How does physical development work in young children?

Physical development in young children usually happens very quickly, especially from birth to 2 years old. As a parent, you need to have a good understanding of this process to know if your baby is developing normally or not.

The physical development of children in the early years of life is very important. The best way to determine if your baby is developing properly is to closely monitor his or her progress. Please join aFamilyToday Health to continue to see the following shares to know how this process is going.

What is physical development in children?

Over time, the child's body will gradually develop and perfect the same parts and skills as adults. This is considered physical development in young children.

Signs of physical development in young children

Here are some obvious signs of physical development in children:

Hands and feet

Your child's arms and legs will gradually elongate and be in proportion with the body and head. You will find your baby looks slimmer than when he was a child.

Muscle development

Muscle growth will take place quickly to support your baby's movement. The arm and leg muscles develop faster than the muscles in the toe or finger. At this stage, you need to make sure you add enough nutrients for your baby to grow and develop.

Brain development

In childhood, nerve fibers in the brain, especially in the frontal lobe, develop very rapidly. By the time a child is 2 years old, his brain has reached 70% of the size of an adult. At six or seven, the brain's size is about 90 percent of normal size. You can observe this by measuring the child's head circumference.

Motor skills

Motor skill is the ability to perform basic activities such as walking, standing, running ... Motor skills are classified into 2 categories:

Gross motor skills

These are skills needed to perform basic activities like running, walking, jumping or even balancing the body. Here are some things your child can do:

Walk and stay balanced

Run in a single direction or around obstacles

Throw the ball or catch the ball

Jump up

Jump over obstacles

Kick a ball

Four-wheel cycling

Fine motor skills

These are skills that help children perform activities that require dexterity. These skills are also linked to brain development :

Use cutlery

Brush your teeth or brush your hair

Pick up small items such as coins, paper clips

Solve simple puzzles

Draw simple shapes like circles or squares

Stack objects on top of each other

Height

By 12 months of age, the baby's length will increase by about 50% compared to birth. By age five, this size doubles as long as it was when first born. In addition, according to expert estimates, boys will reach half their height when they reach adulthood by 24 months and girls around 19 months old.

Weight

By the time your baby is one year old, his or her baby's weight will be three times that of a newborn's. The growth rate tends to slow down after the first year. During the 1-6 years old, your baby's weight will increase by about 2 kg per year.

Tooth

Your baby will have lower incisors when they are about five to nine months old. The lateral incisors will appear when the baby is about eight to twelve months old. Children with all 20 baby teeth. The time of permanent tooth replacement is from 5 to 13 years old.

Stages of physical development in young children

Below are the stages of physical development in children:

Babies can crawl, sit and raise their heads at twelve months of age.

Walk, run, jump, climb stairs with help, hold crayons between the ages of two and four.

Between the ages of four and six, children can climb stairs without help, hold a pen / draw fluently and even get dressed and put on their own shoes.

The secret to promoting physical development in children

Here are some activities that can support a child's integral development:

Walk with your child, giving them opportunities to run, jump and use their muscles.

Prepare simple obstacle courses for your child to jump over or encourage your baby to run and play often.

Let children play games of rock, ball throwing, jumping rope, cycling ... for muscle activity and development of motor skills.

Regularly take your baby for walks in parks or places close to nature. Allow your baby to touch plants and flowers and smell them. These activities will help develop fine motor skills and gross motor skills.

Play music and dance with your child, play songs that stimulate fine motor skills.

Have your child draw comfortably anywhere, on paper, even on the fridge or on the wall.

Teach your child to use scissors and make crafts.

Buy toys that can promote physical development in children such as four-wheeled bicycles, balance bicycles, basketball (for children) ...

Let children help with simple tasks such as storing clothes in the closet, placing shoes on the shelves, cleaning dishes ...

Make sure your baby gets enough sleep for its best development.

Take your child for regular health checkups for full vaccinations and early detection of problems.

In addition, you also need to pay attention to nutritional supplements for children by building a suitable diet to ensure the growth and comprehensive development of muscles and bones.