Baby Corner

[chnst 6]

I don't understand the whole 'training baby' thing but I also don't care about a whole lot about what scientists say (especially if you don't have the time to link that study here, too). I have two kids, one sat at five months, stood at seven month, crawled at eight months and walked at one year. The other one didn't sit until eight months, never really pulled up, crawled at eleven months and walked at one year. Tadaaa..both without training. When they send their resume to Harvard...nobody will care how old they were when they crawled or sung their ABCs.

LOL

RLogan: the "walking" your baby is doing at 1 month old- it's a reflex. Every baby can do that. I am curious about your "scientist" sources, to me it's just a very sick business trick - selling all that "womb education stuff", my baby can read infant yoga etc. I would be very concerned about a babys' spinal development if too much weight is being placed on their bodies by making them walk. It's just not natural for a 1 month old to walk on mommies hand and it doesn't make him a genius. Ben sung the ABCs at 18 months after he wanted us to sing it to him 1000 times, not the other way around.

Give your baby some time to be a baby, he will reach all the milestones at the appropriate time.

[Ban Hammer 13,508]

ran across this just now, thought some might find it worth a read:

What NOT to Feed Your Baby

A common question asked by new mothers is what types of foods to offer and what types of foods to avoid when it comes to introducing their babies to solids. The recommended age for weaning a baby off of a breast milk or formula-only regimen is 4-6 months old, according to the American Academy of Pediatric. After that time, you should gradually introduce new foods to their system. When you do decide to take that step and introduce new foods to your baby, here are some tips about what foods to avoid until your baby’s first birthday:

Honey

Honey can harbor poisonous botulism spores. While an adult’s intestinal tract is strong enough to prevent the growth of these spores, a baby’s system is not. This can produce life-threatening, poisoning toxins.

Peanut Butter

The sticky and thick consistency of peanut butter can make it hard for an infant to swallow. Hold off on introducing peanut butter and other thick buttery spreads to your child.

Cow's Milk

It’s best to stick with breast milk until your child is a year old because babies cannot properly digest the protein in cow’s milk. Additionally, cow’s milk does not contain as many necessary nutrient as breast milk and it contains minerals that could damage his developing kidneys.

Some Other Foods to Avoid

Salt (baby’s kidneys are not strong enough), low-fat foods (not recommended for kids under 2), undiluted citrus and fruit juices, raw eggs, artificial sweeteners, hot dogs and sausages that are high in fat, foods with added spices and seasonings.

Choking Hazards

Pea-sized foods are the safest to feed your child because there is less choking hazard. So, it is best to cut or dice everything you serve your baby, from fruits and vegetables to cheese and meats. Small, hard foods like nuts, popcorn, hard candies, raisins should be avoided as your baby could choke on them. Even soft foods like marshmallows and jelly candies can get stuck in your baby’s throat.

Allergies

Doctors recommend waiting until the age of 1 or later to introduce solid foods that are common allergens, such as foods containing nuts. It’s best to introduce new foods gradually, waiting several days to make sure your baby does not have a bad reaction to the meal. If allergies run in your family, check with your doctor to come up with the best plan for introducing foods like cow’s milk, nuts, wheat, soy, fish and eggs.

Precautions

Do not allow your baby to eat in the car. It is difficult to supervise while driving and there are choking hazards if the ride becomes bumpy. If you are using a rub-on teething medication, make sure to keep an eye on your baby’s eating habits because the medication could numb his or her throat and make it hard to swallow.

So, What CAN I Feed my Baby?

Within the first few weeks of weaning, it’s safest to feed babies pureed foods, like pureed carrots, potatoes, sweet potatoes, cooked apply, banana and pear. Packaged baby foods often contain a lot of sugar, so it’s actually healthiest to puree your own baby’s food so that you know exactly what’s in his or her meals.

link

[rlogan 2,036]

A last note before I bow out here. My wife does not like what happens with the cultural conditioning - all the negativity that invariably crops up with early infant learning. Don't take it as "our baby is better than yours". It is "look at what you can do for your child" - like learning to read as an infant instead of at six or seven years old.

