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Baby's Gross and Fine Motor Skills
Activities to Help Develop These Important First-year Milestones
By Renee Roberson
Part of the joy of parenting is experiencing the world through your baby's eyes – particularly during that exciting and momentous first year. Your little one will go through so many changes and develop faster than you can imagine. While you may be flipping through your baby books searching for milestone markers, consider becoming a purposeful part of your baby's development by introducing your child to fun and beneficial activities in which even you can participate.
There are two different types of motor skills that play an integral part of your baby's development, says Dr. Robin Altman, chief of general pediatrics at Maria Fareri Children's Hospital in Westchester Medical Center, located in New York's Hudson Valley. "Gross motor skills include the major or large muscle groups from the head down to the legs," she says. "Fine motor skills include the muscles of the hand and are closely linked to vision development."
Dr. Altman says it's important for parents to be aware that children are going to develop gross motor skills when their bodies are genetically wired to; however, games and activities can help your child to practice and enhance their newly acquired skills.
Alice Hohl, a mother of two in Columbus, Ohio, and her husband enjoyed doing what they called "baby presses" with their children. "Lie on your back with your baby on your chest," says Hohl. "Using both hands under Baby's torso, do bench presses straight toward the ceiling with Baby. When they are lifted up, they tend to stretch out their arms and legs, but it takes a lot of core strength for them to do that. It's good for them, and good for the parent."
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