Hand-eye Coordination?

[demoonunit]

How is your LO with hand-eye coordination? Reaching out and grabbing things? My baby is 3 months and she's not really grabbing things yet. I'm not too concerned as much as I am curious about when this starts happening...

[montessorimama1]

Zach just turned 3 months and seems to have made a huge leap in motor development.  It took about a week to go from not being able to grasp, then grasping something if we lightly tapped his hand with it, then grasping something we placed close to his hand, and now he can grasp anything that's nearby and bring it to his mouth!!  We've noticed that his arm movements are less spastic, he holds his hands together in front of his body now and has also figured out (finally!!!) how to suck his thumb.  All of this has made for a much calmer baby after a couple of rough weeks where he was going through neurological growth spurts... He can also entertain himself for longer now that he can grasp, and he's learning to self-soothe.  All babies develop at their own pace, and from my experience working with children it seems that (for the most part, although there are exceptions) little girls develop faster on the language front and slightly slower on the motor skills front, while it's the opposite with little boys.

[element2012]

Hmm... I'm not sure if what DD does qualifies as reaching out and grabbing things.  She will be 12 weeks on Tuesday (is that how we determine how many months? By the number of weeks?).  She has a floor gym and loves to flail around and hit at the toys, and even grab them, but I am not sure that she is intentionally grabbing them yet. So I am not sure.  She does grab at necklaces of the person holding her on their chest (more like kind of checking out the texture than grabbing hold of).  I wouldn't say she's definitely reaching out and grabbing things yet.

[AfricanQueen99]

Originally Posted by element2012 

(is that how we determine how many months? By the number of weeks?).

Nope.  To fit it with the rest of the kids you drop the weeks and just go by months.  Since Q was born on 1/23 she will be three months tomorrow.  I've found that most of the general population doesn't do well with the week countdown because it's not true to form.  So it's easiest to just go by 3 months, 3.5 months, 4 months, etc.

My Parent Educator came this week and said that they aren't looking for grasping just yet.  To be considered in the "typical" frame you want batting at things - batting and connecting with things is next - then grasping.  They also look for baby to be able to put hands together.

Pilar - I'm so looking forward to thumb sucking to start!  It's pretty much the end all be all for baby's emotional state, in my book.  Soon!

[montessorimama1]

Here's the set-up I have for helping Z. develop grasping skills (see picture).  It's a very simple wooden bracelet hung by a ribbon (which in turn is hung from an elastic), with a bell attached.  Whenever he batted at it, the bell would ring so he would start realizing that his movements caused the sound.  I started by tapping the bracelet to his hand so he could grasp it, then putting it very close to his hand and then farther away.  Now it just hangs and although he still struggles, often he's able to grasp it and play with it.  It's important to remember that the struggle is part of the growth process, and that not only will they be unable to do something the first time, but often they will be able to do something one day and then not do it the next day!  I think that activity gyms are a little overwhelming, too many different objects to focus on and try to master.  Z. has one hanging bracelet and two rattles (one wood, one cloth).  He only has access to one at a time so as not to overwhelm him.  Hope this helps!

[coldandsleepy]

W will grab for hands if they come near his face, and shove them into his mouth.   I think maybe he thinks our hands are his hands, and he is a biiiig hand sucker.

 

He won't do the same with anything else, toys or the like, and believe me, his older brother shakes them right in his face often. 

My older son was grabbing for stuff at this age (3 months) but he was a much more, hum, outwardly focused baby, if you know what I mean.

[shiomi]

Mine grabs for his grandfather's sweaters and my partner's hair (I chopped my hair off muahahaha lol), and it is definitely on purpose and intended when he does it.  He's getting there :)