Tips to Relieve Teething Discomfort in Babies

Early stimulation exercises are those activities that allow for the early stimulation and development of physical, social, emotional and language skills . Try to do these exercises when the baby is awake and calm, and do it in a safe and calm environment.

It is important for you to know that you should wait at least 30 minutes after feeding to do these exercises, repeat the exercises at least 5 times and ideally you should do these activities at least 3 times a week, although the ideal is to do them daily.

Early Stimulation Exercises According to the Age of the Baby and Child

0 to 3 Months

1. To stimulate fine motor skills in your baby’s hands, you can massage or rub your baby’s hands with your fingers, going finger by finger, from the tip to the wrist.

2. An activity to stimulate your child’s hearing is to ring different objects near his or her ears, for example, bells, rattles, etc.

3. Holding your baby, placing him against your chest and singing to him is a very good activity that stimulates language in babies.

4 to 6 Months

1. To stimulate gross motor skills, place the baby face down so that he or she is supported by his or her forearms. Sit behind the baby and call him or her and show him or her a toy that catches his or her attention until the baby is able to turn over and lie face up.

2. To stimulate the development of your child’s language, respond to each sound they make, as if they were speaking.

3. An activity to stimulate your baby’s social skills is to talk to him and respond to his babbling while facing him so that he can see your face. Get him used to sharing with other people and playing with them.

7 to 9 Months

1. A very good early stimulation exercise for your baby’s gross motor skills is to sit him on the floor with his legs stretched out, but without his arms resting on them. Sit behind the baby and gently push him to the sides, holding him by the shoulders. This way the baby will try to put his hands on the floor to avoid falling.

2. To stimulate their language skills, tell them stories and sing them songs. When they are eating, name the foods they are eating. When they say their first words, celebrate them.

3. An exercise to develop your child’s fine motor skills is to give him toys of different sizes, encourage him to bang one against the other and to grab the toys with his thumb and index finger.

10 Months to 12 Months

1. A fine motor stimulation exercise is to teach your child to take objects out of a jar and put them in another. Playing with modeling clay is also recommended.

2. Teach and encourage your baby to respond to simple questions or instructions, such as “give me” or “have.” This is also a good time to teach your baby animal sounds.

3. Teach good habits such as washing hands, eating with a spoon, drinking from a cup alone, putting toys away in a specific place, etc.

1 Year to 1 Year and a Half

1. It is a good time for the child to learn to get up on his own. Sit him on the floor, show him a toy to pick up, this way he will have to get up and take it. Of course, help him until he can do it alone, the important thing is to motivate him to do it. This is a good exercise for early stimulation.

2. To stimulate his social skills, teach him to greet, say goodbye, say thank you and ask for a favor. Also let him eat alone even if he throws the food. You can clean the surface of the table very well so that he picks it up again.

3. To stimulate his language you can start by showing him and teaching him the parts of his body. For example, take his hands and have him touch his eyes, tell him that they are his eyes and then ask him to show you where his eyes are.

1 Year and a Half to 2 Years

1. Activities that encourage your child to jump, run, walk, sit down and get up are recommended. For example, jumping from a small step, running while you chase him, or learning to climb on furniture.

2. To stimulate fine motor skills, you can take newspaper and teach him to crumple it and make balls. It is also time to give him paper and colors and let him draw and scratch freely. At the end, ask him what he drew.

3. An activity to stimulate your child’s language is to help him repeat the names of things in the house and the names of people. When you go out for a walk, teach him the names of new things or animals.

2 to 3 Years

1. To stimulate gross motor skills, you can encourage your child to run after a ball, to stand up if he is crouched down and without using his hands, and to move his arms in different directions while dancing.

2. It is a good time for children to learn songs, it is also useful to repeat their full name or play repeating words.

3. To stimulate his social skills, teach him simple tasks that he can do at home, such as picking up his toys and arranging them, giving away the plants, serving the pet’s food, etc.

3 to 4 Years

1. Teach your child to walk on tiptoe and encourage him to do it. The best way is to stand in front of the child, do it yourself and ask him to imitate you. This exercise helps stimulate gross motor skills.

2. Stimulating their language skills is very important, there are several things to do. Something very simple is to ask them to tell you what they did the day before, explain to them what the objects in the house are for and teach them the names of the different shapes such as triangle, round, square, etc.

3. To stimulate fine motor skills early, it is time to put together small puzzles of 4 or 5 pieces. Also give him a sheet of paper and crayons so he can draw whatever he wants.

4 to 5 Years

1. Some exercises to stimulate your gross motor skills include encouraging him to walk and jump on one foot; also to walk barefoot on his heels and on his toes.

2. To improve your child’s fine motor skills, give him/her clay to make shapes. It is also ideal for him/her to draw and make cutouts.

3. To stimulate language, teach numbers in a fun way, for example, by counting toys while putting them away. Also teach them which is right and which is left. These are good early stimulation exercises for language development.