Many child development experts describe play as a way that children learn how object work and how to problem solve and how to understand how people think, feel and act. Play is a form of practicing real life. Through play, children build a lot of important skills, including communication, creativity, imagination, critical thinking, and social...
Your 13 month old is likely still engaging in sensory play, the first stage of play. From birth through approximately 15 months, babies play and explore by using their senses. They learn about the world by what they taste, smell, feel, hear and touch. Play during this stage of development involves mouthing objects, banging them...
Your young toddler is understanding more than you think. Their ability to understand, or their “receptive” communication is actually very developed at this point and will only get better. She is even picking up on your non-verbal communication and subtle cues. She still has a very limited vocabulary and is only able to articulate a...
Welcome to the toddler years! The years when you spend your entire day just trying to keep your toddler safe as he explores his world that he now has some control over. At this age, children are craving independence and determined to prove that they can do everything themselves. It becomes our job to provide...
As your baby becomes more interactive, remember to respond to her attempts to communicate with you. This builds a healthy attachment and provides her with a strong foundation in her emotional development. Here are a few suggestions to help her confidence and self-esteem. 1. Talk to your baby throughout the day, including her in what...
Written by: Dr. Devyani Chowdhury Board Certified Pediatrician and Board Certified Pediatric Cardiologist Congenital heart defects are defects in the development of the heart. These defects are as common as 8 children born with a defect per 1,000 live births. Approximately 1% of children may be born with congenital defects in the heart; half of...
Reading, singing and talking to your baby all day long are great ways to expand his vocabulary. Here are a few specific tips to try: Be silly. Pretend to put him in the tub without taking his clothes off first, try to put his shoe on his hand instead of his foot, or hand him...
Talk to her while you run errands, shop, drive, ride the bus, go for a walk. Narrate what you are doing and explain what you see. Ask her questions and engage her. Point out colors, shapes, animals, objects, and people. Don’t worry about what people think about you talking to a tiny baby. Know that...
Some studies suggest that babies understand the pause and flow of a conversation as early as three weeks. Pay close attention to your baby when you are having a conversation with someone. Does she look from you to the other person when you pause, anticipating the other person to talk next? When you talk...
A recent study out of Amsterdam (UvA) tells us that parents’ level of sensitivity and the degree to which the parent is attuned to the baby’s thoughts and feelings plays a huge roll in infant-parent attachment. “Children who feel securely attached are, among other things, better at regulating their emotions, have higher self-esteem, and exhibit...
