{"id":61558,"date":"2019-02-12T10:51:45","date_gmt":"2019-02-12T15:51:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/?p=61558"},"modified":"2019-02-12T10:51:45","modified_gmt":"2019-02-12T15:51:45","slug":"youve-got-to-hand-it-to-your-kids","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/health\/youve-got-to-hand-it-to-your-kids\/","title":{"rendered":"You\u2019ve Got to \u201cHand\u201d It to Your Kids"},"content":{"rendered":"

You have read the title and must be thinking, \u201cWhat in the world is Dr. Lightman writing about now?\u201d Hands?\u00a0 Is this about our handing over the reins of leadership from one generation to the next?<\/p>\n

Eventually, yes.\u00a0 But that\u2019s not what this is about.\u00a0 I am bringing to your attention something basic and fundamental that is necessary for that to eventually happen.<\/p>\n

It is making sure that your child\u2019s hands develop normally and optimally.<\/p>\n

No joke here.<\/p>\n

Normal hand development is crucial to optimal development and is interlocked into other pieces of development.\u00a0 Every pediatric practice has children who are diagnosed with hypotonia.\u00a0 Hypotonia is low muscle tone and, depending on the underlying causes of the condition, there may or may not be a cure for it.\u00a0 Hypotonia can be caused by conditions that affect the brain, central nervous system or muscles.\u00a0 In most cases, even if you cannot cure hypotonia, you can help reduce its effects on your child\u2019s life through physical and occupational therapy.<\/p>\n

How do you know if your child\u2019s hands need strengthening?<\/p>\n

During well visits, pediatricians look for developmental milestones.\u00a0 For our purposes now, and based on the Peabody Developmental Motor Scales \u2013 2nd<\/sup> edition, your baby should have a reflexive grasp at birth and, at about 1 month of age, should be able to tightly grasp objects placed in his hands.<\/p>\n

At about 2 months, he can briefly hold toys placed in his hands.<\/p>\n

At about 3 months, while looking at an object, he will attempt to reach for that object (referred to as \u201cvisually directed reaching\u201d).\u00a0 Some call this \u201cglobal ineffective reach for objects.\u201d\u00a0 There are also voluntary grasps at about this stage as well as the two-handed palmar grasp reflex \u2013 when an object is placed in the infant\u2019s hand and the child\u2019s palm is stroked, the fingers will close reflexively.<\/p>\n

At about 4-5 months, the baby touches fingers together and begins reaching with both hands at the same time.\u00a0 Also, he touches or bangs an object on a table or hard surface.\u00a0 This banging is music to the ears of a pediatrician.\u00a0 Seriously.\u00a0 It means your baby is developing normally.<\/p>\n

The one-handed palmar grasp occurs at about 5 months and then there is controlled reach at about 6 months.<\/p>\n

At about 7-8 months, your baby begins to transfer a small object from one hand to the other hand.\u00a0 He will use the \u201cinterior pincer grasp,\u201d the pads of the thumb and index finger to pick up small objects like Cheerios.<\/p>\n

And so on.<\/p>\n

These milestones are important to meet as each milestone is its own foundation upon which the next level of development is built.\u00a0 That next level becomes the new foundation.<\/p>\n

What can you, Mommy and Daddy, to optimize development during the first year of life?<\/p>\n

It\u2019s important that babies get as much tummy time as possible.\u00a0 Tummy time is not just a position on the floor.\u00a0 When babies and kids are on their tummies, they push up on their hands to observe the world around them.\u00a0 They shift their weight from hand to hand as they reach out to grab a toy or object.\u00a0 This is Hand Strengthening Level 1.<\/p>\n

After graduating from tummy time, babies move into crawling time.\u00a0 Until they are standing, cruising and walking, crawling time is their equivalent to Christopher Columbus\u2019 seeing the world.\u00a0 All that crawling time is Hand Strengthening 2.<\/p>\n

As you are aware, the vice of increased screen time has negative consequences, not the least of which is less outdoor, active play.\u00a0 The time spent outdoors in active activities like climbing ladders on the playground, climbing trees, crawling through tunnels and swinging from monkey bars is Hand Strengthening Level 3.<\/p>\n

Hand Strengthening Level 4 is fine motor arts-and-crafts activities.\u00a0 What a lovely way for a family to pass time, especially when Shabbos is finished earlier rather than later.\u00a0 It is family bonding time.\u00a0 Children get significant strengthening and fine motor benefits from activities as simple as playing with play dough or snipping paper with Abba.<\/p>\n

Afterwards, have your child clean the sponge that was used for painting.\u00a0 Squeezing hard strengthens hands.\u00a0 And squeezing sponges can be done during bath time.<\/p>\n

These activities can be messy and not fun to clean up.\u00a0 So let\u2019s segue to another way of hand strengthening.\u00a0 This way, too, is messy and a pain to clean up.\u00a0 But there are so many benefits to it.<\/p>\n

Encourage your baby to play with food.\u00a0 Seriously.<\/p>\n

Secure your baby in his hi-chair and place cooked noodles and other foods with different textures on the table.\u00a0 Let him choose which to hold, crumble and play with in his hands and then put in his mouth.\u00a0 I guarantee you a good portion of it will end up on the floor.\u00a0 So what?\u00a0 If it\u2019s not a Persian carpet, then why worry?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Playing with food is another way for your child to explore and expand his world.\u00a0 Let him run with it as long as possible without cleaning him up; washing his hands and face all the time will instill in him the belief that he is \u201cdirty\u201d and playing is a \u201cyucky\u201d thing.\u00a0 Don\u2019t short-circuit the process.\u00a0 And don\u2019t be so fast to clean him up.\u00a0 Let him get good and dirty.\u00a0 If he\u2019s cleaned up every several minutes, he will begin to associate food with \u201cyucky.\u201d\u00a0 This could negatively impact his eating and you do not want to go anywhere near there.<\/p>\n

If you believe your baby is not developing the way he should in this area, commence a discussion with your pediatrician.\u00a0 He will guide your next steps (which means the baby\u2019s next steps).<\/p>\n

A word (or several paragraphs) about school-age kids:<\/p>\n

These are years which are chock full of development on every front in a child\u2019s life.\u00a0 Strong hands are essential.\u00a0 Think about how much time during the day a child uses his hands.\u00a0 It is a lot of time \u2013 cutting with scissors, zipping up a zipper, getting paraphernalia in and out of a backpack, writing, and opening a combination lock on a locker.\u00a0 These are but a few examples.\u00a0 For a child with weak hands, it can be a long, frustrating day in school.<\/p>\n

There are \u201cred\u201d flags you can observe to ascertain if your child\u2019s hands may be weak.<\/p>\n

Red Flag #1: Clothing Issues<\/strong><\/p>\n