toddlers – Page 3 – Marisa Meidle's Baby Showers

Learning The Way To Talking Language

Baby talk, also called babbling or twaddling, is what infants utter. They seem to be experimenting by uttering sounds in order to acquire language. They are not yet able to utter recognizable words. The larynx descends during the first year allowing the pharynx to develop with all the sounds that make up the speech. When the infant is 5 to 7 months old, the baby talk begins with the making of noise. Recognizable words begin to be produced when the child is about a year old. The baby repeats syllables which are called reduplicative babbling. The baby babbles with a mix of syllables which is called variegated babbling. Children babble more when they are calm rather than when they are upset or excited. Babbling is also the way babies attempt to prepare themselves with the basic sounds required to speak the language. Even deaf babies babble indicating that babbling is inherent to humans.

From birth to about 4 months the babies coos and gurgles. When the baby is 4 to 6 months old, it starts babbling. This babbling continues to when the baby is a year or so old. Meaningful sound and words starts emerging between the age of 12 and18 months. Between 18 and 24 months the toddlers starts repeating words. Meaningful words begin to form then with the babbling. About 50 words or so is the vocabulary of the baby. But they are able to understand many more words than they are able to utter. Short sentence begin to form. But then they may not be able to use the words correctly. The progression of the baby is from crying to cooing and then progressing to vocal play. Canonical babbling follows which later becomes conversational babbling.

Sign language is also used by babies as a means for effective communication. Babies can be taught sign language to assist them to avoid being frustrated when they are not able to find the right sound to express themselves. Priscilla Dunstan proclaimed that babies everywhere is found to use a set of five words and that each have a specific meaning. She released The Dunstan Baby Language DVD in 2006 which sets out to teach the method to recognize these sounds.

Babbling of babies, when responded to with babbling by adults is beneficial to the development of babies. Integrating this with some normal adult speech will assist the baby in the development of vocabulary. It assists in the cognitive development of the baby. Eventually the baby will achieve the ability to normally speak the local language no mater what.

Child development – fine motor skills

Parents of toddlers have no doubt heard the term ‘fine motor skills’ as it is often bandied about when talk turns to child development and preschool goals. Fine motor skills involve all the small muscles of the body that allow functions such as writing, grasping small objects and fastening clothing. Fine motor skills involve strength, fine motor control and dexterity.

Fine motor skills, are skills that involve a refined use of the small muscles controlling the hand, fingers and thumb. The development of these skills allow a person – at any age – to be able to complete tasks such as writing, drawing and buttoning.

The preschool attainment goals that are expected of children include their ability to hold pencils and markers with a mature grip, the child’s ability to draw recognizable shapes and objects and a child’s capability to cut out shapes while turning the paper as necessary. Fine motor skills are important in most school activities as well as in life in general.

Limitations in fine motor skills can greatly impinge on a child’s ability to eat, write legibly, operate a computer, turn pages in a book and perform personal care tasks such as dressing and grooming.

As children improve their motor skills, they are better able to help themselves by completing daily activities independently. For instance, children between the ages of 2 and 3 are able to put on and take off simple articles of clothing. They are able to ‘operate’ clothing with zippers, use spoons, string together beads with large holes and open doors that have doorknobs. When children are between the ages of 3 and 4, they are able to dress in clothing with larger buttons, use scissors to cut paper and can copy simple lined shapes using a pencil. By the ages of 4 to 5, children are able to dress and undress themselves without assistance. They are also able to manipulate a fork and have increased their dexterity to cut around shapes with a pair of scissors. Finally, by age 6, a child is able to cut soft foods with a knife and can tie his or her shoe laces.

Because all children develop at their own rate, the ages given are not an exact timeline because every child will acquire their fine-motor skills in a different timetable – however there is much you can do to support a toddler’s acquisition of fine motor skills. In fact, the more your preschool child uses his or her fingers in activities that help to strengthen their hand coordination, the sooner they will master dexterity.

Develop fine motor skills by drawing and coloring with your child using markers, pencils, crayons and even pavement chalk. Drawings need not be perfect – scribbling is great fun – and coloring pages of a favourite TV or movie character should encourage even the most reluctant colorer to literally try his or her hand at coloring. At sites like Spongebob Coloring Pages you’ll find the best Spongebob colouring pages while little girls would perhaps enjoy the coloring sheets at Fairy Coloring Pages.

Despite parents’ best efforts however, sometimes children need some assistance when developing their fine motor skills. This requires parents to find diverse strategies in order to assist children with their development. Occupational therapists are the true experts in the field of fine motor and handwriting development, therefore, if you think that there may be an issue with the fine motor development of your child, you should ask for an evaluation by a licensed occupational therapist.

Baby Carriers Through Cultures

Baby slings have been in vogue for ages all over the world. This is a piece of cloth that is used to tie the baby to the body of the one who takes care of the baby. The ring sling is a modification with a cloth sewn to two rings, usually made of aluminum. The head and the arm of the wearer are put through the loop of the cloth. A pocket is formed between the rings where the child is seated. Ring slings can be used to carry an infants as well as toddlers. The pouch slings are similar but without the rings. It is simply a cloth forming a pouch which is sewn into shape. The size of the pouch is adjusted with the use of clips, rings, snaps, buckles, and zippers. The seat for the child is created when the pouch is slipped over the head and shoulder.

