How I Grow

• I may walk alone for a few steps, but I still prefer to creep -- it's faster!
• I climb up and down stairs, if I have the chance.
• I may even be able to climb out of a playpen or crib.
• I hold a pencil or crayon and love to make marks. Watch me while I have these so I don't hurt myself with them.
• I use my hands to remove lids from containers.
• I hold things with one hand while I'm doing something else with the other hand.
• I use my index finger to point to things.
• I try to dress or undress myself, but I'm not very good at it yet.
• I like to put objects in containers.
• I insist on feeding myself.

How I Talk

• I repeat words I know -- it's good practice.
• I babble in phrases that sound like short sentences.
• I may not talk as much once I walk well.
• I use one word to express a whole thought.

How I Respond

• I trust people I know well.
• I copy what people do, even if they are not around.
• I am still afraid of strangers and new places.
• I am very definite about my likes and dislikes.

How I Understand

• I remember more because my memory is getting better.
• I hunt for a toy and even if I don't find it right away, I can remember where I saw it last.
• I keep trying to do something and may even solve the problem through trial and error.
• I follow simple directions and understand most things you say to me.
• I have favorite people and toys.

How I Feel

• I feel great that I have a personality all my own.
• I am developing a sense of humor and think a lot of things are funny.
• I still don't like being away from you and am relieved when you return.
• I feel secure and happy eating meals with my family.
• I feel -- and show -- love and affection to my favorite people and things.
• I love being the center of attention.

One Quick Year

It's been an eventful and exciting year.

You and your baby have learned so much. He has changed from being helpless -- uncoordinated, barely able to hold his head up -- and only able to communicate with a cry. Now, he is himself, different from everybody else.

Sometimes parents wonder if their child might have a problem.

Although each child grows differently, there are some things that all children this age should be doing.

As he turns one, he should be able to:

• sit for five minutes.
• get to a sitting position, and go from sitting to his stomach and then crawl.
• stand momentarily, and walk either holding on to both of your hands or on to furniture.
• reach for objects and grasp one in each hand and bang them together.
• pick up tiny objects and release them when he wants to.
• drop and throw objects.
• find objects he has seen hidden.
• listen to you and respond to simple gestures and requests.
• babble a single sound, ba, as well as, baba, and use "tones of voice" similar to adult speech.
• show likes and dislikes of persons, places, and things.
• test parents' reactions during feeding and bedtime.
• enjoy play, repeat fun activities, and cooperate in simple games.
• finger feed himself, drink from a cup you hold, and hold a spoon.

If your baby is not doing one or more of these activities, keep watching and write down what he is not doing.

Ask a friend to watch. Give him more time to practice. Watch Baby again. Can he now do some of the skills that he could not do before?

Some babies need help to learn some things.

Working with baby now will help him learn better when he is older.

If your child is still not doing some of these behaviors, talk with your doctor or health care provider.

Ask for a longer visit than usual, so that the doctor has enough time to observe your child.

Write your questions and concerns down before you visit so that you will remember all of them.

If you don't understand the answers and explanations the doctor is giving you, ask for more information and write it down.

Ask if you should take your child to a specialist in child development or developmental medicine.

It is very natural for you to be concerned with your child's development.

You should never feel that you are asking unnecessary questions.

If you have questions about the development of your child, call Child Development Watch.

The Child Development Watch staff can identify if a child has a developmental delay or disability. This program is for children from birth to age 3.

New Castle County 1­800­671­0050
Kent and Sussex Counties 1­800­752­9393

Feeding Your Baby

How Much Should My Baby Eat?

Baby may eat well at one meal, not so well at the next meal.

One hearty meal a day plus some foods from the food groups listed in the chart are about average at this age. Your baby doesn't have to eat something from every food group at every meal.

Forcing babies to eat can lead to other problems.

It may make her refuse any food or Baby may continue to eat just to get your approval.

Try not to offer food to Baby when she is upset.

It may quiet her for a few moments, but it will also teach her the habit of using food as a solution to problems. Instead, try to find the cause of the problem and solve it, without using food as the pacifier.

Baby should be at least a year old before whole milk is given.

Until your baby is a year old, breast milk or iron­fortified formula is the most appropriate milk to feed your baby. Ask your doctor or health care provider when to change the type of milk you feed your child.

Create Security

Routines help Baby to feel secure in a world where things are always changing.

Having a routine of doing things the same way each day helps your child settle snugly and happily into his environment.

Let's Play...Help Me Learn

Kitchen Learning

When you're not rushing to fix a meal, there's a one-year-old "helper" who would probably love to get involved.

Here are some things your child might like to do:

• wave measuring spoons in the air.
• bang pots together or bang spoons inside the pots.
• put smaller pots inside larger pots.
• put measuring cups inside each other.
• pull all of the plastic bowls and containers out of the cupboard.

Remember to join your baby in play every once in a while.

Talk to her so she can learn the words for action. Say things like, Brittany is banging the pan on the floor!; She is making a very big noise!; or, Brittany is putting one pot inside another pot.

When you get a chance, show your child new and different things to do with her toys.

Learning About Ideas

How does a child learn about ideas -- like up and down, big and small, shapes, colors, time, and numbers?

With your help! Research shows that much of this learning takes place in the home.

In Baby's first 2 years, playing helps her understand basic concepts.

These basic concepts are texture, size, sound, taste, shape, color, smell, and temperature. With these basic concepts, Baby can sort out the world into things that are similar and different.

Here are some ideas to help Baby learn.

