Motor Skills in the First Years of Life
Movement puts your child in contact with the world around them, testing and exploring everything in their surroundings. Touching and feeling is the basis for strengthening their neural connections, not forgetting that movement is vital for the development of intelligence.
When the time comes, the child must perfect their gait by taking their "first step"; it is the long-awaited moment, and the active human being appears, leaving the inert one behind (M. Montessori, 1982).
Adapting an environment to the needs of a young child is vital, since the elements they come into contact with, especially in the first three years of life, play a primary role given the characteristics of the absorbent mind.
Two important aspects should be taken into account:
- Provide spaces for independence without putting physical safety at risk;
- Planning a space that provides safety must be the highest priority.
It is true that some parents are very worried about this aspect and keep babies strapped into chairs, inside playpens, etc.
This can mean lost time for consolidating coordination and muscle strength, along with the sensory stimulation that comes from learning first-hand.
At birth the baby appears lethargic; as they grow older we must encourage them to move. Mobiles over the crib are a good incentive, and changing their position will also help.
Education must not become an obstacle to movement, but rather something that empowers the energies that seek to develop freely.
Young children have cycles of activity to perfect their movements. Their personality also develops: patience, perseverance, etc. They are interested in finishing a task precisely, and that is how we should interpret a child's actions.