What is Baby Sign Language?
Baby Sign Language is a collection of signs to assist parents/carers and educators, in facilitating early communication with their pre-verbal babies. It is also a wonderful tool used to help motivate children with their learning of literacy and mathematics. Baby Sign Language is exposing your child to gestures or the vocabulary of a second language, such as ASL.
Baby Sign Language is easy to use with no prior signing knowledge or experience. You are probably already exposing your child to some proper signs, without even realizing it.
Why should I sign to my baby? More on Baby Sign Language In Your Home
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Filed under Baby, Baby Communication by More4kids Inc.
by Jennifer Shakeel
All babies cry, but two out of every ten babies will be affected by colic. Colic is an inconsolable crying in an otherwise healthy baby that has bouts of fussiness and irritability. While the condition is completely harmless to the baby, it can make parents want to pull their hair out or start crying themselves.
Colic usually happens in the first few weeks of life of the baby and can last until they are four months old. The crying is often intense and absolutely furious and it can last for hours or days. This is crying that doesn’t stop with feeding, burping, rocking or anything. If your baby has colic it will be worse in the afternoon or evening then it is in the morning.
What you need to know is that your baby is not in pain, though he or she looks like they are in pain. Their belly does not hurt; though it will feel tight understand that is because they are screaming. Think about when you are crying, or stressed your stomach feels tight, and you have problems eating, sleeping and going to the bathroom. It isn’t any different for baby.
The main problem with the condition is the stress and anxiety it creates at home, especially if it's your first child. You may find being unable to comfort your new baby stressful, as well as finding it difficult to cope with the constant crying, so it's important for you to have support and to take a break if things get on top of you.
More on Baby Colic - Causes and Treatment
Filed under Baby by More4kids Inc.
by Jennifer Shakeel
Recently my family went on a much needed vacation. We were lucky and were able to get away for ten wonderful days. For some this would’ve been long enough, for me… I could still be sitting on the beach. Anyway, the vacation inspired this article. We just had a baby in December, and this was her very first vacation… filled with tons of strange people and strange places. Our biggest concern was how she would handle this. Overall she did wonderful, bless her little soul, and I am going to share with you ways to help your baby adjust to new environments, whether on vacation or not.
More on Helping Baby Adjust to New Environments
Filed under Baby, Baby Development by More4kids Inc.
Change is something that very few people handle well… I am not sure why than we expect babies to handle change so well. However, we also know that the only way to learn is by trying new things. With a baby each and every day is a new thing, they will find, see or hear something new that they didn’t experience the day before all on their own. But you can help to encourage your baby to try new things, even when they are hesitant.
The younger the baby the easier it is, I believe anyway, to get them to try something new. Now, I have to stress how important it is that you pay attention to the way that your baby handles the new thing he or she is trying. If they don’t like it then don’t force them to continue the experience, pick them up and cuddle them and get them comfortable. For example, the first time we gave our new baby a bath in the bathtub… we used one of those big floating sponge like rafts. It was suppose to tell us if the water was to hot… and give the baby cushion to lie on. Ok, we are not first time parents… but it has been awhile, so it was like we were starting all over. Our daughter hated it. She screamed the whole time. I could not bathe her fast enough. We figured it was the first bath, she wasn’t used to it, so the next day I tried again. Nope, even more screaming… then it dawned on me… it was the sponge like thing. So I took the raft out and laid her in the water and propped her up on my arm. She loved it! She is a definite water baby.
More on Encouraging Baby to Try New Things
Filed under Baby, Baby Development by More4kids Inc.
When we think of 2 year olds, we usually think of the terrible twos. It doesn’t have to be that way. Most 2 year olds really just want to please you, and if you use that pleasing attitude to your advantage, you can really enjoy your two year old. To help you attain the upper hand in your relationship with your 2 year old, you will need to be patient and firm and always remember to keep your sense of humor.
One of the wonderful milestones of your two year old with be the building of their language and social skills. You child could start this year off with as little as 50 words, but during this year she will begin developing two word sentences, and then piecing together three and four word sentences and possible by the end of this second year, she may be using up to six word sentences. Not only are the words that she is speaking being added to on a daily basis, she is also beginning to comprehend even more of them on a daily basis. This is usually the time when parents feel the need to spell words to keep their toddler from following along with certain conversations.
More on Baby Milestones - The Second Year
Filed under Baby Development by More4kids Inc.
by Jennifer Shakeel
The purpose of this article is really to inform and remind all parents of what to expect in the first year of your baby’s life. It was also a nice refresher for me, being that there is a 10.5 year difference between our middle child and our baby. While doctors and friends say, “Oh you’ve done this before,” with such a gap in between our children I feel like a first time mom, again. So read on and learn what to expect and how you can encourage your baby to grow and develop.
In one year, a baby undergoes more development than he will ever experience for the rest of his life. You can look forward to plenty of excitement as you watch your baby first lift his head, smile, and speak. To keep his motivation high, give him constant positive feedback for each new development. Each month of life has its developmental milestones, so use this guide to monthly milestones to chart your baby’s growth.
The first month after your baby is born is fairly uneventful, at least as far as milestone are concerned. Your baby will spend the majority of his time sleeping, unless he is colicky, or is like my daughter who thinks that sleep is for “sissies.” However, when he is awake, you may notice that he is physically responding to his environment. He will gaze at objects around him, and move his arms and legs in a jerky way. He may also grasp your finger, and if you stroke his cheek he will physically react. More on Encouraging Baby Development - The First Year
Filed under Baby, Baby Development by More4kids Inc.
