Your Baby this Week
The chances are good that your baby has grown attached to a certain blanket or toy. A transitional object can help your child weather a potentially stressful experience, for example, a doctor’s visit or an overnight trip. Your baby’s mind is like a sponge. Here are a few suggestions on how to keep the curiosity-fired up to Speak with your child directly. Talking about simple day to day activities will help to build language skills and vocabulary. Go to different places (the zoo, a retail store), and do a variety of things describe these experiences to her. Reinforce the idea that there is a great big wonderful world out there. Read aloud to your children each and every day. Choose a variety of books, including picture books and interactive books, and focus on the sound and rhythm of the words. These are going to be of interest to your child in a variety of ways. Encourage different types of play. Your child will benefit most from a combination of self-directed play, structured play, and social play. Give him a chance to experiment with a variety of shapes, colors, textures, sounds, and weights. At this age, the cause-and-effect game is a great opportunity for learning. Sometimes, you just have to let your kids explore, and other times, you can show him how to do the work, then let him try it out. Watch for signs that he is tired or over-stimulated, and to make sure that he has some time to relax as well.
