Nothing beats the awe of watching your baby grow up. They transform from that tiny person to a beautiful baby whose face lights upon seeing you.
With time, they also begin to grab and grasp things. Beginning with your finger, objects, and toys. However, you must understand that babies develop differently.
So the average time babies are to begin certain actions, may not be the same for your baby. You, therefore, have to learn to be patient with your baby.
When Will My Baby Begin to Grab Toys?
From the moment your baby is born, their fists are more often clenched. For the first two months of their lives, they can only grasp objects reflexively.
This is because grabbing is a reflex action they cannot control. It is also why your baby’s hand can close around your fingers once there is a contact.
By the 3rd month, your baby’s muscles are still tender. But their hand-eye coordination has begun to develop. At this stage, they can now batt at objects in an attempt to grab them.
It is in the fourth month that your baby can grab bigger objects like toys. Their muscles by now are stronger and so they can decide to grab an object and be able to do so.
However, this is mainly large toys as grabbing unto smaller toys requires more finger dexterity. Likewise, letting go of these toys may be a little hard for your baby at this stage
Your Role
According to Pamela High, M.D, “hand movements are one of the early ways a child explores her world and communicates”. As a parent, your role, therefore, is to encourage your baby as they attempt to begin to grab objects.
The best way to do this is by using baby toys. You can place it a little far from their reach and encourage them to pick it up. Doing so is stimulating their grasping reflex.
Begin with bigger toys like blocks and doll babies as it takes a little more time for your baby to develop finger dexterity. Likewise, try not to place it too far from their reach, as that can frustrate and discourage them from trying.
What Comes Next
Around 6 months, babies begin to take pleasure in dropping objects. This can be very frustrating for parents as you have to pick up their toys over and over again. But not to worry, they will outgrow it in no time.
However, more than this frustration, there is something else you must look out for. Some children have in the process hurt themselves while hurling these objects and toys. So you have to watch out and mitigate this as much as possible.
Conclusion
It is important to know that different babies develop at different paces. So you have to learn how to be patient with your baby. This is especially when they were born prematurely. When you continue to encourage their growth journey, their development will follow naturally.