Learning Begins at Birth: Five Ways to Teach Your Baby

Research shows that by three years old, the learning pathways of a child’s brain are 90% developed. This is why it is so important that from the time a baby is born, parents and caregivers are engaging them in simple activities so they are ready to learn and read even before preschool.

There are so many things you can do with young children to help them enjoy language, books and reading. Remember, you are your child’s first and most important teacher. Here are some easy tips to integrate into your everyday life:

READ: Read a book with your baby and describe the pictures. Play I-Spy with a letter or object while reading a book. Have your child repeat words and sounds and turn the pages while sharing a book. Also, read a book yourself, and show them your love of reading.

SING: Sing the alphabet song. Sing a song while riding in a car together. Recite a nursery rhyme. Sing the same song at bedtime.

3 Easy Steps For A Greener Baby Nursery

A 2012 article by ABC News found 300 chemicals in the air of a newly decorated baby nursery. And today we know that children’s rapidly growing bodies are uniquely susceptible to the potentially harmful effects of these chemicals.

Here are three simple ways to limit chemicals and design a greener nursery for baby:

What’s in a name? More than you think, experts say

As Prince William and wife Catherine mull over names for their royal offspring, they would do well to heed mounting evidence that a name can influence everything from your school grades and career choice to who you marry and where you live.

Someone named Jacqueline or Steven will generally fare better in life than Latrina or Butch, say researchers, who also point to a phenomenon whereby the world’s fastest man is called Bolt, a TV weather forecaster Sarah Blizzard, and the local librarian Mrs Storey.

“Your name can influence the assumptions that other people make about your character and background, and thus the chances you are given in life,” says Richard Wiseman — a case in point, he’s a professor of psychology at the University of Hertfordshire.

“It can also be a sort of self-fulfilling prophecy. If your name sounds intelligent, successful and attractive, you are more likely to act those things.”

A flurry of studies in recent years have examined names as predictors of success.

Could My Baby Have a Speech Issue?

Should your baby be saying more than “goo-goo ga-ga?”

We talked to Jaye Wike, Speech Language Pathologist at Children’s Hospital Colorado, about baby and toddler communication. He shared some key milestones to look for and signs of possible speech issues.

What is the normal age range for children to begin communicating through speech?

• Children often begin using single words at 12 months old.
• By 18 months, children can have 10 to 20 single words in their vocabulary.
• By 24 months, children can have 200 or more single words and will begin to put two-word combinations together.
• Early developing letter sounds that children use between 1 and 2 years of age include p, b, m, t, h and w.

What signs may indicate a child needs help with his or her speech?

Since communication development begins in infancy, there are developmental patterns that occur in the first 12 months that parents should watch for. In the first 3 months infants coo, while babies between 4 to 6 months engage in vocal play and babble sounds.

From 7 months to 1 year, babbling consonant vowel combinations occur, with an increasing variety of consonant sounds. They use intonation, and these sound combinations begin to sound similar to familiar words.

After 12 months of age, signs that may indicate the need for help with speech include no single words between 12 to 15 months or less than 10 to 20 single words by 18 months. Words should include both consonants and vowels. If a 24-month-old child uses less than 50 single words and is not beginning to put two-word combinations together, parents may want to seek advice.

When should parents consult their child’s pediatrician or a speech language pathologist?

Contact your pediatrician if the above signs are not seen, but remember that all children develop at their own pace.

If these skills are not yet emerging, your pediatrician may refer your child for a full evaluation with a speech language pathologist. Along with speech, your child’s understanding and use of language will be screened. For example, at 12 months, your child should be pointing to objects you name, making gestures, and recognizing his or her name. By 18 months to 20 months, your child should also be following simple directions.

Learn more about hearing, speech and learning services at Children’s Colorado.

The New Mom’s Natural Remedy Bible: A Comprehensive Guide to the Most Gentle Homeopathic Remedies for your Newborn

Bringing home a new baby is one of the most special moments in a new mother’s life, but it can also be overwhelming and even a bit scary. Babies certainly don’t come with an instruction manual and the new mom learning curve is a doozy; feeding them, changing them, comforting them, it’s a full-time job. There are plenty of friends, family members and professionals to offer advice when your new baby throws you a curve ball, but having a few natural, go-to remedies up your sleeve could be a great comfort to both baby and mom if and when a hiccup should occur.

– Diaper Rash: During their first months, babies can go through

Mama Drama: Top 10 Parenting Tips (plus 1) for New Moms and Dads

Dear Mama Drama:

My husband and I are the proud parents of a newborn baby boy. We are so excited that he is finally here, but have a lot of uncertainty about how we’ll handle all the day-to-day challenges of parenting.

We would love any tips you have for new parents.

~New Mama

(photo credit)

Dear New Mama:

Congratulations on your new baby! The journey of parenthood is full of questions (many of us are still searching for that owner’s manual we are certain we misplaced at the hospital!) and the answers are often different depending on the child.

My top 10 parenting tips for new moms and dads: