With the end of the first year of life, the infancy period ends and the second very important period of time begins, lasting until the child is 4 years old. The further mental and physical development of the child largely depends on this period.
body height
Changes in the body in the period from one to 4 years are not as pronounced as in infancy. With a decrease in the growth rate of the body and head circumference, the need for food decreases. “Infant fat” disappears, the proportions of the body change, approaching the proportions of an adult. The child's body grows much faster than the head. At this age, the child is mobile, walks well, uses his hands correctly and deftly. In the third year of life, a gait is formed. Long walks in the fresh air are very important, contributing to hardening and strengthening the immune system. The baby should be created all the conditions for games and normal development.
An important feature of this period of life is an increased predisposition to infectious diseases. This is normal, because The baby's immune system is not fully developed. Do not exaggerate the danger by limiting contact with the environment and other children. With the onset of school age, the immune system becomes stronger.
Speech development
Between the ages of 1 and 4, the child begins to speak. From a year to a year and a half, he pronounces the first individual words without making sentences. However, the vocabulary of the baby is quickly replenished. From the age of two and a half, he already speaks in sentences (phrases of 2-3 words). His dictionary is replenished from 50-100 to 2 thousand words.
At first, the child speaks in short sentences, the word order may be incorrect. He starts asking questions: "What is this?" and where?". At the end of the third year of life, the baby begins to use subordinate clauses, ask "When?" and why?". This period is characterized by incorrect pronunciation of words and syllables, lisping, this is completely normal. The child's speech is a kind of barometer of cognitive and emotional development. The first symptoms of mental retardation may be minor, and are detected only after reaching 2 years of age.
With a delay in the formation of speech, you must consult a doctor, because. disease may be the cause.
Development of behavior, thinking and feelings
At the stage of child development from 1 to 4 years, the perception of the world is formed. A child does not think like an adult. For example, he divides things not into living and non-living, but into mobile and immobile. For him, all things are living beings, for example, a cup is upside down because it is tired, and a chair cannot laugh because it has no mouth and teeth. Thus, the world of a small child is extraordinarily rich and full of wonders. During this period of life, the baby fantasizes a lot. Very often, a small child does not like or is afraid to go to sleep, so going to bed sometimes turns into a kind of ceremony, for example, a plush toy should be in his hands, he should be wished good night three times, etc.
To form the right worldview, a child needs constant contact with the environment, so it is desirable that the child communicate with peers and adults, go for walks, etc. During this period, for the proper development of the child, it is extremely important to stimulate his imagination. The child lives in a fantasy world. Adults, without interfering with him, should strive to eliminate from the world of his fantasies what causes fear in the baby, because it is during this period of life that the first rudiments of many mental and physical diseases appear. It is during this period that parents should stimulate the emotional development of the child, for example, by saying words that characterize his state and feelings (for example, “you are angry”). Thus, the baby learns to use words to describe feelings.
Period of obstinacy
The so-called stage of obstinacy also belongs to the period of development of a child of 1-4 years, when the baby, with the help of a cry, defends his rights and seeks to get what he wants. This period begins with the awareness of the child of his "I". The baby should give in and show patience, but it is necessary to explain later how to manifest their desires.
Taking into account that a child has only 6-8 teeth by the year, his food should still be cooked in the form of mashed potatoes or porridge. From the beginning of the 2nd year of life, you should systematically give a little food that requires chewing: cookies, meatballs, a steam cutlet, etc. Up to a year and a half, you can feed a child 5 times a day at intervals of 4 hours. However, many children at this age refuse the 5th feeding. In this case, you can limit yourself to 4 feedings.
From the age of one and a half, children already, as a rule, should be fed 4 times a day. The development of the digestive organs, their functions, as well as the increased capacity of the stomach, make it possible to increase the amount of food taken by the child at each feeding, and thereby reduce the number of feedings. Gradually, the child’s nutrition becomes more complicated: meat can be given in the form of steam cutlets or meatballs, and vegetables and cereals, not only in the form of mashed potatoes and cereals, but also in the form of pancakes and casseroles, in order to further develop chewing in the child.
