Children need boundaries and rules in order to be
happy. They need schedules in order to
function. Start your new baby on a
feeding schedule of feeding every 4 hours. I have
found this schedule to be the best to help me sleep during the night: 6:00, 10:00, 2:00, 6:00, 10:00 2:00.
As a developmental therapist, I studied that there are
certain times when typical children are developing. Typical children may be a month or two off
when it comes to crawling and walking.
They may be a few weeks off when it comes to rolling over or sitting
up. Physical therapists are now telling
us that babies are kept in “seats” all day by parents or care givers. The best place for your child to develop is the
floor. It is now called, “Tummy
time”. This is very important for your
baby. First of all, they need to
discover the real world from their height.
They can see angles of tables, walls, pictures, windows, furniture etc. They can discover shading and colors. As they begin to roll over, and then crawl
they discover textures and tastes.
A
baby can begin eating rice cereal as early as 4 months old, and then gradually
the caregiver can begin to introduce other bland flavors of ground up fruits
and vegetables. Around the time that the
baby turns one, they will have several teeth and may begin to add textures and
small bites. From 10 months to 14 months a typical child begins to walk. Soon after, their language begins. It is important for caregivers/parents to
provide a rich vocabulary at this time for their child.