Problem-Solving Skills in Infants
Infant development varies greatly from each individual. A variety of factors play into the development of an infant, including problem-solving skills. The mother's health, the infant's health and time or focus spent on the child determines later abilities. The comparison of two infants is never similar. One infant may spend many hours asleep all day while others tend to be quite active, demanding parental attention. Knowing and understanding typical developmental signs of an infant will assist the parent in what to expect or be concerned about.
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Birth to Six Months
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Infants aged birth to six months old slowly begin to intellectually problem solve. Most problem solving for children of this age is focused around attention from parents. At this stage of development, infants learn to turn to a sound and can focus on items that move. The most obvious problem solving move for this age group is using the mouth to discover and investigate. Infants likely will put anything in their mouths at this stage, which alerts parents to initiate closer observation. As many parents can attest to, infants also learn early stages of communication through crying in different manners for different needs such as soiled diapers, hunger or pain.
Six Months to 12 Months
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Infants between the ages of six months to 12 months initiate a new set of problem-solving skills. Children at this age begin to understand that conducting certain behaviors will get them what they desire. Crying, throwing food on the floor or touching something that is off limits will likely illicit reactions from the parents. Closer to 12 months, infants will begin saying simple words such as momma or daddy. Crawling often becomes a reality in this stage. A child uses crawling as a problem-solving tool to get from one place to another. A final problem-solving activity that is likely occurring during this time is self-entertainment. A baby may play with a toy that makes him laugh. Repeating the actions with the toy demonstrates the "feel good" temperament the toy gives the child.
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Considerations
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Understanding your child's development along with problem-solving skills provides insight into how the child stands up to typical infant behavior according to physician charts. It is important for a parent to follow the physician's advice on well-check appointments to monitor development. If a parent is unsure about ways the child is reacting to specific things or lacks in problem-solving interest, a physician may run tests or give suggestions to the parents. A study conducted by McCarty, Clifton and Collard revealed that problem solving can be observed at very young ages. In the study, the infants used their preferred hand over whatever hand was closest to the object. This sometimes resulted in the wrong end of the spoon in the mouth or other blunders.
Warnings
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It is important for parents to pay close attention to infants from birth to 12 months old. Infants beginning using problem-solving skills may lead to dangerous situations. Crawling or grasping a toy is fine, but other items may spark a child's interest such as chemicals, electrical outlets or stairs. Toddler proofing your home early before your child reaches these stages is crucial and can prevent an accident.
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References
- University of Illinois Extension: Ages and Stages: Infants
- Virginia Cooperative Extension: Understanding Growth and Development Patterns of Infants
- MedlinePlus: Infant-newborn development
- "Developmental Psychology"; Problem Solving in Infancy: The Emergence of an Action Plan; Michael E. McCarty, et al.; 1999
Resources
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