Hey there,
I am now a fully-fledged mother. Yes, little me is a mother to a tiny human. Simi is her name, and she is a happy baby. Now we’ve settled into a slightly consistent routine, things are a little less hectic.
So, I’ve decided to do a lessons from motherhood series to document all the things that I am learning about this time.
The practice of grabbing to master the pincer strength
So Simi has been practising grabbing. She’s attempting to grab everything in sight from the moment she wakes up until she falls asleep.
Upon waking up, she scratches the surface of her blanket to exercise her fingers. When feeding, her hands are constantly being used to grab my face and lips. When I carry her, she attempts to grab my hair.
At play, she also grabs her toys and moves them to her mouth. All this is to prepare her for finger foods when she starts on solids soon.
Fine motor skills development
Everything I’ve just described above is to do with the development of fine motor skills. Fine motor skills take a while to develop. Babies master this in a matter of months. They need to learn to reach, point, touch, grasp, place, and release all with their fingers.
Babies learn the skill from 3 months and finally master it by 9 to 12 months. It comes in stages, and like anything, it takes a lot of practice before they can truly master it.
- 0 to 3 months: babies notice their hands for the first time. They may reach towards objects using a swipe motion.
- 3 to 6 months: voluntary reaching begins. Hands are always in the mouth. Rattles can be used, and toys pass from one hand to the other.
- 6 to 9 months: At this point, all fingers can be used to pick up small items. Objects can be held and banged. The thumb and index finger (pincer grasp) can also be used to pick up small items.
Key lessons
This whole thing has made me realise the importance of practising new skills.
- It takes time to master, but once it’s constantly practised, one is well on their way to mastering that skill.
- Learning skills come in stages – it doesn’t happen in one big swoop.
- Patience is needed as the brain needs time to train itself on all aspects of the skill.
Next time you’re hard on yourself about mastering a new skill, take a moment to pause. Remember that practice makes perfect.
Ibs Writes 