Speech has its beginnings in the cooing and gurgling of the baby from the third month onwards. He vocalises more and more and makes all sorts of noises which mean nothing and yet his speech is developings all the time. By six months he is constantly babbling and one can discern some semblance to sounds… [ Continue Reading ]
Baby Milestones ยป
No two babies are totally alike. Perhaps not even twins! There are significant milestones to look forward to: from when the baby might grasp, talk, crawl, walk and all the way to when she will start reading independently. And much, much more. Here are some guidelines around when to expect what. And when not to worry…
Crawling, Standing and Walking
By eight to nine months, the baby has more control over his legs and back and begins to creep or crawl. Some babies move around very fast on their buttocks, pushing themselves with their legs, so to speak. Others crawl on all fours and can go all over the house. This, of course, plays havoc… [ Continue Reading ]
Toilet Training
Often, the grandmother picks up a one-week-old baby, holds him over a pot and makes hissing noises, quite convinced that the baby can be trained to pass urine in the pot! She is convinced that when she brought up her little babies, she never had wet napkins. There is no need to hustle these things… [ Continue Reading ]
Head Control
The newborn cannot control his head at all, and you have to support his head with your hand or elbow while carrying him. By four to six weeks, his control over his head matures gradually till he is three to four months old and can hold his head up by himself. If he is lying… [ Continue Reading ]
Delayed Walking
Some babies are walking by their first birthday, others do not walk till one and a half years. These are normal variations. As long as the child is crawling about vigorously, he cannot have any weakness in his legs so there is nothing to worry about. However, if he has been slow in sitting and… [ Continue Reading ]
Baby learns to sit up
The day your child sits up, he has achieved something big. His horizon becomes larger and this too is not achieved in a day. You prop him up with pillows and cushions, but he is not ready for it yet. Remember, you cannot hasten his development. You will have to wait till the particular part… [ Continue Reading ]
Holding Objects
Newborn babies have a grasp reflex. As soon as anything is put into the palm say your finger, the baby takes a firm grip of it. Gradually, at around three to four months, the baby can hold objects. He will put out his hand and try to hold the object. His coordination is poor initially,… [ Continue Reading ]
Delayed Speech
Many parents get worried if their child is not speaking by one and a half years and because the neighbour’s kid was speaking at that age. It is important to recall by which time the baby attained the other milestones like sitting, crawling, standing, playing with toys, etc. If all these have been achieved at… [ Continue Reading ]
Rolling Over
Once the baby has control over his head, he tries to roll over, first from his stomach to his back and later from his back to his stomach. All this maneuvering does not happen in a day; he keeps trying and struggling till he achieves it one day. Now he is more mobile, and you… [ Continue Reading ]
