How I Grow

• I turn and twist in all directions.
• I roll from my back to my stomach.
• I can sit without using my hands. I can get into a sitting position by myself.
• I hold onto an object with one hand and then put it in the other hand.
• I grab for an object when it drops.
• I can pull myself up to standing. I can stand if I have something to hold on to.
• Some of my teeth might be starting to come through my gums. I might seem a little fussy because of the pain of the teeth moving.

How I Talk

• I make sounds like, f, v, th, s, sh, sz, m, and n.
• I still babble a lot. I may say, mama, or, dada, but now it is just babbling.
• I'm beginning to understand some words by the your tone of voice or the look on your face.
• I can wave bye-bye.

How I Understand

• I know that I have to use my hands to pick up something.
• I look at and study things for a long time.
• I turn objects upside down just to get another view of them.
• I turn when I hear my name. I look for people I know when you name them.

How I Respond

• I play with toys now. I pick up things, shake them, and then listen to the sound they make when I drop them.
• I play games with people I know.
• I become upset when I'm around grown-up strangers, but I'm friendly to children I don't know.
• I coo, hum, or stop crying sometimes when I hear music.
• I am busy doing something all the time.

How I Feel

• I haven't learned how to control my feelings yet.
• I cry when I don't get my way.
• I giggle, coo, and squeal with joy when I'm happy.
• I smile at myself in the mirror.
• I have very strong likes and dislikes about food.

Important Parenting Skills

Parents of children who grow and learn new skills well:

• provide safe places for their children to explore and use their natural curiosity.
• try to understand what their children want from the messages the babies send.
• set reasonable limits. They are able to say, no, when children go beyond the limits. They use this time to "teach" children what is right and acceptable.
• are with their children to act as "consultants" as their children explore the new world...get excited...hurt or frustrated...want attention.
• try to find out the reason for their children's feelings and "teach" them how to cope with the causes of these feelings.

These little one­minute teaching and learning exchanges may happen many times each day.

The parenting strategies listed above seem to make a difference in how children learn to handle day­to­day experiences.

For many years, the Harvard Preschool Project has studied the behavior differences between well-developed and poorly-developed children. They report that the differences between these two groups of children are related to the way the parents handle their children and organize their lives.

Baby May Wake At Night

It is common for babies who have slept through the night to begin to wake up in the night.

This usually happens when a baby is between 6 and 9 months old. There are many reasons for this:

• Baby may be excited about the skills he is learning and wants to play.
• Baby may not feel well. If a baby is teething, the pain of this could cause Baby to wake up.
• Sleeping in a new place may be stressful to Baby.

How you handle a baby who wakes in the night will depend on why you think he is awake.

If you think Baby is teething, you could do something to help Baby feel better. Try rubbing his gums with ice wrapped in a clean wash cloth.

If Baby is sleeping in a strange place or you are visiting, Baby may need more attention to go back to sleep. When you return home or Baby goes back to his own bed, teach him, again, how to fall asleep on his own.

If Baby wants to play, firmly let him know that it is bedtime, not playtime. Go to him. Pick him up, cuddle him, talk to him, change his diaper, and then put him back in the crib. Tell him firmly that he must try to go to sleep.

Baby may cry when he is put back to bed.

This is normal. Let him cry for a little while. Go to him and tell him, again, It is time to sleep. Leave. You may need to do this several times before Baby falls asleep on his own. Help Baby learn to go to sleep by himself.

Back To The Doctor

Tell the doctor or nurse what your baby is doing.

Is your baby able to do most of the activities listed on the first page of this newsletter? If not, tell your doctor what your baby is doing and is not doing. Describe how Baby has accepted cereal and new foods.

It's time for more immunizations.

Baby will have the DTP, Hib, polio, and Hepatitis B immunizations. If your baby becomes upset by these visits, try to schedule them when you're not in a rush to be anywhere afterward. Then, you can spend a quiet and relaxed time that just may cheer her up.

Remind the doctor of problems you have had in the past with any immunizations.

Write down the date you received the immunizations in Baby's Health Journal or health record book.

