The Developing Stages of a Child

or her.

Baby’s intellectual development this month

He or she recognizes voices, people, tastes, and objects.

He or she vocalizes.

He or she can pronounce some simple sound combinations.

YOUR BABY IS 3 MONTHS OLD

The outward things and temperament of your two-month baby form his or

her personality. Now you understand the baby better: when he or she is

hungry, ill, bored, tired, or wants attention. You become more sensitive

to the baby’s needs and learn to communicate. Sensory stimulation

is very important for your baby. He or she wants you to play with him

or her, to talk, and to show new things to him or her. The baby likes

when you communicate with him or her, especially when you play the fool.

The baby will be beside himself/herself with joy if you start moving your

head, clapping your hands, or if you show your tongue. He or she will

be evidently upset if they are left alone for a long time.

Next month your baby begins “talking”. Voices and music

sounds will not only be calming, but will also cause his or her own sound

reaction. The baby will be glad to “talk” to you for 20 minutes.

Up until now your child constantly clenched their fists. This month,

his or her hands are more relaxed and sometimes completely unclasped.

The baby likes to look at his or her hands and move the fingers. He or

she even expresses his or her surprise when his or her hands go out of

sight and then appear again.

Your baby can half sit with your help. Lying on his or her belly, the

baby can raise his or her shoulders a little. When you set the baby straight,

he or she keeps the head upright for a short time. He or she can also

lift the hands and bring them together. It’s high time to make your

house safe for a baby. Take away precious things, cleansers, and plants.

Everything that your child can take must be unbreakable and non-toxic.

Keep the baby from small objects that he or she can choke on.

By the end of the month a baby can sleep for 10 hours at night, although

sometimes he or she awakes to stretch his or her legs and hands. If you

don’t jump up because of each rustle coming from the baby’s

bed, he or she will soon stop awaking at night.

If your baby falls asleep with difficulty, it may be because he or she

doesn’t walk enough during the day. Don’t keep the baby in

bed for a long time after he or she awakes. On the other hand, problems

with sleep occur if the baby becomes overexcited -- especially just before

going to bed. Start putting the baby to bed with a kind of ritual: nurse

him or her a little, change a nappy, and rock him or her to sleep.

Baby’s physical development of this month

Lying on the belly, he or she can rise on the elbows and maintain a

half-lifted set of shoulders and head for 10 seconds.

Expressions, body positions, and vocalizations grow in number.

Reflexes disappear because actions become more voluntary.

The baby pulls his or her body up when somebody takes him or her into

their hands.

Prehensile reflex disappears and hands are usually relaxed.

The examines his or her face, eyes, and mouth with his or her hands.

Baby’s social development this month

The baby begins to recognize family members.

The baby laughs a lot and cries less.

The baby reacts on sounds and his or her parents’ presence –

he or she tries to attract attention.

Baby’s intellectual development this month

He or she begins to demonstrate memory, waiting for future actions.

He or she visually seeks the sources of sounds by turning the neck and

head.

He or she examines the movements of his or her own hands and sucks while

seeing the breast.

He or she picks speech out from other sounds.

He or she coordinates feelings: he or she searches for the source of

sounds.

Your child is 4 months old

Your three-month old baby already treats you as an independent person,

separate from himself/herself. Now the baby expresses his or her true

joy at seeing family members or people familiar to him or her. He or she

adores “talking” to you and with everybody who wants to chat.

The color and structure of his or her hair is changing. The down that

the baby had just after birth drops out, and new permanent hair grows

in its place. This process will continue for one or two months. The color

of the baby’s eyes can also change. If his or her teeth begin to

come through, his or her mouth will most likely water a lot. Vaseline

will help you to get rid of the rash that is likely to break out. Changes

in his or her physical development are even more significant. The baby’s

body fills with strength as muscles become stronger. Lying on the belly

and leaning on the hands, a baby can keep the shoulders and head raised.

By the end of the month a baby is already able to keep his head upright

quite well. He or she turns it in different directions and, while lying

on his or her back, raises it to look at the legs. With some help, he

or she can also raise his or her legs high enough to touch his or her

knees with the fingers.

Your baby’s senses develop as well. He or she hears as well as

an adult, identifying the source of sounds and reacting on music. He or

she also likes to pronounce sounds, and he or she does it again and again.

By the end of the month the baby will be able to differentiate colors.

His or her eyes focus well, and he or she sees at a distance of 3.5 meters.

The motions of eyes are smoother, and your baby easily follows moving

objects or people. He or she stretches unclasped hands in the direction

of the object that interests him or her.

One more very important achievement of this month is capacity to sleep

for 10 or 11 hours at night (without awaking) and three times during the

day.

To help the baby to fall asleep, put him or her in bed as soon as you

notice any signs of fatigue: yawning, rubbing of the eyes, and lost interest

in games.

Your pediatrician can recommend that you include solid food in your

baby’s food allowance between 4 and 6 months. Begin with milk or

non-milk single-cereal children’s porridge. Give the baby no more

then one new dish a day, a little at a time. If at the beginning your

baby denies this food, don’t make him or her eat it. Continue giving

the baby different kinds of porridge at each feeding. He or she will most

likely get used to it soon.

Baby’s physical development this month

The baby can turn over from back to belly or from belly to back.

The baby keeps his or her head upright for a short time.

He or she turns his or her head in all directions when sitting or lying.

The baby can perform swimming movements and move in bed.

He or she focuses his or her look on objects.

He or she grasps rattles and tries to taste them.

He or she observes the place objects fall from.

He or she splashes and kicks in a tub.

His or her teeth can begin coming through.

He or she is ready to eat solid food.

The baby can hold a toy at will, as well as shake and move it.

The baby differentiates tastes.

Baby’s social development this month

The baby laughs when somebody talks to him or her, and cries if a game

is interrupted.

He or she is interested in his or her reflection in the mirror and smiles

at it.

The baby tries to calm himself/herself down.