With the appearance of molars - at 1.5 years - 1 year 8 months - it is necessary to give food that requires active chewing: soups with unmashed vegetables and cereals, vegetables in the form of vinaigrettes, fried cutlets, fruits not in the form of juices and mashed potatoes, but in pieces and whole, bread, crackers, etc. This transition is carried out gradually, but persistently.
Sometimes you have to meet children who were not transferred to unmashed food in a timely manner, even a small lump of food causes them to refuse to eat; in some children it is even accompanied by vomiting.
Monotonous, most often dairy nutrition leads to the development of anemia, insufficient weight gain, etc. The wider the set of food products, the more fully and fully the nutritional needs of the child are covered.
During the first six months of life, the child, eating mother's milk, receives protein only of animal origin. From the second half of life, with the introduction of complementary foods, a little vegetable protein appears in the child's diet; its quantity increases with the age of the child and the expansion of the diet.
However, taking into account the high need of the child's body for protein, it is necessary at this age to take care of obtaining mainly animal protein.
Likewise, a child needs animal fats(butter, cream, fish oil, fat of milk and yolks). Vegetable oil, beef and mutton fats are suitable for children after 5-6 years of age. The child should receive 500-600 g of milk daily. Milk is a very valuable food product.
0.5 l of milk to a large extent provides the child's need for animal protein; besides, milk is a source of fats and salts.
Meat, fish a - also very valuable food, but they should not be included in the child's diet every day, but 4-5 times a week. The child can be given various types of meat: chicken, beef, veal, lean pork. It is advisable to give meat with vegetables.
Eggs are a very valuable food product. The most nutritious part of an egg is the yolk; it is rich in complete protein, fats, contains phosphorus, vitamins, etc. A child older than 1 year 3 months - 1 year 8 months can be given the whole egg, but not daily (3 times a week); It is good to alternate eggs with cottage cheese.
It is necessary to introduce into the daily nutrition of the child vegetables in the form of purees, vegetable soups, vinaigrettes, salads, juices, etc., fruits and berries are very desirable. Vegetables and fruits add variety to the child's diet, contribute to regular bowel function; with them the child receives vitamins and mineral salts. The range of vegetables should be as wide as possible.
It is also necessary to give leafy greens - lettuce, spinach, etc. Ham, sausage, non-spicy cheese, caviar can be given to children from 2 years old in small quantities.
Spicy snacks and spices should not be given to the child.
When compiling the menu, it is necessary to ensure that there is no monotonous food. Soups, both vegetarian and meat, should be given to the child no more than 1 time per day in a small amount; on the 2nd and 3rd year of life - 100 ml (half a glass), for older children - no more than 200-250 ml per day (1 glass). Taking into account that its caloric content is usually low, the soup should be given a little so that the child willingly eats a more nutritious second course.
Bread and cookies should be given to children daily with meals. The amount of bread should be limited, because otherwise the child's appetite drops, and he often refuses everything else. Children under the age of one and a half years should be given white bread or crackers 50-70 g per day.
At the age of one and a half to 4 years, you can give 50-70 g of black and 100-150 g of white bread, including in this amount a bun or biscuit; at the age of 4 to 7 years, you can give 100 g of black and 150-200 g of white bread.
Fruit marmalade, jam is allowed to be given to children in a small amount after meals; in order to avoid loss of appetite, in no case should they be given randomly.
Young children (the first 3-4 years of life) should not be fed spicy snacks, drink strong tea or real coffee. Do not give them vinegar, mustard, pepper and other spices.
Remember the slogan "all the best for children"? A few years ago, it was perceived in such a way that parents bought their children the highest quality clothes, expensive toys, healthy food. Today, the phrase “the best for children” also includes high-quality classes for the development of the intellectual and creative abilities of the child.
Every mother wants to raise a child prodigy out of her baby. Therefore, literally from the cradle, educational cards, manuals, sorters, inserts and other educational aids are used.