Just a few minutes showing friends of ours or people who have stopped us to ask how to do it has made them very, very grateful.

I don't think I explained the motivation behind earlier walking. So for the interested, the science literature speaks of an amazing phenomenon called The Dawn of Active Thought. It is a period of explosive cognitive growth associated with locomotion. When babies learn to self-locomote, (it can be with assistance like holding their hands for balance), then they learn spatial geography, they start categorizing objects, their names, associations, etc. They don't learn this from being carried around, just like you don't remember how to drive someplace being a passenger not paying attention to what is going on. But driving it yourself you remember.

Most of all, you engage their natural curiosity and once that gets going there is no stopping them. They start using logic and what the papers call "decisionmaking under risk".

That is what happened with our boy. The most distinctive impression people get is how advanced he is mentally. Insofar as the comment about not making a difference later in life:. Here is the record of the pilot baby that had the program most closely associated with ours (we have an innovation nobody has tried yet): Walking independently 7.5 months. Three word sentences 11 months. Playing hockey 14 months. Riding bike at 3. Reading and writing at 4 years old. He's an MD/PhD at Harvard University now. They have done ten-year follow-up studies on the entire group from one of the experiments, and it is a life-long advantage although clearly this advantage depends on whether the parents continue to work on it or whether they do nothing with their child after infancy.

Dr. Phil Zelazo at McGill Institute and Dr. Karen Adolph at New York University are the two that we learned the most from in our program. We have about 20 papers on walking, swimming, obstacle-type experiments, etc. Dr. Adolph did a lot on cross-cultural comparisons proving that in societies where crawling and walking are taught (duh) they crawl and walk far earlier. The early reading has broken into the mainstream now with "my baby can read". If it goes on television, then Joe six pack believes it. If it is merely in a science journal, Joe six pack thinks its stupid.

Obviously, I can't quote science papers based on experiments with hundreds of babies over decades to someone preferring their babysitting experience. But for those interested, maybe the quickest and easiest-to-read paper is Karen Adolph's paper Locomotor Development. Google that. Phil has numerous papers on teaching walking but the first was "Walking in the Newborn" published in science magazine in 1972.

Yes, we know about the "stepping reflex". The entire point is turning the stepping reflex into walking. What we are saying is that every baby can do it. Nothing special about ours at all. An average kid. He's just blowing his cohorts out of the water mentally and physically because we are teaching him.

We understand the negativity. Not a problem. Cultural conditioning. Fear and loathing. Space aliens.

Cheers.

[Eveline 9]

I know it's cold in Alaska and the winters are long and dark. I also know that you are some kind of professor yourself so I'm sure you only want your child to live up to your expectation. As far as I saw your child was in walking wings at what...8 weeks? I don't get it. Why not let your kid learn to walk when he is ready? Why push him? Why teach your child words it only memorizes but at six years still won't know how to pronounce an A or B or C? It's awesome that he can read words like 'diphenhydramine" but it still won't teach him how to say "R" or "Y" for that matter. I'm sure you'll eventually homeschool or something and enroll him in all other kinds of activities to fill out his day. A child needs to be a child, needs to be a child. Don't forget to let him play in dirt, fingerpaint and smear egg all over his hair.

[Jenn! 918]

The early reading has broken into the mainstream now with "my baby can read". If it goes on television, then Joe six pack believes it. If it is merely in a science journal, Joe six pack thinks its stupid.

Odds are that if Joe Six Pack is as you've described, that Joe Six Pack will have a little Joey Six Pack, regardless of whether he purchases My Baby Can Read. Joe Six Pack will probably not be doing the things that will help Joey excel beyond mediocrity. Focusing on little Joey's education and learning throughout his whole childhood will improve little Joey's potential, not sitting the baby in front of some DVD's when he's an infant. A parent who wants their baby to read is more likely to provide the necessary tools for success on an ongoing basis. In other words, I think you've got too many confounding variables to make valid conclusions from these types of studies.

