SOURCE OF WONDER:
The successful transition of a fetus, which is immersed in amniotic fluid and totally dependent on the placenta for nutrition and oxygen, to a CRYING, AIR BREATHING BABY is indeed a source of wonder. Healthy newborns , (birth to 1 month) and infants (1 month to 1 year), need good care to ensure their normal development and continued health. Well speaking of care, Do you know why parents are encouraged to hold their baby right after birth? Well.. some experts believes that early physical contact with newborn helps establish bonding also within the first thirty minutes after delivery it is important to breastfeed the baby because breastfeeding stimulates oxytocin, a hormone that helps the mother’s womb to heal and promotes development of the milk supply and that is totally exquisite!
MILESTONES:
Taking first step, smiling for the first time and waving “bye-bye” are development milestones. Although most healthy infants and toddlers reach each milestone within a specific window of time and there is much variation in how wide that window may be. For example: culture, environment, socioeconomic status, and genetic factors can influence when an infant or toddler will begin to crawl, walk, or talk. During the brain development means, learning process of memory, language, thinking and reasoning, your little ones are also developing bonds of love and trust with you and others. So keep in mind that the way you cuddle, hold and play with these tots, will set the basis for how they will interact and behave in future. So here let me drop some positive parenting tips:
- Build connection to gain cooperation
- Be firm but loving
- Avoid shaming
- Use positive reinforcement
- Give them more of physical affection.
NUTRITIONAL BALANCE:
About the first six months of life, breast milk meets all the baby’s basic needs. But in between 6 to 12 months, baby learns about new tastes and textures so its high time, shift your baby towards solids like fruits, vegetables, grains and meat alternatives to fulfill the basic needs of fiber, vitamins and minerals. Here you need to be mindful of what you choose. Encourage them to try new adaptation and watch closely and patiently without forcing. Don’t forget, your miniatures are not only “small adults” but individual with unique personalities and distinct needs.
THE DRAMATIC STAGE:
Between one and three years, physical growth decreases as children learn to develop motor and communication skills. Imitation continues to be a major factor in normal growth, often taking the form of a house or school play or pretending to be princesses or great heroes (well its more of fun than challenge). As we know, these itsy-bitsies are energetic, motivated, and seemingly limitless!! They begin to develop critical thinking and learning skills. Emotional communication from hugging and kissing freely to crying and anger. You know, our fun-sizes understand the feelings of guilt, pride, and shame and express them at appropriate times and like to believe that they are the center of the universe. They understand the concept of ownership but may not want to share or exchange. By age three, most toddlers have progressed beyond the “terrible twos” to become friendlier and more cooperative. All their activities combined with an inherent curiosity which makes toddlers prone to wandering, unapologetically and hey! That’s a good sign.
SIMPLY, AVOID! :
- Shaking your baby: Babies have weak muscles, it can damage their brain!!
- Letting them play with small toys: they are easy to swallow and can cause choking!!
- Keeping baby in strollers, swings, bouncers and walkers: as they delay the muscle growth and can even interrupt natural growth process.
LAST BUT NOT THE LEAST:
As our HCP TABIBA MISBAH AHMED stated, being a mother is a “full time job”. Go steady and be easy, physically, mentally and emotionally. Parenting is indeed a hard work so it would be easier to enjoy your baby when you are good yourself.
REFERENCES:
www.verywellfamily.com , www.mother.ly , www.makeuseof.com , www.dadabhagwan.org , www.healthline.com , www.afaa.org , www.myclevelandclinic.org , www.google.com
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