There are whole methods for developing the abilities of babies from birth to three years. By the way, according to one well-known theory, it is necessary to develop a child at this age, because after three "it's too late."
Let's figure out which games and activities correspond to a particular stage of a child's development.
Educational games for children up to a year
Most children under the age of one year do not even know how to walk, much less speak. But at the same time, they have well-developed tactile sensations and grasping reflexes.
So you need to give them the opportunity to feel, touch and (yes, yes!) break as much as possible.
Therefore, the best developmental activities for a baby under the age of one year can be:
- building towers from cubes and cups, but let the child not only collect, but also disassemble his creations (otherwise, how else can he comprehend the mechanics?;)
- drawing with fingers and toes, because holding brushes and pencils in small palms is still an impossible task, but dip all five in a jar of paint and smear it on a piece of drawing paper - please!
- sorting improvised items: beans and pasta can be put in the neck of a bottle, matches (which are usually not a toy for children, although we don’t think so) try to push together into a colander, and buttons into a piggy bank.
- water games also delight the little ones! Give your prankster the opportunity to pour one liquid into another, while ideally they should be of different colors.
- and another simple way to captivate your child for a long time is to let the ribbons go through: tie them to a table or chair and sit the baby down, let him enjoy the tactile sensations.
Educational games for children from 1 to 2 years old
With babies from a year old, the scope for imagination is already wider, children already walk and can speak simple words. Therefore, you can focus on paired classes:
- the baby already knows how to perfectly compare objects, which means invite him to find pairs for his favorite mitten or sock. By the way, this can be done right during the analysis of “washing” or “drying”.
- the child is already ripe for applications, so let him assemble a snowman from colored paper (according to the principle, first a small circle, then a medium one and finally a small one) or a Christmas tree, along the way explaining what the catch is.
- molding is also in progress! The kid is already able to roll sausages and koloboks, and with your help, add favorite cartoon characters from them (Smesharikov, for example).
- Another easy way to keep your child entertained is to give him a paper towel roll and a stack of colorful rubber bands so he can try dressing up his top hat!
- well, and most importantly and interestingly - give him the opportunity to serve himself: let him try to unfasten zippers, fasten buttons and rivets, pull Velcro, unravel the laces - this is not only educational, but also fun!
Educational games for children from 2 to 3 years old
The most interesting age is from 2 to 3 years!
You have already mastered modeling, applications, the simplest design with your child .... What else?
- food was used - to play pasta! Prepare spirals and bows in advance (preferably different colors) and put them in a bowl. Invite the baby to feed his toys, but the bear likes only red pasta, and the bunny likes green ones. If the task seems too easy, then have the child try to sort the food with a spoon, and not with his hands.
- development of sewing skills. You will need thick cardboard, a hole punch and laces. Poke a lot of holes in the cardboard with your child and start weaving a pattern with a cord or rope. You can add buttons and beads for a change.
- Do you have tubes at home? It's time to learn a new drawing technique! Drip colored paint on a sheet of white paper and invite the child to inflate the blot. Who did you get in the end: a spider, a snowflake or the sun? Draw the necessary elements and develop your imagination together!
- Your baby's motor skills are already well developed, which means that small objects are used. For example, paperclips. Pour a box of very large colored paper clips onto a sheet of white paper and offer to connect the chain, which will be a great decoration for mom or grandmother!
- and for dessert: start introducing your child to household chores! Let him help to fix the laundry on the dryer with clothespins, and it is much more interesting to sort buckwheat cereal in 4 hands. Believe me, these activities that are boring for you personally can bring a lot of joy and pleasure to your child! Especially if mom is around.
But most importantly, remember. First of all, you and the baby should have PLEASURE. The results and assimilation of materials are a secondary issue. The child will definitely learn to count, learn colors, ears and eyes, all the items in the house, and it will be very difficult to lay the love for games and learning a second time!
This age is called the most capricious and traumatic in the development of children. At 1 year 4 months, your baby is as fickle as the wind in May, so be patient and watch your baby very carefully.