Have your immunization records sent to the Immunization Program.

Encourage your doctor or health care provider to send your baby's immunization records to the Delaware Immunization Program. If sometime you need a report of this information, you may call the Immunization Hotline to have a report sent to you.

New Castle County 995-8694
Statewide 1-800-282-8672

Children Are Different

As you spend time with your children and with the children of friends, you will see many differences.

Children cannot be expected to be the same. This is sometimes hard to understand when they are in the same family. Research on identical twins has shown big differences even between the personalities of twins.

Celebrate the differences between children.

There are many personality traits that a child has at birth. For example, it's not your fault that you cannot change your quiet baby into one that wants to babble all of the time.

Offer Baby the opportunity to babble, explore, and respond. Understand that each baby will handle a situation differently.

Allow children to have their own separate interests.

Let children enjoy their own activities when possible and practical. This is very important to plan if you have a child who needs to have a great deal of attention and care. Spend some time often with each child in an activity that is a favorite of that child.

The time can be used playing a game, going on a walk, or reading a book. The time with each child doesn't have to be an equal amount of time. It needs to be enough time to let a child know that you respect him and his interests.

Let's Play...Help Me Learn

Try to give Baby a chance to practice all his new skills.

It is fun for Baby when you help him practice new skills or you play a game with him.

Try this game, "Get-What-You-Want" The purpose of this game is to help your baby:

• understand that he can cause something to happen.
• use an object as a tool for getting what he wants.
• solve problems.

Here's how to play:

• Put your baby in a sitting position on the floor. (You can sit beside or in front of him.)
• Place a small blanket within his reach.
• Put a favorite toy on the blanket, but place it just a little out of reach.
• If Baby does not pull the blanket to get the toy, push the blanket towards him until he can reach the toy.
• Use action words to describe what he is doing, like, You got the ball by pulling the blanket.
• You can use towels, potholders, or pillows instead of a blanket.

Hide It

• Close your hand around a small interesting object.
• Open your hand to show it to Baby and then close your hand again.
• Say, Where's the ___ (name the object)?
• If Baby looks at or taps your hand, open it. If not, open your hand and say, Here it is.

  Use different objects and both hands.

Napkin Game

• Place a napkin over your head and then take it off. Say, Peek­a­boo, as you take the napkin off. Do this several times.
• Ask Baby if he would like to do it. If he agrees, put the napkin over his head. Pull it off as you say, Peek­a­boo.
• Later, let him take the napkin off his head when he is ready.

Texture Walk

• Holding Baby, take a walk through your home. Let Baby feel objects as you name them.
• As Baby touches the object, describe the texture of the object. Find objects that are soft (pillow), smooth (counter), cool (refrigerator), rough (towel), wet (water), and hard (wall).

  Baby will be learning about his environment and language skills, too!

Mousie

• Start at Baby's feet and walk your fingers up his leg, saying, Mousie, mousie, mousie.
• When you reach his stomach, wait a moment. Then say, Mousie, mousie, very quickly.
• As you play this game again and again, start at different places on Baby's body, move your fingers at different speeds, and wait for different amounts of time.

  This game helps Baby focus his attention and anticipate what is going to happen next.

Other activities you can do with Baby:

• Give him two toys -- one for each hand -- and then offer a third. What does he do?
• Give him a pan and a spoon. Nearly every baby will find those two items a fun combination. Hope you don't mind the enthusiastic banging!
• When he's able to sit up alone for a short time, bring him down on the floor to play. Let him be involved in a family playtime. He'll love it.

When Baby is frustrated or fussy as you are playing:

Show Baby how to do what he wants to do.
If you have been playing for a while, perhaps it is time to change activities.

Suction Toys Keep Baby Busy

Suction toys stick to the tray of the high chair, infant seat, and infant swing.

Because they stick to the tray, you will not have to constantly pick toys up from the floor.

You will find suction toys that do different things.

Some bend, some spin, and some make noise.

Feeding Your Baby

Introducing A Cup

Start by giving Baby an empty cup to explore.

Use a small cup. One with handles makes it easier for Baby to hold the cup. Show Baby how to put the cup to her mouth.

