Important information about the stages of child development with Nivea Baby

Watching your little one grow is a beautiful experience. Every day is a new day. It is an absolute delight to see your baby develop their senses and discover the sensation of touch! Always remember every baby is different and each develops at their own pace. To understand how you can support your baby’s development, it is important to learn and spot the key stages of their development.

The Key Stages of Child Development: Skin and Touch

Stage 1: 1-3 Months
Despite being so tiny and small, your little one will start trying to grab things with their little hands. You may even catch your baby trying hard to grab objects that hang down in front of them. However, it is critical to note that your baby won’t be able to coordinate the movements enough to grab these objects yet.

Stage 2: 4-6 Months
At this stage, your baby should start to master the use of their hands. Your little one would try to grab and literally pull anything that is in front of them – watch out for your collar, necklaces and hair! Babies have great force when they pull.

Stage 3: 7-9 Months
During this stage, your little one will begin to move a lot. Babies can crawl or drag themselves to sit on their little bums. This friction can be rough on their delicate skin, so be sure to moisturize your little ones with NIVEA Baby Mild Touch Moisturizing Lotion.

Stage 4: 10-12 Months
Your baby grows, learns and develops every single day and by the end of the first year, you will experience a lot of changes in your baby. The little one will learn to grab objects between their thumb and forefinger, move around a room by gripping furniture for support and maybe even take their first steps!

Stage 5: 1 year +
After the first year, your little one is not so little! Your child will begin to develop other skills such as eating and drinking on their own, pushing and pulling toys and objects, and might even speak!

The different stages of baby’s learning

Experiencing your baby’s “first times” are precious and important moments that you will remember for the rest of your life. Whether it’s your little ones first steps or first laugh, these unique moments are to be treasured. However, it is critical to remember that every baby is different hence, do not focus too much on the age at which your baby is supposed to acquire a certain set of skills or knowledge. If your little one needs more time to develop a learning process, it could be that they are using all of their energy to develop another sense. Babies will begin to explore their sense of touch immediately after birth, it is an essential part of their development.

When can babies see? At birth, babies have a blurry vision and it can take a month to fix their gaze on objects that are nearby. At around eight months old, your toddler’s vision will be clearer and they will be able to see objects that are distant.

Helping and promoting your baby’s
development

Parents play an important role in the development of their children. Here's how you can help your baby develop their senses:

Train your baby to develop senses
A growing baby is curious and their senses develop when they interact with the environment around them. By stimulating their sense of touch, you can boost your child's physical and mental development. In fact, every day activities can stimulate your baby’s senses. 

For example, when you change your baby's diaper, talk to them, describe what you are doing.  Let your baby touch and explore a wide variety of surfaces, textures, materials and objects to familiarize themselves with their environment.
The importance of Play
When babies are aware of the different shapes, colors and textures, they will begin to play and learn more. To stimulate this, give them attractive, safe and colorful toys that roll, jump or make noise.
Massages for your baby!”
Physical contact with your baby is essential from an early age to strengthen the emotional bond but also to take care of their delicate skin. Connecting with your baby through touch and massages is one of the best ways to promote your baby’s development. After bathing, massage your little one with  NIVEA Baby Delicate Caring Oil to gently hydrate their skin.
Some more tips to promote your baby's development

Talk to your little one regularly to promote the development of communication.
Let your little one touch and explore a wide variety of surfaces and objects to familiarize themselves with their environment.
Avoid Technology - Human interaction is essential at all times for your baby's learning compared to TV, Mobile phones or tablets.
Take good care of your little one's skin to help it get stronger and better. It is essential to use care and cleansing products that are gentle and specifically developed for the delicate skin of babies such as NIVEA Baby Head to Toe Shampoo & Bath.