Wrap, wraparound slings or wraparound are long fabric that wraps the baby with the wearer securely when tied. The baby or the toddler is comfortably seated on the back, front or the hip according to the convenience of the wearer. Wraps are of two kinds. There is the stretchy and the woven. Jersey or interlock knits are used in the stretchy wrap. The baby can be easily carried in this making it more popular. The woven wrap makes use of woven natural fabric. A number of materials can be used such as wool, linen, silk and hemp though cotton is the most used. They are also attractive in their patterns and colors. A simpler form of wrap is the cloth used to tie the baby to the wearer with the cloth knotted at one end together making a slinging wrap. Almost all cultures have some form of wraps. The Chinese use a cloth almost square shaped with parallel unpadded straps from the corners and they call them mei tai. The Korean podaegi is almost the same except that the fabric is larger and rectangular in shape with a longer strap. Other variations are the parka or amauti of the Inuits, the Japanese onbuhimo, the Chinese bei beis and Hmong carriers.

Another popular baby carrier is the stroller which is like seat on wheels. They come in a variety of models and brands. There are Chicco Trevi Stroller Graco Strollers, Inglesina Strollers, Kolcraft Strollers, Maclaren Strollers, Rock Star baby strollers, Schwinn Strollers and Stokke Strollers.

Baby care also includes baby carriages such as the stroller or the simple baby slings. It keeps the baby at your reach, safe and secure whether one is traveling or at work.

Safety And Care, Baby Carrier With Baby Care

Baby carrier has been designed to carry small child or infants as an on-the-body carrier. They come in different forms as soft front or hip carrier, backpack carrier and slings. These are made from different materials. There is the hip carriers, frame backpack carriers, mei tais, slings and many other forms of soft carriers for carrying older children. 58

The idea of the cradleboard originated from the Native American baby carrier that mothers carried with them for their babies while traveling as well as working. Back straps are attached to the head or shoulder on which are mounted the cradle. Travois or a saddle is used to hang the cradle when traveling. Cushioning effect in the cradleboard is provided by moss, shredded bark or lichens. Flexible twigs such as willow and hazel is used to weave the cradle. Flat pieces of wood too can be used instead. The cradle has a flat surface. The child though is secured tightly to the cradleboard can freely move its head.

Prams or perambulator has been in use for a long time from the Victorian era in the United Kingdom. The modern version has a detachable body called the carrycot. But prams are rarely used these days. They are also costly and bigger than the modern day baby carriers that are available in the market. People prefer the cheaper and comfortable strollers.

Kids up to the age of three can be carried in strollers. It is also known as buggies. They look just like a chair or seat on wheels. There are strollers that can carry two kids. Either the kids are placed side by side or one behind the other. There are also strollers which can accommodate three kids. This is called triple stroller. A harness is used in the stroller to secure the child firmly in the stroller. The child is prevented from falling off. there are many models of strollers in the market. These include the Kolcraft Contours Options Tandem plus stroller, Stoke Xplory stroller, Inglesina Trip Stroller and Chicco C4 Trevi Stroller.

The most important thing to check whether the stroller is wobbling or tipping. Ensure that there are no sharp edges anywhere that can hurt the baby. Plastic covering of the screws prevents the baby from fingering the screws.

Never Better For Babies And Yourself

Traditionally in many cultures, it was common to carry the babies in a cloth in the form of sling. The cloth is knotted and carried in the back or front or slung over the shoulders with the child resting on the hips. The women carried the child for their work as well as during travel. There have been baskets, cradleboards, portable cradles and travois in the past to carry infants. The introduction of structured soft pack in the 1960s once again made slings popular. The frame backpack began to be used to carry toddlers or older babies on the back. Wrap was introduced to carry the babies in Germany. The ring sling became popular in the 1980s. Later in the 1990s the pouch carriers were introduced. The traditional Chinese mei tai was modernized with padding and other features making it popular in recent years.

A variety of baby carriers are available in the market. These include the hip and soft front carriers, baby slings and the backpack carriers. Different materials are used to manufacture them. They have different flexibility. Their decorations, and confinement and support to the baby too differ.

Strollers can be used to transport babies as well as young kids. They look like seat or chair on wheels. A harness holds the baby. This prevents the baby from falling off. The parents are relieved that the child is safe and secure. Strollers have three point harness which goes around the waist and between the legs. This keeps the baby secure to the stroller. There is also the five point harness which is the safest. The harness goes between the legs, over the shoulders and around the waist making it impossible for the child to wiggle out of it. The strollers are provided with hand break or foot break. There are four wheels to keep the stroller steady on the ground. Strollers with different features and models are available in the market. You can get the details, for instance, on Stokke Xplory strollers from Stokke Xplory reviews.

When checking out the stroller, make sure that you check whether the stroller does not wobble or tip or tilt. Sharp edges will injure the child. So make sure this is not there. Strollers should be used with care so that you do not have any accidents.