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motor skills
Movement, or 'motor skills', develop from 4 different positions: prone, supine, sitting and standing. In order to learn to use the muscles in the whole body as well as possible and to eventually be able to keep his balance, it is important that a child can move well in every position and that he can move independently from one position to another without any help. In the first six months, a child will mainly play lying on his back and on his stomach. From a supine position, a child quickly learns to pull his head and legs up, making the abdominal muscles active; this is important to be able to roll over and to sit properly at a later stage. Lying on the stomach, a child learns to raise his head and support himself on his arms, which activates the back muscles; this is important for later crawling and eventually standing. By rolling over from stomach to back and vice versa, the child learns to make a rotational movement with the torso which is important to be able to keep a good balance when crawling, walking and running later on. Playing in the sitting position is only preferred once the child can get into the sitting position independently, usually between 6 and 8 months. A child is often placed in a sitting or standing position too early, because it is thought that this way you can stimulate development. The opposite is true. For example, if a child is placed in a sitting position early and enjoys doing so, this may be at the expense of development in the prone and supine position, resulting in a delay or impairment of motor development and balance development. Milestones in motor development in the 4 different basic positions, namely the Supine position, Prone position, sitting position, standing and walking.

Multiwalker was (part of) the graduation project of Giselle Duits. The Multiwalker was created from thorough preliminary research – competition research, the motor development of a child, development and testing of prototypes. The prototype of the Multiwalker has been very enthusiastically received by consumers: from young parents and grandparents to child care professionals.

Supine
A newborn baby lies on the back with bent arms and legs, with the head turned to one side. When the child is 3 months old, the head is still tilted to one side while sleeping, but the awake, active child can keep the head in the midline, creating a symmetrical position. The interest in toys increases and the child tries to grab toys. Around 5 months, the child lifts the legs further and further and discovers the feet. Sometimes the legs are lifted so high that the child loses his balance and 'rolls over' to lie on his side. Between the 6th and 8th month, the child consciously turns over and can independently lie on his stomach. From this moment on, lying on the back is no longer interesting and the child will continue to develop through sitting and lying on the stomach.

Prone
A newborn baby lies in a bent position on the stomach. The head is turned to one side and the arms and legs are bent. Some newborn babies can hold their head up for a short time. Around 3 months, the child can support himself on the forearms while holding his head up for longer. The child can now look around. Around the age of 5 months, a child lying on his stomach can alternately take support on only the left arm or the right arm. This shifts the center of gravity, so that the child learns to maintain balance. The child can now purposefully reach and grab a toy in his environment. Between the 6th and 8th month, the child will learn to roll over from back to stomach. Around the 8th-10th month, the child will begin to move forward on its stomach. This movement usually starts with using the elbows, pulling forward on the ground using right and left elbows alternately, commando style.

Alternatively the child will push off symmetrically using both hands and will make squirming or swimming like movements. Eventually, most children will begin to crawl. During this period, a child can push itself up sideways from a crawling position and independently come to a sitting position. From this crawling position, a child will then raise itself even further against gravity to a kneeling position and will pull itself up to a standing position against a table or on the bars of the playpen. Crawling only means moving forward on hands and knees. Instead of crawling, some children move on their buttocks; we call these children 'Butt-shuffling children'. Butt-shuffling children often develop differently from crawling children, because they move more symmetrically and therefore gain less experience with losing and then maintaining balance correctly. Sometimes these children develop standing and walking later and may continue to feel a bit insecure while walking and running at the toddler age.

Sitting posture

From around the 5th month the child can remain in a sitting position using a hand to support itself. Between the 6th and 8th months, a child will always sit upright and no longer need the hand rest, so that toys can be grabbed and played with using two hands. From this period, a child can sit well in a high chair. Around the 9th-10th month, the child can twist his torso and can get into a crawling position through a sideways movement. Only when a child can sit independently from a crawling position is it advisable to take a child with you on the bicycle. For this, a child must have a good, firm sitting balance; even if the balance is disturbed. From 18 months, a child can sit independently on a small chair.

Stand and walk

From the 8th-9th month, a child will pull itself up from a crawling position to a standing position. At first this pull-up will look uncontrolled. The child pulls up with the arms and extends both legs. After some practice, at around 10 months, the child will be able to twist his torso, and is strong enough to have one knee on the floor while the other leg is supporting the foot and can make a stretching movement. By means of this so-called shooter position it comes about that the child makes controlled movement. From 11/12 months the child will walk alongside the table, or holding onto something with one hand. As soon as a child feels safe in a standing position, it will try to stand 'freely' in the room and shortly thereafter usually take the first 'loose steps'. In general, children walk before they are 18 months old (around 14 months on average).

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