[Autumnchik 6]

Interesting debate going on here .... I'm too exhausted to offer up an opinion right now, but have enjoyed the posts.

Declan has been sick since Sunday .. first vomiting, now diarrhea, moaning and whimpering, all with a high fever. He hasn't been sleeping, needless to say, netiher have I. It is absolutely miserable to watch him in so much pain and not be able to take it away. We ended up in the ER last night because his temp spiked to 104.2 underarm (and his doc says to add a degree when you take it that way, so really 105.2). He was also refusing to drink anything and had no wet diapers for hours. The doc said it is viral gastroenteritis, so basically he has a stomach bug. Tylenol and Motrin interspersed for the fever, keep liquids in him and that is about all we can do. I hate this.

[chnst 6]

autum: aww I hope he feels better soon! hang in there!

RLogan: it has nothing to do with fear or loathing, I just don't see WHY parents should condition and train their children like that. I believe that this may indeed be a way to raise a brain surgeon or a Harvard professor, but I'm sure the majority of elite school students had somewhat normal childhoods. To me it sounds like there's an awful lot of pressure and expectation put on a child (or even a FETUS). Your kid walked at 7 months, my kid walked at 15 months. It doesn't say anything about the kind of person they will be in adult life. What exactly are you doing to your child when you make him memorize words and exercise walking before his peers? At any chance you will raise a kid with insecurities who will feel like he never fits in.

My husbands cousin was born as one of those people with an extremely high IQ. She was always ahead of her peers intellectually but emotionally never had friends, could never connect with anyone her age and ended up killing herself shortly after going off to college.

[Anna C. 4]

@ Autumn: I hope Declan feels better soon! Those bugs are nasty, but usually don't last too long luckily.

Hmm most children's psychologists will agree that pushing will do more harm than good... And as for riding a bike at three, my husband could do that without those third wheels without anyone teaching him. I could read, write and do elementary school math at age 4 cause my sister taught me and we both thought it was fun, and I don't think I'm especially intelligent. However I wanted to learn it, there's a huge difference when parents push their kids. And I agree about pushing to crawl and walk, I would be seriously concerned about baby's spinal development - pushing too early can really harm baby's back. Oh well.

Edited July 20, 2010 by Anna C.

[Gemmie 142]

My husband didn't speak until he was three years old and was given speech therapy. And now he's the smartest person I know.

I agree with the concept that milestones should be reached when the child is ready and able to do them, and not before. I think parents are under pressure nowadays to have their child reach these ASAP. I'm told at least four times a week about how my baby nephew has five teeth and can walk (he's 10 months). I drew the line when my SIL told me that he says "I want my daddy".

[Eveline 9]

My husband didn't speak until he was three years old and was given speech therapy. And now he's the smartest person I know.

I agree with the concept that milestones should be reached when the child is ready and able to do them, and not before. I think parents are under pressure nowadays to have their child reach these ASAP. I'm told at least four times a week about how my baby nephew has five teeth and can walk (he's 10 months). I drew the line when my SIL told me that he says "I want my daddy".

. My daughter actually spoke very early, probably at ten or eleven months. but all she said was "banana" or "cat" etc. Now she's almost two and she actually speaks in sentences. She can say all kind of things like "Mama...Adi (Adam) want a milch too" or "Kittykitty is Hunger". She throws both languages in there and mixes them happily.

Adam (my firstborn, now 3.5 years old) didn't really talk until well after his second birhtday. He's still - in my opinion - a little behind his friends when it comes to talking but he's getting there. He's not overly interested in numbers and letters but he knows all kinds of dinosaurs by name (he can say "Archyopteryx" but not "bike" in German LOL). It's just his thing...he's also interested in birds and digging in the dirt hehe. I guess numbers and letters will come into the game whenever he's ready.

