How I Grow

• I crawl on my stomach. I may go backwards, though.
• I also get around on my back by raising my behind and pushing with my feet.
• I can reach further and grasp smaller objects.
• I explore my body with my mouth and hands.
• I may keep my diaper dry for up to two hours.
• I may have some teeth.
• I can hold my cracker and eat it.

How I Talk

• I try to copy the sounds I hear -- that's how I learn.
• I say several sounds like, ma, mu, da, di, and ba, all in one breath.
• I shout for attention.

How I Respond

• I want to be included in family activities.
• I like to see and touch myself in the mirror.
• I get excited when I see pictures of a baby doing things I do.
• I like toys that make noise like bells, music boxes, or rattles.
• I still like to grab, shake, slide, and bang things. I put them in my mouth.

How I Understand

• I may spend 2 or 3 minutes playing with a toy that I like.
• I like to examine toys and look at pictures in books.
• I turn my head and shoulders to find "hidden" sounds.
• I can tell if something is near or far.
• I can tell when people are angry or happy by the way they look and talk.

How I Feel

• I am afraid of strangers. Stay with me when they are around.
• I feel strongly about what I want and don't want to do.
• I can be playful, and I like to tease.

A New Independence

Baby can do more now.

Your baby is able to get around more on his own. Life is more exciting. It is also scary and frustrating.

Temper and frustrations begin to show.

Your baby moves into another room to explore and satisfy his curiosity. He doesn't see you, he gets scared, and starts to cry. You may leave the room. He begins to scream because he is frightened of being away from you.

He might drop a toy out of sight. He screams with anger because he can't see it or get to it. He wants it back.

Temper and frustration are very normal.

Help Baby learn ways to deal with frustration. If Baby drops a toy, help him look for it. If you leave the room, tell Baby you will be back.

Give him some extra cuddling during these bursts of independence.

Remember that he can always use some loving, and so can you!

Parents: First Teachers

Researchers have found two styles of play between parents and their children.

One has been called "professorial" -- like a professor lecturing to a class. The other style is called "ping pong" -- like hitting a ping pong ball back and forth.

"Lecturing" doesn't help.

Parents who talk to their babies without paying attention to how Baby is reacting are using a "professorial style." The professorial style is like having a conversation with a person who talks, but doesn't want you to talk.

The teacher (parent) and student (baby) don't react to one another. An example would be: as Dad builds a tower of blocks, Baby is reaching for the bells. As you have probably guessed, the professorial style is not a very effective way of helping Baby learn.

"Ping Pong" is best.

Children seem to be able to learn more when their parents use a ping pong style. When a parent does something, the child reacts to what the parent did.

Another way this works is for the parent to react to what Baby does. If Baby giggles, mom giggles. If Baby hands a block to Dad, Dad hands two blocks back.

I Can't Get Down!

Baby can stand, but may not know how to get down.

Has your child pulled herself up to standing and been quite pleased with herself? Then has she started fussing? The fuss probably means she doesn't know how to sit down.

Help Baby learn to sit down.

Tell her how to sit down and help her do it at the same time. You might have to repeat the action a few times, but she will learn to do it all by herself, thanks to your good help.

Tooth Care Starts Early

Give Baby a balanced diet.

Serve Baby healthy food. Do not serve Baby foods that have sugar and other sweeteners added to them.

Clean Baby's teeth.

Wipe his teeth with a clean wash cloth or gauze pad after meals.

Prevent Baby's teeth from decaying.

• Do not give Baby a bottle to drink in bed as he is going to sleep.
• Do not give Baby sugar­coated foods.
• Do not put sweets on the pacifier.
• Do not let Baby crawl around sipping on a bottle. Have Baby make a choice between playing and having something to drink.

It is important to keep Baby's teeth healthy.

Even though these first teeth will come out, the teeth make space in the mouth so that the permanent teeth are not crowded.

Feeding Your Baby

Finger Foods

Help Baby feel "grown up" by letting Baby feed herself with finger foods.

Give her foods like circle-shaped cereals, dry toast, teething biscuits, and soft fruits cut into pieces. These can be eaten with fingers. Don't mind the mess. Neatness is not one of her skills yet. Luckily, babies are very washable!

Remember, with a little patience, you can help your baby appreciate a wide variety of tastes and textures in new foods.

