Archive for ‘Parenting’
Small babies produce more heat than adults. Their body temperature increases in the first months and peaks, around the sixth month, at 99.5, after which it starts to decrease gradually. During the first year, you should avoid exposing the baby to extreme heat or cold. Doctors recommend maintaining room temperature between 68 and 72 degrees during this time, avoiding letting the baby become overheated. The rule of thumb for this age, as well as for smaller infants, is to dress your baby no more or less heavily than you dress yourself for a given outdoor temperature. The exception: Babies should wear hats in cool (not just cold) weather, and a sun hat is a must to protect a baby's delicate skin and scalp from burning ultraviolet rays. By the age of four or five months, the infection-fighting antibodies with which babies are born have diminished. Thus, a number of babies get their first colds during these months, particularly if they have older siblings or are exposed to other childre...
As babies become more active in their exploration, you must take additional safety precautions. Be sure to: ? Keep one hand on the baby whenever you are changing diapers on a changing table. Never leave a baby unattended on a changing table or bed, since babies can easily roll off. ? Make sure the crib sides are always locked. ? Use safety straps when you put the baby into an infant seat, swing, or stroller. ? Remove mobiles and similar toys from the crib as soon as the baby is able to push up on the forearms. An active baby can easily become entangled in a mobile or start mouthing dangerous, small parts. ? Never suspend a pacifier or toy around the baby's neck with a string or ribbon. The string may get caught on part of the crib, stroller, or playpen and strangle the baby. Sleeping Through The Night Regardless of their sleep patterns, all babies go through several sleep cycles, waking at least one or two times each night. As they get older and feel hungry le...
Playing With Your Baby
Three-month-olds commonly have calm, wakeful periods of up to 45 minutes, and by six months of age, many babies stay awake for stretches of two or three hours. As babies spend more time awake, the opportunities for interaction with parents, siblings, and caregivers increase dramatically. These periods of playful give-and-take can be a source of endless fun for everyone involved. They are also vital to the baby's physical, mental, social, and emotional development. Babies are fascinated with objects that move and make noises, and they love to touch, grasp, shake, and pull whatever they can. They are also fascinated with people and enjoy watching their gestures and facial expressions. Here are a few examples of games that will delight your baby and stimulate her development: • Hold a toy so that the baby can reach for and grasp it. Start by holding the toy close to the baby's chest and directly in front of her eyes. As early as three months of age, the baby will bat at the toy...
When your baby was a newborn, she probably fell asleep for an hour or more soon after the first feeding of the day. Not so the three- to six-month-old, especially if she is healthy and well-rested. The baby's increased alertness and sociability will make her more of a companion as you go about your daily routines. As long as she is awake, she will be looking for more stimulation and engagement with you. No longer can you park her in a playpen or crib and expect to be undisturbed for more than a few minutes at a stretch. Unless there is something interesting to look at and handle and, preferably, someone to look at and handle things with the baby will get bored and issue some protest. This doesn't mean you have to entertain your baby and neglect everything else. Just keep the baby close to you, in an infant carrier, strapped into an infant seat or propped up in a stroller, while you do the normal things, stopping every now and then to visit and, when the baby seems restless, providi...
When a baby starts to vocalize, it is important that the adults in her life respond with appropriate words and facial expressions. This feedback encourages the baby to keep using vocal sounds and engage in social interaction. In this way, babies learn the rhythms of conversation and gain important exposure to the sounds, tones, and meanings of speech. Although a five- or six-month-old can't understand what you're saying, she can pause to wait for your response and, when you become silent, make additional sounds in reply. This skill, simple as it may seem, is the first step toward mastering the art of communication. Long before babies understand words, they clearly respond to the specific tone and rhythm of speech. Parents often instinctively use BABY TALK speaking in a high-pitched voice and using one-syllable words and short sentences when addressing their babies. This type of speech, which is sometimes called MOTHERESE OTPARENTESE, can play a valuable role in babies' acquisition ...