Search Results for: blog your childs developmental milestones a guide for parents

Rights of Passage for a Single Parent Family

When you look back over your years as a single parent and when you map the history of your family, chances are it will be those rights of passage that you remember—the firsts, the graduations, the shifts and changes that mark the major and important elements of family life. Many of us have been trained by media and others to think of those rights of passage in terms of the mythological “traditional” family and may be so busy that we do not take the time to create and celebrate the rights of passage within our own single parent families. Those … Continue reading →

Parents Don’t Know What They’re Doing

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You’ll have to forgive my tongue and cheek title, but a recent study has discovered that 1 out of every 3 parents has little or very poor knowledge of their baby’s development and researchers believe that this is hurting parent/child relationships. The questionnaire asked parents questions about child development, what babies should and shouldn’t be able to do at various ages and whether or not they should help their babies achieve these milestones or whether they happen on their own. They coupled the survey with observation of various family units and watched parents teach their child a new skill. They … Continue reading →

Developmental Milestones and When You Should Worry

Although we have a very extensive collection of articles already in the baby blog regarding infant development from newborns to 24 months, I still find that parents need reassurance regarding their child’s development. So what should you do when your child misses a milestone marker? Trust Your Instincts I have said it before, and I’ll keep saying it over and over and over again. Moms–we are born with good maternal instincts. Use them. If something seems off to you, go get it checked out. True, it’s probably nothing. If junior isn’t talking, he probably has a quite personality or if … Continue reading →

Your Baby the Liar

Are you shocked that I would write such a thing about your sweet and innocent baby? Don’t forget that I’m writing about my own sweet and innocent little babies too. But in reality, babies are not that ‘innocent.’ Think about it. Have you ever heard your baby screaming as if the world were coming to an imminent end only to discover that in reality, he just wanted to be held? In fact, babies cry all the time when all they really want is attention or to be held. Of course, we also have the expression crocodile tears. While younger babies … Continue reading →

A Quick Guide to Your Baby’s Teeth

Maybe it’s just me but I knew all sorts of things about my baby’s development. I knew when it was normal to hit all sorts of milestones from the first smile to jumping up and down! But I didn’t really know a lot about dental development in infants. It seems to be somewhat of a forgotten subject. I knew to brush the gums once a day. I knew to brush teeth after meals but when it came to knowing things about the normal eruption of teeth or how many teeth a toddler should have–I drew a blank. So in case … Continue reading →

Developmental Vs. Chronological Age

One thing parents should keep in mind is that a child’s developmental age may not be the same as his/her chronological age. This may happen more often with children who are adopted as they may have lacked the stimulation to reach developmental milestones, psychological stages of development may be interrupted by a move, or the child may be busy adjusting to a new environment, schedule and parents rather than using that energy to progress in development. It is even psychologically healthy, adoption counselors say, for children to repeat some of the stages of development with their new parents. For example, … Continue reading →

What is Childhood Disintegrative Disorder?

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Imagine that your child had a normal birth, seemed to be a healthy infant, and passed all his normal developmental milestones until age two. Even from the age of two to four, he was a cheerful toddler and child, smiling, developing language, and using the toilet. Then, gradually, he started to deteriorate. He began losing interest in other people socially, and his use of language seemed to regress. He started soiling himself, and developed curious motor behaviors, like hand-flapping. Little by little, what was once a normal child now appears to be autistic in nature. This is the agonizing reality … Continue reading →

Early Intervention: Give Your Child a Head Start!

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What is early intervention and why is it so important? I like to use analogies, so imagine that you are about to enter a bicycle race. At the starting line, you discover that your bike has a few problems. Some of the gears aren’t functioning properly, and one of your wheels isn’t correctly aligned. You can’t get a new bike, so you are given permission to start the race early. Along the way, you’ll be able to stop at various checkpoints where mechanics will assess how your bike is holding up. This is the principle of early intervention for children … Continue reading →

Cerebral Palsy: A Brief Overview

What is Cerebral Palsy (CP)? “Cerebral” refers to the brain, and “palsy” means muscle paralysis. In combination, they refer to a group of conditions where an individual’s ability to move is affected. A person with cerebral palsy may have muscle rigidity or muscle weakness, either of which could cause difficulty with walking, speaking, and fine motor skills such as writing. Individuals with CP often require a walker or wheelchair to get around. Sometimes mental retardation accompanies Cerebral Palsy. Approximately 2 to 3 children out of 1,000 have this condition. It is important to note that CP is not progressive. Although … Continue reading →