Physiological parameters of a child at 1 year 4 months: weight, height of the baby
- Growth. For boys, it is considered optimal in the region of 78 cm. The average height of girls at this age is slightly more than 80 cm.
- Weight. Girls of this age weigh an average of 10.6 kg, boys a little more - 11.3 kg.
- Head circumference - 45.6-48.9 cm, chest 47.3-53.1 cm.
- Teeth . According to generally accepted norms, the upper fangs appear in this month.
Fangs are said to be the hardest to erupt, so stock up on soothing gels, teethers, and strong nerves.
What a child can do at 1 and 4: baby skills at 1 year 4 months
Children of this age are full of energy and cheerfulness. It is very important for a child, in addition to the ability to jump and run, to satisfy emotional curiosity and sensory thirst. Let the baby explore the world around him, using all the senses, and touch, study objects by taste and touch.
What can children do at this age?
- The child already gets up on his own, walks, holding onto a support, sits down and turns in different directions.
Of particular note is the ability of the baby to walk up the stairs: up and down, holding the hand of adults or the railing. In addition, he demonstrates attempts to climb on chairs, armchairs, sofas.
At this age, the risk of injury increases significantly, since the movements of the baby are not coordinated, and there is no fear of falling.
Therefore, do not leave the child unattended even for a few minutes! - Children begin to quite confidently hold a spoon in their fist, try to eat on their own, drink from a mug.
Stock up on patience and bibs. Give the baby the opportunity to independently eat thick foods - mashed potatoes, cottage cheese, porridge. - The kid already knows how to perform simple actions - raise his hands up, forward, take him behind his back, to the sides, rotate his hands, move his fingers. He can do these actions both independently and at the request of adults.
In addition, it is considered mandatory to be able to fulfill the requests of adults “Show me. Bring it. Give." - The child reacts emotionally to different situations: parting with parents, returning from a walk, the arrival of a grandmother, etc.
- Children of this age pronounce 4-10 words , know the names of animals, fruits, vegetables, body parts, household items.
- Perform certain actions with toys , play simple plot games: they know how to pour sand into a bucket, they can pour water, feed toys, rock a doll.
What to feed and how to care for the babyat 1 year 4 months: child care and diet
As for hygienic care at this age, it can be noted that there is no need to wash the baby often, since he already “goes to the toilet” less often, and some by this time are generally “friends” with the pot.
Everything else is as usual:
- morning wash;
- teeth cleaning;
- evening water procedures.
- daytime sleep - 2-3 hours;
- daily walks in the fresh air are required.
At this age, children develop the habit of cleanliness. They begin to wipe their hands themselves, when they get dirty, they can ask to wash.
It is very important to follow the daily routine. To overcome the changes taking place with the baby, he needs confidence in the stability of events.
The daily routine gives the child a sense of constancy and soothes.
You can gradually switch to four meals a day. The fifth feeding in the form of milk or kefir should be saved for children with poor appetite. But it is not advisable to insist in those situations when the child himself shows a tendency to switch to four meals a day.
Approximate serving size for each meal
Dishes are still prepared mainly in puree and chopped form. But gradually, denser food and more pieces are added to the baby's diet in order to develop chewing skills.
Children of this age already have their own food preferences - favorite and least favorite dishes. Listen to the wishes of the child, but do not follow his lead.
Menu for a child aged 1 year and 4 months for a week
The suggested dishes can be taken as a basis, as a general guide.
It is important to change the baby's menu so that dishes are not repeated more than twice a week.
Speech and psychology of development of children at 1 year and 4 months: communication and emotions of the baby
At this age, children's speech begins to take a meaningful form. The kid already knows how to pronounce simple, easy words that relate to a particular situation. For example, when seeing a cat, a baby can say “Kitty” and point to the animal.
At this stage, the range of emotions expands significantly:
- kids are happy when they succeed and upset when they fail;
- trying to express agreement or disagreement with facial expressions and gestures;
- react differently to familiar and unfamiliar people.
A feature of this age is the ability to "infect" emotions and feelings - the baby can cry or laugh "for the company." Children:
- surprised by the new and afraid of unexpected actions;
- easily switch attention from one subject to another.
