Emotional – Social
Naming your Baby: 7 Things to Consider
Naming a child is one of the most fun things about having a baby, but it becomes daunting when you think about how important that little series of letters is going to be in your child’s life, not to mention in your own. You have to really make sure the name your choose is to the liking of you and your partner and will be one your child can wear with pride through a long, full life. Most new parents do a good job of thinking through the decision, considering lots of names and not choosing too rashly, but Continue reading
Encouraging Good Behavior in Toddlers
For first-time parents, one of the most surprising things about the toddler stage is just how temperamental and even rebellious the child can be. This is a rough time for kids, as they are too young to express themselves clearly yet are developing a sense of self and relish their independence. Plus, while they always know exactly what they want, they are often too emotionally immature to understand why they cannot have it. This creates Continue reading
Toddler Behavior: Set Your Child Up for Success
For parents, the toddler years can be a troubling time in many respects. Toddlers are old enough to have some awareness of themselves, and they understand that they are capable of making things happen and eliciting responses from those around them. Yet at the same time, their rational thinking skills are not well developed, and they cannot Continue reading
Dealing with Baby’s Separation Anxiety
The second half of a baby’s first year is a time of much joy and relief for new parents. The baby becomes more regular in her patterns, she begins to learn how to communicate her needs, and she no longer cries for seemingly no reason. But even though things tend to be relatively smooth in these months, many new issues arise toward the end of the first year. Separation anxiety, which takes the form of tearful fussiness when separated from one or both parents, is the one that parents most often complain of. Though it is a perfectly normal part of a child’s development, it can be frustrating for parents.
How separation anxiety develops
Younger babies are usually quite comfortable being passed to a nonparent caregiver. During the middle months of the first year, however, babies develop a sense of object permanence, and they come to understand that Continue reading
Helping Your Baby Develop in Months Nine through Twelve
When a baby gets around the eight-month-old mark, lots of things happen all at once. The days when your baby was an entirely dependent newborn are now a distant memory, and your baby is beginning to look and act more like an actual child, with a fast-developing personality, a growing ability to play and entertain herself, and an increasing awareness of what is going on around her.
Because babies learn so much and develop so fast during this stage, every day can be momentous. Milestones will topple left and right, and during these few months there is a very good chance you will see Continue reading
The Next Three Months: Baby Milestones in Months 4-6
The first three months of a baby’s life are often referred to as the “fourth trimester” because the baby is still intensely dependent, has only rudimentary communication abilities, and does not seem fully engaged with the surrounding world. All of this comes to an end in the next three months, which is when babies really come alive. During this time, you will finally begin to feel your love returned, your child will develop a recognizable personality, and your ability to communicate with him or her will grow exponentially.
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What Does It Mean If My Baby Has Tongue-Tie?
There is a visible string of tissue underneath your baby’s tongue that is attached to the floor of his mouth and is called the frenulum. Babies who have tongue-tie have a frenulum that is too short causing problems with the mobility of their tongue. The medical term for tongue-tie is ankyloglossia.
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When Will My Baby Begin to Remember Things?
Your baby will start recording things in her mind from birth but will not be aware of what is really happening. During the third trimester of your pregnancy your baby will have begun to recognize your voice and at four days old she will be able to distinguish between your face and a stranger’s. It is at this time she will also recognize Dad if he has been present throughout the pregnancy. She will certainly recognize your smell and be comforted by it from birth.
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Fussing in Public: How to Calm an Upset Infant
By Eirian Hallinan
For new parents, there is a special kind of nervousness around the idea of taking the baby into public. On one hand, sometimes you just have to go out-for doctor’s appointments, especially-and of course most parents do not want to keep their infants cooped up indoors all the time. On the other hand, young babies can be unpredictable in their moods, and the last thing you want is to have your baby explode in a storm of fussiness when you are in the middle of a public place. It is embarrassing, and you get dirty looks, and sometimes nasty comments, from other people. Most of all, it is just stressful.
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Baby’s First Week: What to Expect
By Lisa Pecos
For first-time parents, the first week with a new baby is one of the most exciting, nerve-wracking, and thrilling times in your life. After months of planning and preparing for this moment, not to mention imagining and desiring for it to come, the simple act of walking through your front door with your baby for the first time can seem downright surreal. It is a magical time for many parents, but it also comes with a set of challenges that must be quickly overcome. And while the initial excitement is worth savoring, after a few days you will have to settle into the long-term, routine-driven life of parenting.
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