SOME COMMON SKILLS OF BABYHOOD
Hand Skills
Self-feeding
At eight months, most babies can hold their bottles after the nipples have been placed in their mouths; at nine months, they can put the bottle nipples in their mouths and take them out without help. At twelve months, they can drink from a cup when they hold it with both hands, and several months later they can drink from the cup using one hand. At thirteen months, babies begin to feed themselves with a spoon, and a month or two later they can spear food with a fork and carry it to their mouths with much spilling. By their second birth day, most babies can use spoons and forks without too much spilling.
Self-grooming
Self-bathing is limited mainly to running a cloth or sponge over the face and body. Before they are two, most babies try to brush their hair and teeth.
Play Skills
At twelve months, most babies can scribble with a pencil or crayon, and several months later they can throw or roll a ball, open a box, unscrew a lid from a bottle, turn the leaves of a book, build with a few blocks, insert pegs in a pegboard, string large beads, and cut a gash in paper with scissors.
Self dressing
At the end of the first year most babies can pull off their socks, shoes, caps, and mittens. By the middle of the second year they will attempt to put on caps and mittens, and by the end of babyhood they can pull off all clothes and put on a shirt or dress.
Babies learn to jump from an elevated position usually by movements resembling walking. They learn to climb stairs first by crawling and creeping. After they can walk alone, they go up and down steps in an upright position, placing one foot on a step and then drawing the other foot up after it. Very few babies are able to ride tricycles at this age and then only when they are held on the seat. They can swim by splashing with their arms and kicking their legs.
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