Stimulating Your Baby’s Motor Skills

Do you ever worry that you aren’t stimulating your baby enough? Do you ever grow concerned that the stimulation you are providing is too much? The truth is that stimulating your baby is a natural part of your daily interactions with them. Your baby is going to communicate when they are over stimulated by becoming cranky and through crying. In the meanwhile, among the many ways you stimulate your baby’s large motor skills include: Helping them to stand on your lap Bouncing them either in a sitting or a standing position Prop them upright on pillows to simulate sitting Encourage … Continue reading

The Baby Week in Review, October 15-21

Sunday, October 15 In Your Baby’s First Hours of Life Valorie discussed what will happen to your little one while you are recovering from the labor and delivery. In Baby, Baby – Look at Me, too! We talked about the fact that being a parent is one of the hardest jobs you’re ever going to do. In Sour Milk? Valorie discussed that breast milk can go sour too. In Why is My Toddler Afraid of Dogs?, we looked at the reasons why toddlers may be afraid of dogs and other pets and how you help them overcome the fear, but … Continue reading

Do you hear what I hear? The Sense of Sound

Like their sense of sight, your toddler has been listening to the world for a long time. In fact, of all their senses – they’ve been listening to the world around them since they were inside the womb. Your baby recognizes your scent and the sound of your voice before anything else. Their hearing is constantly bombarded by the sounds of the world around them. It takes time for your toddler to learn how to shut out the other sounds and filter them. You can help your toddler expand their auditory skills by teaching them to ‘listen’ to specific sounds. … Continue reading

The Sense of Taste

As we discussed earlier in Your Toddler’s Sense of Smell, taste is somewhat less than refined when your baby is born. Their taste buds are still developing and they are resistant to changes – even those of the sweet kind until they are ready. You’ll notice a reticence in tasting some foods when their sense of smell begins expanding and the same can be said for their sense of taste. Toddlers are, by their very nature, finicky. One good rule of thumb to get into where eating and new tastes are concerned is to let them sample flavors. Never fix … Continue reading

Your Toddler’s Sense of Smell

Your toddler’s nose is nowhere near as discerning as yours is. It’s important to remember that our senses are heightened after pregnancy. The scent of a dirty diaper is pretty powerful to us, but not so much to our kids. Our body odor doesn’t offend them either – that’s why they’ll snuggle up to you even when you haven’t had a chance to shower all day and you may think you stink, but your child doesn’t notice. This lack of acuity and sensitivity in their sense of smell is part of the reason why your toddler cannot distinguish between safe … Continue reading

The Sense of Sight – Looking at the World Through Rose-Colored Glasses

The sight may seem to be the easiest of the senses to promote for your little one and the truth is – it is the easiest. After all, you just have to hold things up for them right? The answer to that is yes and no. You see, your toddler doesn’t have your ability to filter out all the background sights to focus on individual objects without some effort. The world is a kaleidoscope of images, colors, shapes and sizes. You can play games like peek-a-boo to sharpen their acuity for focusing on specific objects. After all, when you are … Continue reading