Fill the cup so that it does not have to be tilted too much for the liquid to come out.

Help her hold the cup to her mouth and sip. Give her time to swallow between sips. It may be helpful to start with a cup that has a lid and a spout.

Drinking is very different than sucking.

In the beginning, Baby may cough and dribble liquid from the side of her mouth.

Tell Baby how pleased you are that she is trying to drink from a cup.

It's fun to use a cup, or You are doing a good job of drinking from a cup, helps Baby to know that the effort is worthwhile.

Your baby is probably eager to learn how to feed herself.

Let Baby help you handle the spoon. Sit behind her so she can hold the spoon or your hand. Let her hold the spoon while you feed her. She will be learning the movements to use later when she feeds herself.

Encourage Baby to feed herself.

Use "finger foods" such as oat cereal circles, crackers, and small pieces of toast.

Baby will be messy when she is first learning how to feed herself.

Try not to be too concerned about neatness now. She will get better with practice. Put a bib or apron on her to protect her clothing. A large plastic dropcloth on the floor under Baby's chair will make cleanup easier.

Weaning Baby To A Cup

Whenever you start to wean Baby, allow time to do it slowly over several months.

As Baby is more skilled at using a cup, let this be the way Baby drinks most of her liquids.

If you are nursing your baby:

let Baby drink pumped breastmilk or iron­fortified formula from a cup as well as the solid food at meal times. Then, let her nurse as long as she wants at the end of the meal. She will nurse less and less at these times.

In a few weeks, she will be taking only a morning feeding and a bedtime snack. The night­time feeding may be the last one that is given up. Babies often will give it up by the time they are a year old.

If you are weaning from a bottle:

offer Baby iron-fortified formula, fruit juice, and water in a cup at mealtime and for snacks. Baby may not drink much at meals. You are showing her that she can drink at mealtime.

Let Baby have a bottle after breakfast and after supper.

Give these to Baby while she is sitting in your lap. If Baby wants to get up and do something, let her. Do not let her take the bottle with her, though. If Baby is constantly sucking on a bottle, this can cause tooth decay -- even if the teeth are not through the gums yet.

Offer Baby iron­fortified formula at meals and snacks to make up for the milk Baby is not drinking from a bottle.

Sitting Safely

Is Baby doing wheelies in the infant seat?

Baby may like to lean forward in the infant seat. This could be a safety problem. Watch out for this trick. It may be time to think about using a high chair.

Is Baby In A Safe Car Seat?

Is it time to move Baby to a larger seat?

If you have been using an "infant­only" car seat and your baby is now between 17 and 20 pounds, it is time to move Baby into a larger car safety seat. Because Baby has grown, you may have to move the harness strap to a higher slot so that it fits over the shoulder snugly.

Baby should face the rear window until his first birthday.

In this position, the infant's head is supported by the back of the safety seat. If a car accident is from the front, the infant's neck is not severely stressed.

By the time an infant is a year old, the infant's neck is stronger. At that time, it is safer to turn the car seat around to face the front.

Time In The Tub

It is safe to bathe Baby in the big tub when Baby can sit alone or with a little help.

When you do move Baby into the bigger tub for a bath, there are safety concerns:

• Test the temperature of the water with your elbow before putting Baby in the tub.
• Only have a couple of inches of water in the tub.
• Keep Baby sitting by keeping one hand on her or by setting her in a bath seat.
• Never turn on the water when Baby is in the tub. A surge of hot water could scald the baby.
• Never leave your baby for a second while she is in the tub. If you need to answer the phone or door, wrap Baby in a towel and take her with you.

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 and Sue DeNardo, graduate student in the Department of Individual and Family Studies. Information for this issue has also been adapted from materials prepared for Cooperative Extension at the University of Connecticut by E.J. Kersting; at the University of Missouri by Betty Lou Barsley-Marra; at the University of Georgia by Cindy Darden, at the University of Wisconsin by Dorian Schatell, and at the University of California by Dr. Dorothea Cudaback.

GB-6M
6/18/97
Rev. 6/94