Baby Developmental Leaps Leap 5 – Relations

Developmental leap five happens approximately in week 26, at this stage, your baby begins to show signs of another significant leap in his development. With this leap, he begins to do many new things, and even if he is not yet crawling, he will be able to be more mobile as he learns to coordinate the action of his arms and legs and also of the rest of his body. With his knowledge acquired over the previous leaps, he begins to make a relation with the things that happen around him.

The most important relation your baby will make at this stage, is to recognize the distance of things. For us adults, this is quite common, but for babies, it is a fantastic discovery.

He observes how big and distant things are. Acknowledges the very big world around him.

He is attentive to the objects he would like to pick up but cannot reach, watches his mother go elsewhere, even indoors and understands how far away she is. He will also show dissatisfaction when the parents are absent. This phase can make the baby more bothered, crying more. The lap and breastfeeding are great allies at this stage.

As we mentioned above, leap five takes place in week 26, about the fifth month. At this stage babies also begin to be more curious to know what happens to some things, such as throwing an object on the floor, pulling clothing labels, earrings, etc.

 

 

In addition to Leap Five – discovering the sensations, babies go through another nine  developmental leaps.

 

Let’s understand what Developmental Leaps are and how it is possible to help babies enjoy this phase in a quiet way.

What are development leaps?

 

For those who have a baby at home it is easy to notice how much they change and develop fast, isn`t it?

 

Babies seem to adapt very easily in the world outside the womb and suddenly when everything looked like flowers, the cries and difficulties to sleep, eat, etc.

 

Some mood swings of babies are caused by their development. It is very possible that the baby is going through what we call a developmental leap.

 

Developmental leaps are those moments when the baby is learning a new skill. These moments are accompanied by some behavioral stress in babies, which we can say is normal, since the baby may be anxious about a new discovery or feel fear.  We can say that all changes in life bring discomfort, fear and anxiety, and with the little ones is not different.

 

The behavior of babies facing the developmental leaps may vary from one to another. Babies are interested in the things that go on around them, or in other words, the sensations they feel with the new discoveries, but each baby expresses it in its own way. There are babies who are fascinated by everything they see; other babies prefer to hear sounds. And there are those who like warmth and affection all day long. Each baby is unique and will act differently for each sensation.

 

But we can simplify this process that babies experience and understand what is happening to the baby. Parents can help their child develop and also get through developmental leaps in a more relaxed way. Just identify what leap your child is in at the current time and follow the tips we have for each phase of your baby.

Features of the Fifth Leap – Relations

In the phases of Relations babies begin to perceive the harmony of objects, people and everything that happens around them. You perceive the relation of things like inside, outside, up, down, etc.

 

They also realize distances between people and things, can get upset if parents distance themselves, because distance to babies at this stage causes panic.

 

We will understand each stage of this leap and how your baby expresses himself in this moment of new sensations and learning.

 

Relation between objects

At this stage your baby will love playing with objects that fit inside each other. He begins to realize this relation that each object has with the other. Pots that fit inside another pot, or objects on top of other objects. Your baby can spend hours taking the objects out of place, from inside each other and stacking.

Understand short sentences

This phase of leap five – relations, is also the stage in which your baby begins to understand short sentences that he associates day by day in his environment. Phrases like “let’s get out,” “Don’t do this,” “let’s eat.” He begins to form the relation between these phrases with what happens around him, and so he can already understand them. But this understanding only happens in your environment; outside the house, your baby will not understand yet because it has not made the associations of the environment to make a relation.

Fear of distance

The baby at this stage, begins to see the world as a very large place, and begins to be afraid of the distance from the mother and father. At this stage, the baby shows an anxiety about being distant from the mother. He may cry more in this period, because as he has a relation with the distance of people and objects, he may be afraid of the distance of his parents.

Interest in details

During leap five, the baby begins to pay more attention to objects with more detail and functions. Zippers, stickers, adhesive stickers…

These objects will entertain the baby more than the toys themselves, because of their curiosity to understand objects and their function will take a while, and your baby will also have fun with it.

Pressing buttons

The baby who is going through leap five will realize that he can control a few things through buttons. So at this stage they love toys with buttons that turn on lights, make noises and play music.

How to Help the Baby during the Fifth Leap – Relations

Below we give some tips to help your baby get through leap five in a more fruitful way for their development and also more securely about the changes the little one has been developing.

Tip 1: Understand what you say

Now that your baby can make relations of things, people, sensations and sounds; you can use that to your advantage and further encourage your baby to develop speech and understanding. When you’re talking to your baby, let him see, smell, watch, and  feel what you’re talking about. He’s going to learn by making associations. You can also use children’s songs that along with the sounds and gestures, the baby will learn even more words.

Tip 2: Separation Anxiety

As at this stage the baby comes to understand the concept of distance. It is natural that he is afraid to separate from his parents. The good news is that this anxiety will pass before the next leap. The tip is to accept this anxiety of the baby and seek to talk to the baby saying that you will soon come back, even going in another room. Play with your baby, too, crawling away from him and coming back close. Gradually he will understand that even if you get away, you will come back and be more relaxed with the separation.

