- General Info
- BabyTalk
- 1-3 Years Old
- 3-5 Years Old
- Take Charge of TV
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Helping Your Child
BabyTalk
What to Expect
Babies grow and change dramatically during their first year. They begin
to
- Develop some control over their bodies. They learn to hold up their
heads, roll over, sit up, crawl, stand up and, in some cases, walk.
- Become aware of themselves as separate from others. They learn to look
at their hands and toes and play with them. They learn to cry when their
parents leave and to recognize their own names.
- Play games. Babies first play with their own hands. Later they show an
interest in toys, enjoy "putting in and taking out" games and eventually
carry around or hug dolls or stuffed toys.
- Relate to others. Babies first respond to adults more than they do to
other babies. Later they notice other babies, but they tend to treat these
babies as objects instead of people. Then they pay attention when other
babies make sounds.
- Communicate and develop language skills. Babies first cry and make
throaty noises. Later they babble and say "mama" and "dada." Then they
make lots of sounds and begin to name a few familiar people and objects.
They begin to enjoy hearing rhyming and silly language.
What Babies Need
Babies require
- Loving parents or caregivers who respond to their cries and gurgles
and who keep them safe and comfortable;
- Opportunities to move about and to practice new physical skills;
- Safe objects to look at, bat, grab, bang, pat, roll and examine;
- Safe play areas; and
- Many opportunities to hear language, to make sounds and to have
someone respond to those sounds.
Developing Trust
Feeling your touch, hearing your voice and enjoying the comfort of physical
closeness all help your baby to develop trust.
What You Need
Music
What to Do
- Gently move your newborn's arms and legs. Or tickle her lightly under
the chin or on the tummy. When she starts to control her head, lie on the
floor and put her head on your chest. Let her reach for your nose or grab
your hair. Talk to her and name each thing that she touches.
- Place your baby on your belly. Some research has shown that such
contact releases chemicals called endorphins that help your child feel
comforted. In addition, such contact builds stomach and back muscle
strength that is essential as your child learns to crawl.
- Sing and cuddle with your baby. Hold him snuggled in your arms or
lying face up on your lap with his head on your knees. Make sure the head
of a newborn is well-supported. Sing a favorite lullaby.
- Include happy rituals in your baby's schedule. For example, at
bedtime, sing the same songs every night, rock her or rub her tummy.
- Pick up your crying baby promptly. Try to find out what's wrong. Is he
hungry? Wet? Bored? Too hot? Crying is your baby's way of communicating.
By comforting him, you send the message that language has a purpose and
that someone wants to understand him.
- To entertain your baby, sing an action song. For example:
If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands!
If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands!
If you're happy and you know it and you want the world to know it,
If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands!
If you don't know lullabies or rhymes, make up your own!
- Dance with your baby. To soothe her when she's upset, put our baby's
head on your shoulder and hum softly or listen to recorded music as you
glide around the room. To amuse her when she's cheerful, try a bouncy
tune.
Touch and See!
Whenever they are awake, babies are hard at work, trying to learn all
about the world. To help them learn, they need many different things to play
with and inspect. Objects you have around your home offer many
possibilities.
What You Need
- A wooden spoon with a face drawn on the bowl
- Different textured fabrics, such as velvet, cotton, corduroy, terry
cloth, satin, burlap and fake fur
- An empty toilet-paper or paper-towel roll
- Pots, pans and lids
- An old purse or basket with things to put in and take out
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Boxes and plastic containers
- Large spools
- Noisemakers (rattles, keys, a can filled with beans)
What to Do
- Let your baby look at, touch and listen to a variety of objects.
Objects that are brightly colored, have interesting textures and make
noises are particularly good.
- Put one or two of the objects in a play area where your baby can reach
them-more than two may confuse him. (Many of the objects will interest
toddlers and older preschoolers. For example, babies love to inspect a
paper towel roll. But a 4-year-old might use it as a megaphone for talking
or singing, a telescope or a tunnel for a toy car.)
Baby Talk
Babies love hearing the voices of the people in their lives.
What You Need
No materials are required
What to Do
- Talk to your baby often. Answer her coos and gurgles. Repeat the "ga,
ga's" she makes and smile back. Sometimes, you can supply the language for
her. For example, when your baby stretches her arm toward her bottle and
says, "ga-ga-ga," say, "Oh, you're ready for some more milk? Here's your
milk. Isn't it good!"
- Say or read to your child nursery rhymes or other verses that have
strong rhythms and repeated patterns of sound. Vary your tone of voice,
make funny faces and sing lullabies. Play games such as "peek-a-boo" and
"pat-a-cake" with him.
- Play simple talking and touching games with your baby. Ask, "Where's
your nose?" Then touch her nose and say playfully, "There's your nose!" Do
this several times, then switch to an ear or knee or her tummy. Stop when
she or you grows tired of the game.
- Change the game by touching the nose or ear and repeating the word for
it several times. Do this with objects, too. When she hears you name
something over and over again, your child begins to connect the sound with
what it means.
- Point to and name familiar objects. By hearing an object named over
and over, your baby learns to associate the spoken word with its meaning.
For example, "Here's your blanket. Your very favorite blanket. What a
nice, soft blanket!"
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