Techniques of children's hand massage for the development of fine motor skills

With the birth of a child, every mother should pay as much attention as possible to the health of the baby, the level of his physical and intellectual development. This can help massage the fingers to develop fine motor skills. There are many nerve endings on the fingers, so light stimulation of the child's fingers on their own or with the help of objects with a ribbed surface helps to develop the ability of the fingers to move, tactile sensations. Hand massage for children for the development of motor skills contributes to the development of the baby's speech in the future. The faster the baby learns to do something with his hands, the sooner he will master the speech. When he gets older, the acquired skills will help him in mastering the letter, his hand will be less tired during stress.

Massage techniques have a positive effect on the health of the child, because. each finger is related to a specific organ. The thumb is associated with the brain, the index finger is associated with the gastrointestinal tract, massaging the middle finger affects the spinal column, the ring finger is related to the work of the liver, and the little finger is responsible for the health of the heart.

In order to help the child master the speech skill, it is necessary to massage the hands and forearms, palms and fingers, elbows and shoulders. When doing exercises for the development of motor skills, it is necessary to constantly pronounce each movement, try to show them more often, select poems for gymnastics and turn classes into a game. So the child will be more interesting and easier to remember the movements, the intelligence of the baby increases.

When the child grows up, you can teach him self-massage techniques to develop fine motor skills of the hands.

Benefits of finger massage

You can start doing such a massage from the first hours of a baby’s life, but after consulting a doctor. So the development of the child will be more rapid. Finger massage helps to improve the baby's mood, has a relaxing effect and has a positive effect on the whole body. Regular and proper massage will give the following results:

• The immune system becomes stronger;
• Arterial pressure decreases;
• The work of the gastrointestinal tract is getting better;
• The respiratory function of the body is normalized;
• Stimulates the work of internal organs;
• The concentration of attention increases;
• The condition of the skin improves, the process of removing dead cells takes place;
• Stimulates the development of speech;
• Relationships with parents become stronger.

Before carrying out such a procedure, you should visit the office of a neurologist and a speech therapist for the purpose of counseling. Specialists will tell you if the child needs finger massage or what technique is better to try.

Hand massage contraindications

Although the impact on the hands and fingers of the child brings only a positive effect, there are times when massage should be refrained from. The procedure should not be carried out if:

• there are minor lesions on the skin of the hands;
• allergic intolerance on the hands is manifested;
• fungal diseases are present;
• there is inflammation on the hands and fingers;
• increased body temperature;
• there is an infection in the body.

In such cases, treatment should be started immediately. After the normalization of the general condition of the child, you can proceed to massage procedures.

Methods for performing manual massage

There are several types of massage that can help in the process of learning a baby. Each age has its own technique and its own characteristics. You can do standard massage movements or translate exercises into games for development. With preschool children, make applications, with small ones - knead the palm of your hand with a ball, learn to hold a pencil or other small objects in your hands that will fit in the child's hand. You can also pour sand from one place to another.

For newborns

For a newly born baby, stroking, pinching, kneading and vibro-oscillatory movements are often used. The massage procedure is carried out as follows: the child's hand must be placed on your own and gently stroked first all the fingers at once, and then separately. Knead the baby's hands carefully so as not to cause discomfort. In a circular motion, you should press on the palm and fingers of the child, then slowly squeeze and unclench them into a fist. Similarly, you need to work on each hand of the child. For babies, massage should last no more than three minutes.

After 3 months, you can teach the child to take toys from the hands of the parent. If the baby is afraid or does not show interest, you can stroke his hands on both sides. You can also teach him to reach out with his hands to his feet. To make the exercise more interesting, put bright socks with fun images on your child's feet.

For children from 9 months

At this age, you can show your baby how to roll a ball or a car, teach greeting gestures. You can also help him learn how to close and open boxes or jars, show him how to feed the dolls, build a pyramid of blocks, and then take it apart.

For children over one year old

When the age of children changes, the massage technique also becomes different. The procedure begins with kneading the entire arm at once. First, it should be stroked from the elbow to the fingertips, then with pressure movements stretch each finger along the entire length towards the hand, moving to the wrist. Next, with light tingling, work out the lateral areas of the hands and the hills at the base of the fingers. After that, bend and unbend the fingers alternately and shake the hand a little. For the best effect, you need to tell poems or tongue twisters so that the child can enjoy the process and quickly memorize movements, learn to talk.

massage game

Paper games. For children at preschool age and in infancy, game exercises using paper wads are suitable. The kid should crumple the sheets into paper balls, from which you can then make some kind of toy by gluing the lumps together.

Games with small details. For the development of fine motor skills and the study of colors, you can offer the child to arrange the cubes in bowls. Put red cubes in the first bowl, yellow cubes in the second, etc. You can also be creative and make applications from cereals of different types.

Snowfall game. In this version of the massage, balls of different sizes and textures, tightly folded into a bag or a small bag, act as massagers. The child should lower his hand inward and move it a little. At the end of the game, the baby scatters the balls, creating a semblance of snowfall.

Features of massage and gymnastics

• There are a few things parents need to know before starting the procedure:
• Before doing gymnastics for fingers and hands, warm up children's palms with light strokes.
• So the baby will be more comfortable during the massage.
• Exercises should be done slowly. First with one hand, then with the other, and only then with both hands at once.
• In games, use different toys and objects that have different surfaces and sizes.
• When performing massage and performing gymnastics, each finger of the hand must be used. Emphasis should be placed on squeezing and unclenching the hands.
• It is necessary that the child is tuned in to finger games. If he is upset about something - try to switch his attention to something that can amuse him.
• In order for the effect of the massage to be noticeable, sessions should be carried out regularly. One procedure should not exceed 3-5 minutes in time so that the baby does not lose interest.
• Closer to the year, gymnastics should be more intense and energetic.

The difficulty of the exercises should increase gradually.

If you follow these simple rules, you and your child will achieve the desired results.

How often should you massage

The course of procedures lasts no more than 10 days. It should be repeated no earlier than a month later. The first massage in time should not exceed 20 minutes. Depending on how much the child likes this or that exercise or action, the process can last from 5 to 30 minutes. The procedure is recommended to be carried out in the morning so that the baby is not tired at the time of exercise. Gymnastics should be carried out immediately after a warming massage so that the muscles are better tuned to work.

Massage and exercises that promote the development of fine motor skills of the hands also have a positive effect on the work of all internal organs and on the mental development of the baby.

Finger gymnastics contributes to the speedy acquisition of speech and writing skills. Also, a set of exercises and mother's hands, massaging the forearms and fingers, contribute to the rapprochement of children and parents. Before starting the procedures, you should first consult with specialists and carefully study the technique of conducting exercises.