Try Plain Yogurt

Baby may like yogurt

Look for plain yogurt in the dairy case at the grocery store or make your own from whole milk. Look for the yogurt without any fruit or flavoring in it. If you are going to make the yogurt, use a yogurt maker.

Feed the yogurt to baby with a spoon. Baby may eat about ¼ cup of yogurt a day.

Let's Play...Help Me Learn

Playing with Baby is more than just "play."

It is the way your baby is learning about the world.

Games build Baby's sense of trust.

Playing "Peek-a-boo" and hiding games helps Baby learn that people, especially you, and objects exist when they are out of sight. They help him handle the times you are separated better. Baby will enjoy playing "peek-a-boo" for many more months. Try these games:

• Hide objects, then change your mind, and hide them in a different place.
• When he is not watching, hide an object that can make a noise, wind it up, and see if he can find it. Pretend you don't know where it is.

Games show Baby he can make things happen.

He loves to throw things out of the high chair or over the side of the crib. He watches the object fall and listens to the sound it makes when it hits the floor. Your baby is exploring cause and effect relationships. He is trying to learn his effect on his world.

Help Baby play this game by giving him objects that "fall" differently. Encourage him to drop such things as a:

As Baby plays, talk about how the object "falls" and how the object "lands." Oh, look how slowly the washcloth fell and it didn't even make a noise when it landed.

Games help Baby learn the names of body parts.

Touch different parts of your baby's body and name them. This is Rashad's nose. Here is Rashad's mouth. Where are Rashad's fingers? Oh, here they are! This is a good game to play with your baby while you are changing his diaper.

Games help Baby learn to crawl.

Give Baby a reason to want to move. Place a favorite toy just outside Baby's reach. Help him wiggle to it. This is the first step in learning to crawl.

Games help Baby learn to respond.

Try "How Big is Baby? So Big!!" Ask Baby, How big are you? In the beginning you might need to take Baby's arms and gently lift his hands high over his head. Say, So Big!

After doing this for several days, Baby will lift his arms on his own when you say, So big! As he talks more, he will lift his arms and say, So big, himself! You can play this game for several months.

Be careful not to lift Baby by the arms. Baby's bones can be dislocated easily.

Curl Up With A Good Book

Babies enjoy books.

At first, Baby may just enjoy sitting on your lap and listening to you name the pictures.

Select books to share with your baby.

Choose books with bright, colorful pictures. Books with one simple picture and a few simple words on a page are good for Baby.

Look for books that will last. Choose plastic, cloth, or coated cardboard books.

Babies learn most from real experiences.

Use books that have simple pictures of objects like apples, shoes, keys, and other items that Baby sees often. Show Baby the real object and the picture in the book.

Babies like:

• books that have pictures of other babies doing everyday activities that they do -- like eating, sleeping, taking a bath, and playing.
• to play with their books. They chew on the books, attempt to turn the pages, squeal, and slap the pages.
• to hear the same book read to them again, and again, and again, and again ...

Look for books that use Baby's senses

There are texture books for touching; "Scratch and Sniff" books for smelling, picture books for looking; and stories that you make up about a special baby and her family that are just for listening.

Show Baby what to do. When you touch something soft, do it dramatically. Say, Oh, that is sooo soft. Now you touch it. Guide her hand so she touches it. Then say, Isn't that soft? If you are wearing something soft or sitting on a rug that is soft say, Touch this. That's soft, too.

Make-a-Book

Take pictures of your baby doing everyday things. Use pictures of Baby sleeping, eating, playing with toys, taking a bath, getting her diaper changed, loving her parent, or playing with a sibling.

When the pictures are developed, put two in a sandwich­sized reclosable bag. Put the pictures in the bag so that they face out. If you have time and cardboard, put cardboard between the pictures. This makes the book sturdier.

Write your baby's name on the front page. Make two holes and fasten the book together with ribbon or string. If you want to change the pictures, make the holes on the side opposite the opening.

Show your baby the book. She will be delighted. Talk with her about what she is doing. Encourage her to have others "read" the book.

