BabyGym with Henli, Mooikloof Pretoria

❤️🎄❤️

MASTERING MILESTONES
See the comments section below for where this developmental journey started.

CLIMBING

Climbing opens up a world of wonder and fantasy — it is an opportunity to move, explore, and play in unlimited ways.

Climbing also requires a whole lot of skill!

• Body awareness – Where are my hands and feet, and where do they need to go?
• Muscle tone – I want to climb to the top; I need strong muscles to get there!
• Balance – There is little space to put my feet down; I need to watch my step!
• Spatial orientation – Will my body fit through there? Or should I rather go over or under it?
• Motor planning – How do I get there? Hmm, let me start here…
• Social skills – I want to play there, but there's another friend there, so we need to negotiate a bit…

Spend time in big, open spaces where there are plenty of opportunities to climb trees, jungle gyms, and more. The more freedom there is to move and play in a variety of ways, the greater the developmental benefits.

Would you like to support your baby’s natural brain and body development?

Follow the link below to find a BabyGym Instructor near you:

https://babygym.co.za/

“I’d rather see a busy child manipulating a simple toy in a variety of creative ways to see how it works than see a passive child playing with a busy toy that encourages her passivity.” ~ Magda Ge**er

https://babygym.co.za/

Lekker om die jaar met hierdie mooie mense af te sluit 🪻
November Graduasie 🫶🏼

MASTERING MILESTONES
See the comments section below for where this developmental journey started.

WALKING

When baby’s brain sends the “stabilisers on board” command, baby ventures away from solid objects and holds Mom’s, Dad’s, or a caregiver’s hands tightly while taking the first stiff-legged, tentative steps forward.

Baby’s hips tend to be overextended and the legs a bit stiff—just like Granny’s and Grandpa’s when they stand up before getting moving. This stiffness happens because baby’s legs are still learning how to move while carrying the weight of the whole body at the same time. Although the hips and knees had some practice during crawling, the weight was shared between the muscles and joints in both the arms and legs. Now that baby is walking, all the weight rests on the hips, knees, ankles, and toes, and they need a crash course in developing proprioceptive awareness and muscle tone.

While baby’s body and brain are adjusting, nature protects baby by keeping the joints more fixed. Then, after plenty of repetition and heaps of encouragement, baby takes the first unaided step.

BABY GRADUATES FROM BABYHOOD TO TODDLERHOOD!

Walking marks the transition period where a baby moves from discovering himself and his body to discovering the environment, objects, and people. The toddler now reaches out to expand their territory and finds the world a source of constant stimulation and fun. New objects mean new words, and the toddler’s vocabulary expands rapidly.

This is a time of discovery, and nothing is perceived as out of bounds. Ensure that your home is child-safe!

Would you like to support your baby's natural brain and body development?

Follow the link below to find a BabyGym Instructor near you:

https://babygym.co.za/

Sometimes you just have to rest. The world can wait 🩷

MASTERING MILESTONES
See the comments section below for where this developmental journey started.

PULLING UP
The crawling milestone has given your baby a new perspective on their surroundings. As soon as the thrill of crawling starts to wane, the baby’s natural curiosity takes over again. Your baby now has the strength, balance, and coordination to pull up into a standing position.

Bear in mind that your baby might feel alarmed by their new height and struggle to make their way back down to the floor. Gently reassure and encourage your baby — they are learning to safely transition between positions, an important skill to master!

Would you like to support your baby's natural brain and body development?

Follow the link below to find a BabyGym Instructor near you:
https://babygym.co.za/

"A healthy baby will emerge from the womb with 100 billion neurons, nearly twice as many as adults, in a brain that's half the size. This is a phenomenal place from which to start life, a magnificent reservoir of potential."

https://www.babygym.co.za/

MASTERING MILESTONES
See the comments section below for where this developmental journey started.

WAVING AND CLAPPING HANDS

Waving hello and goodbye, as well as clapping hands, are motor skills. The baby needs to be aware of their hands before they can control the movement and perform these actions. They also require the necessary muscle control and coordination. However, these skills are also firmly rooted in emotional and social development as they teach the baby to initiate and respond to non-verbal communication and social interaction.

Similar to hugging, waving and clapping hands are skills babies imitate. Thus, a baby who has not seen an adult wave or clap hands might take a lot longer to perform these actions than a baby who has been made aware of the hands and has observed adults wave and clap hands many, many times.

As early as 7 months of age, a little one may begin to show signs of hand movement development by waving or bringing their hands close together. By 9 months, many babies can clap, although at this point, it is in imitation, not yet deliberate celebration.

Teach the baby to wave hello and goodbye and clap hands. Be patient – it may take time and a lot of repetition.

Would you like to support your baby's natural brain and body development?

Follow the link below to find a BabyGym Instructor near you:

https://babygym.co.za/