Practical Positive Parenting Advice and Resources
Eventually, at some point through your baby’s first year, they will begin to have teething symptoms. Although, it’s important to note that some babies may not actually get their first tooth until closer to 14 months depending on their genetics and how premature they were at birth.
Some babies may go through lots of unpleasant teething symptoms, while others may barely notice the changes. But the best thing that you can do as a parent or caregiver, is to be prepared and know your options!…
I recently had the privilege of meeting Rudy, an ASTRA Certified Play Expert and President of the U.S. Branch of the People Toy Company. To say I was impressed with his wealth of knowledge, and drive to help parents through education, is an understatement! As a mother of three young children, I appreciated the advice that he so willingly shared. But even more so, I appreciate a good company that truly designs with our little ones, baby entertainment, and their milestones in mind!
The People Toy Company has a mission to create products that promote the healthy development of babies, and give parents a fun guided way to keep their babies entertained and engaged. Their toys are designed with a baby’s developmental milestones in mind, and are made in Japan. Many have even won Toy of The Year Awards. Continue reading below for a full list of beneficial toys broken down by your baby’s age.
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Purchasing baby food at the grocery store is very convenient, but making it yourself is much easier than you think! It also allows you to control everything that your little one is ingesting. So, I encourage you to give this simple baby food recipe a try, or use it as a base and get creative with your own ingredients!…
The first year with a new baby is an interesting one. And it can be really difficult throughout that first year of motherhood. After a very long time preparing and planning, you finally get to hold your little miracle and bring them home! But now what?! Babies do not come with a guidebook, but oh how I wish they did! So now you are left with a new little human, and a Google search engine, to figure it all out.
Thankfully there is an enormous amount of education out there that did not exist for previous generations to take advantage of. But with that being said, it is easy to find contradicting studies, and not every baby fits the exact mold. Every baby, every family, and every situation is different. So my biggest advice to new parents is this – Trust your instincts!…
Developmental milestones are behaviors or physical skills seen in infants and children as they grow and develop. Rolling over, crawling, walking, and talking are all considered milestones. The milestones and stages of development are different for each age range and can vary within the set development guidelines quite a bit.
There is a normal range in which a child may reach each milestone and still be in development guidelines. When we talk about child development, we often speak of milestones that children hit at certain ages.
A developmental milestone is an ability that is achieved by most children by a certain age. Developmental milestones can involve physical, social, emotional, cognitive, and communication skills such as walking, sharing with others, expressing emotions, recognizing familiar sounds, and talking….
MILESTONES: WHAT ARE THEY & WHY THEY ARE IMPORTANT?Born completely helpless, newborns rely on their parents for everything with crying as their only form of verbal communication. Yet by their first birthday, most babies are able to communicate their needs using words, sign language or gestures, feed themselves (albeit in a crude, messy fashion), and get around via crawling or even walking! This development involves reaching numerous “milestones” which are defined as behaviors or physical skills a child achieves as they grow up.
This article is written by Tranquilo Mat
For more on this topic, check out the full Baby’s First Year collection
Physical – Involving use of baby’s body to achieve a task, e.g., crawling or grasping an object
Cognitive – Solving problems or understanding the world around them, e.g., peek-a-boo as a fun game vs. their parent’s face disappearing unexpectedly
Social/Emotional – Understanding how to interact with others, e.g., learning to play with other children or smiling as a positive reaction vs. a reflex
Communication – Learning how to communicate using words or gestures, e.g., saying “dada” or learning how to use simple signs to ask for “more” or “milk.”
Find Answers for all of Your Common Newborn Concerns
Milestones are important markers of normal human development and they are often achieved within a specific age range. For example, most babies learn to crawl between 7 and 10 months, but some may accomplish this feat at 6 months, while others may lag behind until 11 months. This variation can be completely normal.
If, however, your baby is very delayed in reaching a specific milestone, or isn’t reaching several important milestones, it can be a sign of a developmental issue which likely requires intervention. Sometimes the issue is something that is an easy fix, such as practicing their fine motor skills with special games, while other issues may be more serious and require a specialist. Always communicate with your pediatrician about any concerns you have regarding your baby’s developments and / or failure to meet milestone achievements.
Here are 50 New Mom Questions – You Are Not Alone!
Of course, the most important thing to remember regarding milestones is that every child is different and will develop at their own pace. This is why milestones occur in a general age range or timeframe, not an exact day or month. Every child is unique and even siblings and twins can develop at dramatically different ways, reaching various milestones at their own pace. Often if a child excels in one area of development, they might be a bit behind in others. For example, one child may begin talking quite quickly but lag behind in fine motor skills while their twin may be the first to crawl around the room but be late to utter “dada.” Don’t rush your child’s development but if you ever have any questions or concerns about your child’s milestones, don’t hesitate to speak to your pediatrician.
So what can you expect your baby to master in the coming months? Below we’ve broken down the various milestones as a quick reference for parents:
Cognitive:
Social:
Physical:
Cognitive:
Social:
Physical:
Language skills:
Cognitive:
Social:
Physical:
Language skills:
As mentioned before, the above are simply guidelines for a baby’s development but your little one’s progress might vary slightly. If you are ever concerned, speak to your pediatrician who will be happy to allay your fears or make an appropriate referral.
A baby’s first year is a chaotic and busy time when they are learning and absorbing so much, so don’t forget to enjoy all these moments because you’ll be singing happy birthday to your once-newborn, now 1 year old, in the blink of an eye! Now that you know more about your baby’s developmental milestones, which of the above skills are you most looking forward to your baby learning? And which one do you hope they master first? Or maybe you saw a milestone you’re dreading your baby hits – “I thought using ‘no’ was more of a toddler thing and I don’t want my baby to start sassing me just yet.” No matter what it is, we’d love to hear from you!
Enjoy these free Developmental Baby Milestone printables to help guide you through your little one’s first year
For 0-6 month milestones, read our article Baby’s 1st Milestones 0-6 Months
For more on this topic, check out the full Baby’s First Year collection
Featured Contributor: Tranquilo Mat
Tranquilo Mat is the only portable soothing sleep aid that helps babies fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer. Invented by a nurse, mom approved, and baby loved. To learn more visit www.tranquilomat.com. As Seen on Shark Tank!
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By the time your due date arrives, you’ve become a pro at prenatal doctor’s visits. And while labor and delivery marks the end of your nearly constant prenatal check ups, now it’s baby’s turn to frequent the pediatrician for numerous check ups! Between “well baby” visits and “sick appointments,” it can feel like you are always in the doctor’s office with your little one. You will become an expert in no time! But to get you started, here’s how you can best prepare for your baby’s first pediatrician appointment! …
Simply click the image to print out this earth day activity for kids 🙂 Brainstorm with them about some things that they can do to help take care of our planet.
For more on this topic, check out the full Helping Others collection
And for more on this topic, check out the full Helping Others collection
Veggie-Packed Vegetarian Lasagna is a classic lasagna recipe turned grain-free by using shredded vegetables in place of the pasta. It’s a surefire way to sneak vegetables into both kids and adults! (It’s also a great option to make ahead and freeze.)
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