MONTH 11
Please
keep in mind that all babies are unique. Whether your
baby reaches milestones early or late, she has her
own developmental path to follow. The dividing lines
between these months are very fuzzy. If you have any
concerns or questions about your baby’s development,
please check with her health care provider.
Sharing??
Maybe
this scenario is familiar... you are at your child’s
weekly playgroup, watching your child play alongside
another child of about the same age. Your child is
playing with a particular toy that the other child
is eyeing. Inevitably, the other child reaches for
it, grabbing on tight and pulling away. Your child
lets out an angry squeal and looks to you for help.
You and the other parent jump in. One of you offers,
"Let’s try to share."
These
children are still what developmental experts refer
to as "egocentric." The children honestly believe
that the world revolves around them and are incapable
of taking another perspective. So, unfortunately,
their diplomatic skills have not been honed -- they
do not understand how to share.
That
doesn’t mean that it is a waste of time for you to
explain to your child that she’ll have to wait to
use a toy or tell her why it is not okay to take a
toy from another child. It is through experience and
their interactions with others that children learn.
Right now, it is their job to pursue their interests
-- explore the world. And this is accomplished through
play.
Parallel Play
The
first way your baby played, before she became the
mobile wonder that is now, is through her observations
of others. This happened every time you propped her
in a bouncy seat in front of another person (including
you). Even though she was not playing directly with
the other children or playing with the toys in the
same manner, she was actively participating though
her observations.
Soon
after children learn to sit and become more adept
with their fingers, they engage in the next kind of
play known as parallel play. An example of this type
of play is the scenario described above. Even though
they are not playing with each other, sitting side
by side, they study each other’s interactions with
toys, verbalize (to themselves) and learn from each
other’s ideas.
Similar
to the scene described above, if a girl is playing
with a truck, chances are another child will want
to play with the same truck. The trick is for parents
to learn the delicate balance between supporting their
play and preventing the oh-so-common altercations
over a toy. One way is to make sure when you are hosting
playgroups that you have more than one of particular
types of toys, such as trucks, balls and puzzles,
available.
It
is important not to rush your child through this type
of play. Children naturally move out of parallel play
with the foundation for successful cooperative play
and the ability to begin understanding the concept
of sharing and negotiating.
Almost Walking and Shoes?
Every
parent gives a sigh of relief when they see their
kid make those first monumental steps. There is a
range of ages for when children start to walk. Some
start as early as 10 months (we feel for parents of
these kids) while others aren’t ready until closer
to 16 or 17 months. Whatever the age, you have probably
been given advice on how to support children making
their first steps including whether or not they should
wear shoes.
Generally,
the consensus among the experts is to either put them
in shoes when they are cruising along furniture or
soon after they start walking. Try to find shoes that
are soft-soled and flexible so that the child’s foot
can still grip to keep from slipping. If you can,
keep your child barefoot, weather and terrain permitting,
as long as possible to help strengthen foot, ankle
and leg muscles as well as provide the best surface
for gripping when trying to walk. Most parents buy
shoes a little earlier than needed -- it is hard to
resist. But keep in mind, children’s feet can grow
a size up in as little as six weeks.
Sorting, Stacking, Classifying
If
you have ever left a new pile of laundry in a basket
in front of baby, you may have found one of the age
old tricks for entertaining baby. At this age, they
are fascinated by removing objects, comparing sizes
and shapes, putting objects back where they found
them (okay . . . maybe not yet) and sorting out different
kinds of objects.
If
you don’t want to use the family laundry basket for
this activity, you can purchase stacking and sorting
toys to quench this interest. You may even get a few
treasured moments to sip your coffee while baby quietly
plays and figures out which hole the square block
fits in easily.
Chickenpox Vaccine or Not?
At
next months exam, your child is up to bat for the
chicken pox vaccine. This relatively new vaccine offers
protection from the childhood ailment that many of
us remember. We even have a few scars to remind us
of the experience. But then again, the question amongst
parents is if it is better to get this disease and
build up the natural immunity? This is a complicated
subject and a personal decision that you need to discuss
with your child’s healthcare provider.
Always Time for a Good Book
Even
very active babies enjoy some down time by sitting
in mommy’s or daddy’s lap and reading a good book.
Their way of reading may include turning the pages,
pointing to objects, participating by lifting flaps
or sticking little fingers through holes, or the occasional
munch on the corner of the book.
Just
because her whole interaction with reading the book
may last only seconds, doesn’t mean she isn’t benefiting
from the experience. That is about the length of her
attention span right now. Continue reading to her
and you may discover as she gets older she’ll sit
for longer periods.
She
is probably developing favorites written about things
that interest her -- and you are probably reading
the same ones over and over. When she points to a
word or stops at a page, say the words slowly. She
will probably not repeat these words but that doesn’t
mean they are not being absorbed. With the consistent
experiences of reading books with loving parents and
childcare providers, not only will reading help her
cognitive skills, including language acquisition,
but she’ll regard reading in itself as a pleasurable
pastime.
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