Accidents: Biggest Threat To Baby's Life And Health

Make Home Safe For Baby

Take these safety steps:

• Never leave Baby on the floor, bed, or in the yard without watching her all of the time.
• Avoid tying toys to the crib or to playpen rails. The child can get the string wrapped around her neck and strangle.
• Make all the rooms that Baby will be in safe for Baby. Be sure that everything Baby can pull herself up on -- like tables and lamps -- are stable, not easily tipped over, not on wheels, and not easily moved.
• Keep high chairs, playpens, and infant seats away from the kitchen range, radiators, heaters, and furnace.
• Keep all cords -- electrical, drapery, and vertical and venetian blind cords -- out of reach.

Prevent Drowning

A baby can drown in 2 inches of water.

Baby loves to play in water, but never leave her alone in or near a bathtub, toilet, pail of water, wading or swimming pool, or any other water, even for a moment.

Prevent Choking

Prevent your baby from choking.

• Make sure Baby does not have small toys or pieces to pick up and put in her mouth.
• Keep balloons or pieces of broken balloons away from Baby.
• Stay with your baby while she is eating.
• Make sure Baby is sitting up while eating or drinking.
• Cut Baby's food into small pieces. The food should be small enough that she can eat the piece in one bite.
• Teach Baby to chew her food.

Your best insurance against choking is to know what to do if your baby does choke. Look in a first aid book or take a CPR course. Check with the Red Cross or the American Heart Association for their infant CPR courses.

If your child is choking:

• Call 911 or your local emergency response system for help.
• If your child is breathing, coughing, or speaking, let natural reflexes work. If you can see food in the mouth, take it out. Do not poke around because you could push food into the air passage.
• If your child is choking and cannot breathe, start first aid.
• Have your child examined by a doctor after choking. There may be pieces of food left in the air passages. These pieces should be removed.

Is Baby's Development On Target?

Most parents wonder at some point whether or not their infant is developing on time.

In general, a child development specialist or doctor looks for a pattern of developmental lag rather than being concerned about one particular behavior.

Ask yourself, Does my baby seem to be immature compared to other babies the same age? Remember that even a month makes a difference in what an infant can be expected to do. Be sure that you are comparing babies who are the same age. Are there many things my baby cannot do that others can?

If you are still concerned, look for the following behaviors:

• Does he make eye contact with you when you talk face-to-face?
• Does he turn his head towards sounds?
• Does he respond to his name?
• Does he babble, saying things like, ma ma ma ma?
• Does he play games with you like "So Big" and "Pat-a-cake"?
• Does he sit by himself?
• Do his muscles feel hard and stony?

If you answered "no" to many of these questions, it is time to talk with your doctor or health care provider.

Make an appointment with your doctor. Do not wait, thinking that the situation will change. The sooner you have your questions answered, the better it will be for you and your child.

At the doctor's appointment, describe what your baby can do and cannot do.

Discuss your concerns with the doctor. Ask for ideas of how you can help Baby learn new skills. Ask to be referred to an agency that will evaluate your child.

If you need help with this process, there are eople to help you.

The Parent Information Center has materials about developmental delays and disabilities. They can guide you through the process of getting your questions answered.

You can reach them by calling 366­0152 (TDD: 366­0178).

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. To reach them, call:

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

Babies Don't Come With Instructions

There are people to help, though.
There are several places for parents to get information. Try asking your question or describing your situation to the person who answers the phone at one of these telephone numbers:

WARMLINE from CHILD, Inc.
9 a.m. to 9 p.m. - Monday to Friday
1 p.m. to 5 p.m. - Saturday & Sunday
New Castle County 762­8938
Kent and Sussex Counties 1­800­874­2070

P.A.T.H. (Preventive Action Telephone Hotline) from Delawareans United to Prevent Child Abuse (answered 24­hours a day).
New Castle County 654­1102
Kent County 674­1112
Sussex County 856­1737

Contact (answered 24­hours a day).
New Castle County 761­9100
Kent and Sussex Counties 1­800­262­9800
TDD 761­9700

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 Marie Anne Aghazadian, Executive Director of the Parent Information Center. Information for this issue has also been adapted from materials prepared for Cooperative Extension at the University of Connecticut by E.J. Kersting; at Clemson University by Joyce Jenkins, Judith Kliene, and Emily Wiggins, and at the University of California by Dr. Dorothea Cudaback.

GB-7M
6/18.97
Rev. 9/94