The difference between boys and girls in behavior and emotional terms is becoming more and more noticeable. Boys are more independent and independent, less responsive to the emotions of others. Girls are more receptive, cry more often, like to sit on their hands or hug.
What to do with a baby at 1 year and 4 months old: educational activities and games for a child
The games of the baby at this age are imitative in nature - they are very fond of repeating everything that they do after their parents. Therefore, stock up on toy dishes, a broom, an iron and other similar toys that will help the child feel like an adult.
Properly selected educational games will make the child's leisure time rich and interesting.
- With great pleasure, children are now engaged in games that develop fine motor skills, and hence speech centers. For example, a variety of mosaics with large and bright elements. A variety of lacing and bright designers with clinging details are also popular.
- The most simple, accessible and exciting game - stringing beads or buttons on fishing line or safety wire.
- Pyramids and cups will be great toys different sizes and colors, inserted into each other.
- At this age, you can already draw the baby's attention to more complex educational games: simple labyrinths, figurines with inserts, games related to shifting or pouring all kinds of objects.
Girls and boys of this age prefer different toys and games.
- boys they prefer more active ones, with a ball and cars, but at the same time they spend less time concentrating on any activity.
- Girls they like to deal more with small objects and plot games: they clean the house, feed the dolls, treat animals.
At this stage, you can start playing educational games to study the world around you: colors, shapes, properties of objects: large - small, soft - hard, smooth - rough, etc.
At this age, children do not realize the need to share toys and do not want to wait even a minute. Psychologists advise in such cases to switch the baby's attention to another object or to occupy him with a simple game, for example, entertain him with finger games.
Just do not overdo it with educational games so that the child does not lose cognitive interest.
Probably, every mother knows well how a baby should develop, how many months to hold the head, and how much to sit on their own. The situation changes when the child reaches the age of 1 year. Few parents can answer questions like "When should a child learn to ride a bike or tie their shoelaces?" In this article, we have tried to answer the most common parenting questions.
Parents need to remember that the development of each child is individual and your baby's skills may differ from the norm. Unless your child is months behind in a skill, or falls behind in several skills at once, there is no cause for concern. Babies born prematurely may be slightly behind those born at term. As a rule, by two years this difference is smoothed out. But if, in addition to the fact that the child “lags behind” on several points, he also has other disturbing symptoms: he rarely smiles, is excessively capricious, makes too few sounds or too rarely, parents should bring this to the attention of a doctor.
At the age of 1 year (12-14 months), a child usually:
Walks or takes 2-3 steps without support.
· Well worth it.
· Puts the item in the box.
Place two dice on top of each other.
Responds to a simple command that is not accompanied by gestures (for example, “Give!”).
In addition to "ma-ma" and "pa-pa" says another 1 to 6 words.
· He babbles a lot.
Learning: Already at this early age, you can begin to teach your child letters, numbers, colors and shapes. Don't think it's too soon. Even if full understanding comes a little later, this information is somehow deposited in the child's brain. Of course, learning should be unobtrusive and take place in a playful way with the help of pictures, poems and toys.
At 1.5 years (16-18 months) the child:
· Walks and runs well.
· Likes to climb stairs.
Drinking from a cup.
Tries to eat on his own with a spoon.
Indicates familiar objects called by adults.
· Understands a few simple phrases.
Shows the nose, mouth and eyes on the toy.
· Draws pencils.
· Lifts, bending over, a toy and carries it from place to place.
Expresses love, pleasure, excitement with gestures or sounds.
Preference for favorite toys.
· Speaks at least 15 words.
Pacifier: If you gave your child a pacifier, it is better to remove it from the child no later than one and a half years. Until this age, the use of a pacifier is generally considered harmless. Babies who suck on a pacifier before the age of 3-4 may develop speech problems later.
First Responsibilities: At this age, begin to teach your child to cleanliness and order - clean up toys, put laundry in the dirty clothes basket or bring napkins to the dinner table. And if he needs your help at first, you'll be surprised how quickly he learns to do it all on his own. As the child grows, add new responsibilities to this, such as: watering flowers, wiping up after yourself if you knocked over a glass of water, making your bed and taking dirty dishes (plastic) to the sink.
