When Your Baby’s Little Hand Reaches For Your Finger
You are trapped for the rest of your life – by that instinctive gesture when your baby’s hand reaches for your finger. It is a beginning that no mother or father can ever forget. It triggers a wave of emotions in us.
When your baby’s hand reaches for your finger, it’s like your child is saying, “Now I have you, now you are my mom, now you are my dad.”
And all we can do is give in to the feeling. The ribbon has been created and it can never break …
Once upon a time there was a baby’s little hand …
When your baby’s hand reaches for your finger, it’s like a fairy tale. Once upon a time there was a small hand that was full of strength, life and fear and this hand that was looking for protection.
All we had to do was put our finger in the palm of our newborn baby so that he could immediately grasp it tightly and feel so calm and secure.
We are a part of our children and, conversely, these little beings are also a part of us …
The cling reflex
This gesture doesn’t lose any of its emotional value when we tell you that it’s a natural reflex too. It’s an instinct that goes back to our ancestors.
This quick response of holding onto anything their hands makes babies feel safe.
They grip so tightly that we can even pull them up to stand while they hold our fingers.
- So the cling reflex is natural and doctors observe it along with other reflexes of the newborn. All are important and necessary for the proper development of the child.
- In fact, these reflexes go away as the baby’s brain develops. Then it can grab things with intent and with greater precision.
It is recommended to have a lot of hand contact in the first few months
Mothers often hold the baby’s hand while breastfeeding. These then also like to squeeze a little.
It has also been observed that babies often clench their fists in the first few months.
But over time you will see amazing changes. You will notice that your baby is no longer squeezing as tightly. Instead, it may jiggle and move your finger.
This type of interaction will undoubtedly allow your baby to make miraculous leaps in development. So we can continue to “hold hands” while breastfeeding or while bathing.
Children are already aware of their hands at the age of 8 months
Thanks to this advanced hand-eye coordination, you will find that by 8 or 9 months your baby will no longer hold his hands still.
Then the little ones start pulling our hair and want to grab everything that passes their eyes and gets their attention.
Now it is no longer enough just to have objects in hand. They now love things that also make noise.
They really like it when mom or dad move their hands while talking to them. The best thing is to sing or whisper …
This is an extraordinary time in which your child is very receptive. Soon it will refine its scissor grip, where it can press thumb and forefinger together. This is where the development of fine motor skills begins.
Our hands are a path to our emotions. They speak a kind of magical language
We feel our partner’s hand giving us support, affection, understanding and love … We take the grandparents’ hand in ours to help them walk. Or we take someone’s hand just to create closeness …
There are so many emotions in this gesture that strengthen interpersonal bonds and create meaningful relationships. It is a gesture of humanity with which we express that we recognize and care for one another.
Touching means feeling. When we touch the people who are important to us, we express our appreciation and make them feel special and have a place in our hearts.
That is why we should continue to cultivate this language with our children.
When your baby’s hand reaches for your finger …
What began as a story with a magical moment and immense love when your baby first grabbed your finger cannot end here.
No, this is just the beginning. The beginning of a long story with a lot of tenderness, attention, turning the pages of a book, walking hand in hand …
Without a doubt, we will enjoy and appreciate these moments. Because they are priceless.