Tip 3: Hide and seek

The game of hide-and-seek is also a great option to help the baby cope with the anxiety of separation. Hide somewhere he can still see a part of you and then show up. In addition to fun, your baby will learn to stay safer when you’re not so close.

Tip 4: Falling Toys

Using toys that make up structure like blocks that can be stacked and assembled is a great option to help your baby develop further in this leap. They love to put the blocks on top of each other and watch the pile fall apart. Playing with your baby, in addition to being fun, will also strengthen the bond between you.

 

How to deal with the changes and setbacks of each leap?

As we mentioned above, during each leap, the baby may have some not very pleasant changes in appetite, mood and regress a little in sleep.

It’s part of it, isn’t it? Even we adults have certain difficulties in dealing with the new and with changes, imagine for the little ones who know nothing in this world.

Let’s read below some tips that can alleviate the baby’s insecurity and irritability during these phases of change and be able to take advantage of its development in a more relaxed way.

Tip 1 – In these phases and change babies seek to feel safe, even if the new discoveries are fun, they are afraid and so many babies may need more lap. In this way he will feel less the discomforts of this stage;

Tip 2 – Babies feel safe when listening to their mother’s heartbeats, this sound is familiar to them and brings warmth and safety, so you can use a kangaroo or sling to keep your baby closer and bring more warmth to it.

 

Tip 3 – Stimulate your baby’s abilities with every leap. That way he will develop with his support, will feel more relaxed with the changes and will have a lot of fun with the new discoveries.

Tip 4 – Be patient with the changes your baby faces. As difficult as it may be the beginning of a new leap, over time it will adapt and everything will pass.

What are the other developmental leaps and when do they happen?

Developmental leaps happen approximately at specific times. Of course each baby will have his own time, we cannot tell the exact moment, because each baby is unique, but we can analyze approximately by the age of the baby and also by its behavior, so it is important to observe the changes that his baby has presented, whether in the mood or also in the new things he has been doing.

 

In addition to leap number five we described above, there are nine more leaps. Let’s understand below what they are and when they occur:

 

 

• 1st Leap – Discovering sensations: Leap one happens approximately in the first month. At that moment the baby is already discovering the sensations of his body and also what happens around him. The touch of the mom’s hands, sounds, and many other things.

 

 

• 2nd Leap – Understanding the patterns: Leap two happens approximately in the 2nd month. At this point, the baby is already discovering shapes with contrast and also has a firmer neck, so it can be placed face down to further stimulate his development. In this phase, the baby requires a little more security that he will seek in the mother and during breastfeeding.

 

 

• 3rd Leap – Improving his skills: Leap three takes place approximately in the 3rd month. At this stage, the baby can already see objects clearly and should gradually try to follow them. He already tries (and many already can) move his eyes and head in the direction in which the object is moved. In this phase, the baby can also play with a rattle and hear the sound. He may also begin to cry louder than before.

 

• 4th Leap – Recognizing sounds: Leap four happens approximately in the 4th month. At this stage the baby already begins to emit more acute sounds, and when the father and mother are not around he can make sounds for the purpose of calling to them. This phase can also bring more crying, but it is the phase that the baby begins to play alone more often.

 

• 5th Leap – Making relations: Leap five happens approximately in the fiveth month. At this stage, the baby begins to become more curious to know what happens to and with some things, such as throwing an object on the floor, pulling clothing on labels, earrings, etc. He will also show dissatisfaction when the parents are away from him. In this phase, the baby can get flustered, crying more. Holding and breastfeeding are great allies at this stage.

 

• 6th Leap – Starting to integrate: Leap six happens approximately in the 7th month. At this stage, the baby is already beginning to understand words and demonstrate that he understands some of them. In this phase, he also begins to clap and to want to crawl. He’s going to show more affection for his mother and want to be closer.

 

• 7th Leap – Curiosity about what is and what the things are for: Leap seven happens approximately in the 10th month. At this stage, the baby already begins to understand that objects have specific functions, and he tries to use it in the right way. For example, a ball is to be kicked, a spoon to eat, etc. At this stage, he also begins to demonstrate more of his will, to eat, not to sleep, to play, etc.

 

• 8th Leap – Playing with objects: Leap eight happens approximately in the 11th month. At this stage, your baby begins to use creativity. He also observes what adults do and tries to imitate them. This phase also brings some changes in sleep, and the baby can further express the desire not to sleep.

 

• 9th Leap – Desire for independence: The ninth leap happens approximately at fourteen months. At this stage, the baby already begins to want to dress alone, will also test emotions and start negotiating. This phase is also the time when he begins to not want to go with other people, only with his mother.

 

• 10th Leap – Control of his body: The tenth leap happens approximately in the first year and a half. At this stage, the baby already knows how to control his desires and also understands more clearly his parents’ will. However, expressing himself is still difficult. He may lose his appetite a little and also have nightmares at this stage.

 

Now that you’ve understood how developmental leap three works, take the opportunity to learn more about these other leaps we mentioned above. The more you understand how each leap works, the easier it will be for the baby and also for you to go through the changes in a calm, meaningful way. Every new step in the development that your baby takes is fun for him, and he has the desire to improve and train new skills. Just encourage and congratulate him so that he can move forward more and more.