First visit to the dentist: Your child's first visit to the dentist should be about 6 months after the baby's first tooth appears. In the future, visit a doctor every six months or a year, especially if the child has problems with teeth - stains on the teeth or malocclusion.
First bike: You can buy it for your child now. And even if the ability to pedal comes later, the child can enjoy riding back and forth, pushing off the ground with his feet, or enjoy the ride when you yourself push the bike.
At 2 years old child:
Good running and jumping.
· Builds a tower of 4-6 cubes.
· Throws and kicks a ball.
· "Feeds" a doll from a spoon.
・Climbs and descends stairs independently.
· Knows his own name and speaks of himself in the third person, calling by name.
Shows nose, mouth and eyes.
Look at the pictures in the book.
Can take off some items of clothing by himself.
· Speaks 15 to 50 words (deviations from these numbers are quite normal).
· Uses several two-word phrases in his speech.
Begins to control the bladder and bowels.
The first "creativity": By the age of two, the child's eye-hand coordination improves significantly. Therefore, at this age, many kids love to draw (“doodle”), paint, build from cubes, make pictures from simple puzzles and cubes.
"Adult" bed: At the age of two years, it is time to move the child from a crib to a large bed. At this age, many babies try to get out of their crib by swinging their leg over the railing. It may be dangerous.
First four-legged friend: Do not get pets until the child is 2 years old. At this age, a child can follow with interest, for example, the fish in an aquarium, without much harm to them and to himself. With pets such as a cat or dog, it is better to wait until the child learns to be more careful and understanding, that is, until he is at least 3-4 years old.
At 3 years old child:
Going down and up the stairs, alternately rearranges the legs.
Can dress and undress independently (with varying degrees of success).
· Rides a tricycle.
· Understands and follows combined two-part commands (“Pick up the shovel and put it in the bucket!”).
· Builds phrases from 4-5 words.
Uses pronouns in his speech ("I", "you", etc.)
· Pronounces most of the words clearly and articulately.
Understands the speech addressed to him well (within reasonable limits of complexity).
Points to at least 4 familiar objects in the book.
· Knows the names of at least 6 body parts.
· Plays and/or socializes with other children.
· Toilet trained (minor incidents are perfectly acceptable).
By the age of 3, the child's speech skills improve significantly. Pay more attention to learning rhymes and songs, read more books with your child, carefully examining and discussing the pictures.
At 4 years old child:
Already has good control over his body. He becomes a real "specialist" in the field of fastening and unbuttoning buttons, laces, zippers, scaring you with the desire for complete independence and independence. He also skillfully uses a spoon and a fork. At this age, it's completely normal for your chubby baby to turn into a lanky "gum". Do not be alarmed, gradually over a few years the child's fat will “melt” and be replaced by muscles. The height and weight of the child should increase evenly. If the weight grows faster than the height, then the child may be inclined to be overweight. Pay attention to the inner thighs and upper forearms of the child - if the fat hangs in folds there, this is also a sign of excess weight. In this case, it is worth reviewing the child's diet and giving him more wholesome and healthy food, as well as actively involving him in outdoor games. If the child has not grown noticeably in six months, consult a doctor: some children may lack growth hormone.
· A four-year-old's dictionary can already contain 1,000 words! He can already build phrases from 6-8 words, and strangers already understand his speech to a sufficient extent.
At this age, children begin to be interested in their bodies and the differences between men and women. Therefore, the game "doctor" becomes so popular.
Shoelaces: A child should be able to tie their shoelaces by the time they start kindergarten, in any case by the age of 4-5. Velcro shoes are certainly more comfortable, but then the development of fine motor skills of your child's hands (for example, the ability to write) will take much longer.
Swimming: A child can learn to swim independently as early as 4 years old. At this age, you can write it to the pool. Until the age of 4, the child, on average, has not yet developed the appropriate skills and coordination.
