Baby and the world
Really, first the world goes into the baby's mouth. Or rather, what can be examined by the mouth is a recognizable world. And if you think that this way of research is primitive - try it yourself! Close your eyes (the visual information about the object does not tell the four-month-old about anything) and ask someone to bring different objects to your mouth (hands can also tell you about the object that is not yet accessible to the child's perception). If you manage to overcome the awkwardness of the seeming absurdity of the situation, then you will open a completely new (that is, well-forgotten old) world in which there is everything: the smell, taste, shape, size, weight, temperature - except for the color (by the way, so the kids longer than all the other signs of the object master the color).
With the help of the mouth, the baby gets a lot of information that requires comprehension. By the way, the information obtained contains information about his own body. Feelings that the child feels from sucking their fingers, slightly different from what he feels when sucking the mother's breasts or toys. They allow him to gradually begin to distinguish his body(s) from the rest of the world.
At the same age (about 4-5 months), hands come to help the mouth. But they still act as auxiliary workers who deliver experimental material to the "laboratory of the scientist". The child does not yet understand that he or she is acting with his or her own hand, and that physical abilities are only developing and being mastered. So far, they are not in any way compared to the mouth, which the baby already knows perfectly. And by the way, the mouth still remains an organ capable of the most active actions: it is there that teeth appear...
Teeth and hands
The appearance of the first teeth is a joyful event for both parents and the baby. But as the child learns the new "tool" at his disposal, the parents' joy fades, especially if the mother continues to breastfeed the baby. So far, the baby doesn't understand what can cause pain, but he is very well aware of the devastating effects of the teeth, and he feels great joy in putting this power into practice. Now he enjoys not only sucking but also chewing. And if sucking resembles a baby's mother, satiety, warmth, safety and brings above all peace of mind, then biting represents the ability to invade the outside world with its own rules.
With age, the baby will begin to understand that the teeth can cause pain. After that, they will acquire the status of effective weapons, and the child will use their services for a long time. During a quarrel, a two-year-old will bite rather than help himself or herself...
At the same time (6-12 months), the hands start to "go to more active positions". The child finally understands that they are a part of his or her body, which means that they can be used on their own. Increased physical capacity allows the child to increasingly include his or her hands in the process of mastering the world. Very quickly they become equal helpers of the mouth. However, soon he will have a chance to "get ahead of himself" for the last time. This will happen when the baby starts talking.
Growing up and speaking
The fact that the mouth can make sounds, the baby knows from birth. The fact that someone always comes to these sounds, he will know about a month and a half. But the fact that with the help of sounds you can mark objects and communicate something to others, the child understands for the first time in about a year. This great discovery changes the rest of the baby's life, because it gives him the opportunity to communicate not only with loved ones, but also with all people who speak the same language.
Speech acquisition is the last important function of the mouth, which has a decisive influence on the development of the child. Of course, it will take several more years of training to develop the articulator and learn how to pronounce all the sounds and words. But the main thing is already done. It is natural that, having found such a wonderful and universal way of communication, the baby will not be able to refuse it. The function of the mouth as a researcher will begin to weaken gradually and soon disappear safely, that is, it will be replaced by a new meaning - the "producer" of speech. By the year and a half, the hands will have been replaced by the mouth, as they will be able to explore the world much more successfully than any other instrument. Then the hands will be replaced by eyes, which by the age of 2-3 will be able to analyze the shape and size of the object as it was first done by the mouth and then by the hands. And then parents will be able to breathe a sigh of relief: the baby will stop trying everything on the tooth, because it will simply be no longer necessary!