[Vi Mazzella 4]

Declan@ baby, feel better soon

[chnst 6]

speaking of milestones: I need to take a moment to brag here ladies (and gentlemen) Ben is finally sleeping through the night after 27 months of insomnia! Yeaahhhh! The last 2 weeks he slept between 8-12 hours every single night with his eyes closed, and without waking up. Now that his mommy gets some rest we are focusing on potty training. We had some really nasty poop accidents in his swimshorts and underwear (he is now refusing to do #2 on the potty) but funny he knows when he has to pee in the pool - he gets out, pulls his swimshorts down and runs for the woods, because that's what Daddy does.

[Saddle Bronc 124]

ran across this just now, thought some might find it worth a read:

What NOT to Feed Your Baby

A common question asked by new mothers is what types of foods to offer and what types of foods to avoid when it comes to introducing their babies to solids. The recommended age for weaning a baby off of a breast milk or formula-only regimen is 4-6 months old, according to the American Academy of Pediatric. After that time, you should gradually introduce new foods to their system. When you do decide to take that step and introduce new foods to your baby, here are some tips about what foods to avoid until your baby’s first birthday:

Honey

Honey can harbor poisonous botulism spores. While an adult’s intestinal tract is strong enough to prevent the growth of these spores, a baby’s system is not. This can produce life-threatening, poisoning toxins.

Peanut Butter

The sticky and thick consistency of peanut butter can make it hard for an infant to swallow. Hold off on introducing peanut butter and other thick buttery spreads to your child.

Cow's Milk

It’s best to stick with breast milk until your child is a year old because babies cannot properly digest the protein in cow’s milk. Additionally, cow’s milk does not contain as many necessary nutrient as breast milk and it contains minerals that could damage his developing kidneys.

Some Other Foods to Avoid

Salt (baby’s kidneys are not strong enough), low-fat foods (not recommended for kids under 2), undiluted citrus and fruit juices, raw eggs, artificial sweeteners, hot dogs and sausages that are high in fat, foods with added spices and seasonings.

Choking Hazards

Pea-sized foods are the safest to feed your child because there is less choking hazard. So, it is best to cut or dice everything you serve your baby, from fruits and vegetables to cheese and meats. Small, hard foods like nuts, popcorn, hard candies, raisins should be avoided as your baby could choke on them. Even soft foods like marshmallows and jelly candies can get stuck in your baby’s throat.

Allergies

Doctors recommend waiting until the age of 1 or later to introduce solid foods that are common allergens, such as foods containing nuts. It’s best to introduce new foods gradually, waiting several days to make sure your baby does not have a bad reaction to the meal. If allergies run in your family, check with your doctor to come up with the best plan for introducing foods like cow’s milk, nuts, wheat, soy, fish and eggs.

Precautions

Do not allow your baby to eat in the car. It is difficult to supervise while driving and there are choking hazards if the ride becomes bumpy. If you are using a rub-on teething medication, make sure to keep an eye on your baby’s eating habits because the medication could numb his or her throat and make it hard to swallow.

So, What CAN I Feed my Baby?

Within the first few weeks of weaning, it’s safest to feed babies pureed foods, like pureed carrots, potatoes, sweet potatoes, cooked apply, banana and pear. Packaged baby foods often contain a lot of sugar, so it’s actually healthiest to puree your own baby’s food so that you know exactly what’s in his or her meals.

link

Raw eggs are basically unsuitable (on-the-whole, especially nutritionally--taking them inhibits absorption of biotin, not true of cooked eggs) for any human consumption

[Ban Hammer 13,508]

Raw eggs are basically unsuitable (on-the-whole, especially nutritionally--taking them inhibits absorption of biotin, not true of cooked eggs) for any human consumption

good, that means baby boy will stay outta my egg nog during the winter.

[Vi Mazzella 4]

Chnst@ that's great news!!!! you must be so happy , please tell me what did you do? Sofia is 16 motnhs and still waking up 2 during thr night (i still bf)