Size:

• Different sized cans -- orange juice, tuna, shortening, coffee, soup. (Make sure there are no sharp edges.)
• Your shoe and Baby's shoe.
• Large boxes, paper grocery bags, or laundry baskets to crawl into.

Shapes:

• Finger foods, such as cheese cubes, banana circles, apple pieces, sandwich squares, cooked noodles.
• Shape­sorter toys.

Sounds:

• Pot lids to clash as cymbals, wooden spoons to bang on an oatmeal­box drum.
• Rattles of all sorts.

Volume:

• Play dump­and­fill games. Use water in the bath or sand in the sandbox.
• Drink from different­sized cups.

Boys-Girls, Girls-Boys

Boys and girls are different.

It is important to know how you feel about the differences between boys and girls. What messages are you sending to your child?

There are some things that all children need -- whether they are a boy or a girl:

• hugs, loving, caring, and tenderness.
• support in exploring all toys -- whether they are dolls or dump trucks.
• support in expressing feelings -- both the positive and the negative ones.

Think about your attitude about sex roles. Now is a good time to look at the messages you want to give about "what little boys and little girls do."

Here are some questions to help sort out your attitudes:

• Do I hold back hugging my son just because he is a boy?
• Do I use a different tone of voice for my daughter than I would for a son, even though tenderness is comforting for both sexes?
• What kind of adult roles will I prepare my child for? How will he or she live and work in a way that is different from the way I live and work?

Allow children to express themselves freely.

Regardless of their sex, this will help both girls and boys grow into healthy, capable, and confident individuals.

Be Confident, Parent

Wondering whether you have what it takes to be a parent?

Being a parent can sometimes cause you to question your ability to cope with daily problems. At times you may feel comfortable and self-confident. At other times you may feel uncertain and fearful about your decisions.

We all strive to feel comfortable and good about ourselves.

Self-confidence is measured by the way we feel and the way we behave.

To help you feel better about yourself, here are a few suggestions:

• Think about and decide what YOU want out of life -- not what other people want for you, or want you to do.
• Don't put yourself down. Instead of saying, I can't do it, try saying, I am going to try to do it.
• Live your life from this moment on. Don't let past mistakes discourage you.
• Trust your decisions. You are the best judge of what works well for you.

One-Year Well-Baby Check

Tell the doctor or nurse what Baby is doing.

Is Baby able to do most of the activities listed on the first page of this newsletter? If not, tell your doctor what Baby is doing and is not doing. Describe what Baby eats, how long Baby sleeps, and what Baby likes to do.

Expect immunizations and tests at this visit.

Baby will have the MMR immunization for measles, mumps, and rubella. He will also have a TB skin test for Tuberculosis.

Write down the date you received the MMR immunization and the results of the TB test in Baby's Health Journal or health record book.

We want to be lead free.

A well­baby check for a one­year­old includes a lead screening.

The screening finds out if a baby has been exposed to lead. If so, your child will get the proper care she needs and you will get help in making your home lead safe. Screening may be done regularly until your child is 6 years old.

A child with lead poisoning may not look or act sick.

Most children with lead poisoning do not have any symptoms that would cause you to think that the child had more lead in the blood than she should.

Lead can affect the way Baby learns, grows, and hears.

Lead poisoning can cause a child to not be able to pay attention, speak properly, or learn at a normal rate.

Year in Review

You have many memories of all the things you have shared with your baby.

Do you remember the times you stayed up all night? How about the times your baby smiled and laughed? You felt good sharing his joy.

Do you remember when your baby....

• made his first sound besides crying?
• held his first toy?
• used a spoon the first time?
• took his first steps?

Now you and your baby are ready to move on to the second year.

Your role as a parent continues. There are many more "firsts" to look forward to: the first walking steps taken alone, the first words read out of a book, the first day at school, and so many others.

For your baby, life has barely started.

He is just beginning to learn about the world around him. There will be many new adventures to share through the years.

Car Safety

NEVER leave a child alone in a car.

There are many dangers in leaving your child alone in a car. In hot weather, your child could die from the heat. The temperature inside the car can reach very high temperatures in a matter of minutes.

Place your child's car seat on the center rear seat of the car.

This is the safest place in the car. Baby's seat can now be turned to face the front of the car.

Buckle up and lock up!

Before the car moves, everyone's seat belts or restraining devices should be fastened. Lock all doors.

Capable Hands = Safety Concerns

Keep diaper­changing supplies out of Baby's reach.

Baby can now open some of the packages and squeeze out the ointment or powder that is in the package. Some babies have died from breathing too much baby powder.

Keep children away from soiled diapers.

Use a diaper pail with a locking lid or keep it out of a child's reach. Children have been poisoned by eating diaper pail deodorizer cakes. Others have drowned in the water used to soak the diapers.

If you suspect that your child has swallowed something that could be poisonous to her, call the Poison Control Center, your doctor, or a hospital emergency room immediately.

The number for the Poison Control Center is 1­800­722­7112. Keep this number by the telephone.

Great Beginnings   is sent to you by:

Patricia T. Nelson, Ed.D.
Family and Child Development Specialist

This newsletter has been edited by Deborah J. Amsden, CHE; and prepared with the assistance of Dr. Penny Deiner, Department of Individual and Family Studies, University of Delaware, Marie Anne Aghazadian, Executive Director of the Parent Information Center, and Barbara Ward, Senior Public Health Educator with the Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program, Delaware Division of Public Health. This series has been adapted from Parent Express, by Dr. Dorothea Cudaback, Cooperative Extension, University of California and from Parenting the First Year by Dorian Schatell, University of Wisconsin Cooperative Extension.

GB-12M
6/20/97
Rev. 11/94