies find tickling their ears funny and – how could it be otherwise – naturally want to try it out for themselves.
