Motor Skills are Important to Baby Development
February 6, 2009
Baby Leah is four months old and impressed her pediatrician today. You see, Baby Leah has been flipping, twisting, cycling, waving, kicking, and batting since she was 1 week old. Of course, Leah is not doing these things by herself. She is fortunate to have parents, grandparents and friends who understand the importance of learning about movement from birth. This “village” is helping Leah to learn about her body by moving her upside down, helping her roll in both directions, moving her arms and legs, rolling her on an exercise ball, etc. Leah loves it! And, at only four months old she is incredibly strong.
Leah had her check-up with her pediatrician today. The report was no surprise to her parents, but was a big surprise to her doctor. “Why, she has the strength and body control of a 6 month old baby”, reported her doctor. “She is so alert and engaged” was another comment.
Baby Leah’s fitness is no accident. Her family has been purposeful in introducing a love of physical movement from the beginning of her life. The pay-offs are enormous. Leah’s cognitive development will be accelerated compared to her peers. Her strength, body control, body awareness, social, and emotional development will also be enhanced. It is exciting for her parents to see the tangible benefit of their efforts already, at this young age. The gap will widen even more in the next few years. They will see a big difference on the playground when Leah is a toddler. She will move with greater skill and confidence than her peers. In the preschool years, Leah’s confidence will likely promote her to a leader among her friends, and her brain connections will be prepared for optimum cognitive learning. This foundation will provide a solid platform for success during her elementary school years. Leah will demonstrate better focus, concentration, problem solving, and critical thinking than most of her schoolmates.
The good news is that these are gifts any parent can give their child and it is never too late to begin. If you don’t know how to start, please click the Gymtrix link on this page for a comprehensive curriculum to teach your child physical skills. Remember, ALL children deserve an education in Physical Literacy skills, just as they deserve an academic education. Don’t leave your child behind – get started today and you’ll be glad you did.
Entry Filed under: baby, child, children, education, exercise, family, fitness, friends, health, healthy living, kids, moms, parenting, parents, play, recreation, relationships, self esteem, sports. Tags: active, activity, babies, balance, childhood, children, coordination, early childhood development, education, exercise, family, fit, fitness, friends, fun, habits, health, healthy kids, mom, motor skills, parenting, parents, physical activity, physical education, physical literacy, physically active, preschool, social skills, sports.
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