I guess after spending approximately half the semester in my Human Development (psychology) class, I know quite a lot about the development and how to deal with babies and toddlers. Add to this, my professor is one funny woman who would imitate children in front of the class. Strange, but it only makes the class that tiny bit more interesting.
There has already been a lot of lessons that I have learned from this class. From the meaning of babies’ cries and yells to what their behavior means and parents have dealt with them mistakenly. The first thing that my professor mentioned in the beginning of the semester is that children do not become the way they are because of themselves, but because of the parents. Also, children can not develop “wrongfully” because of themselves, but of course, because of the parents.
So now everytime I see a kid with their parent(s), I examine their behavior and relationship. From that little girl who would yell and kick around in the department store because she did not get a pair of new shoes, to the babies who would cry to no end, only trying to say that it’s too hot.
A few points I’ve learned about parenting:
Note: We are studying babies and toddlers (approx. 2 years old).
- Talk to children normally. “Baby” talk will only slow down children’s speech development.
- Learn to understand baby’s language. Crying is their only way of communication.
- Do not yell at babies, they need to trust in you, and if you scare them, who else are they supposed to trust? It’s not like they know how to make friends just yet!
- Don’t make meal time a battleground. Work with the kids on their eating and make it fun. Also, if you wouldn’t eat the food, so won’t they (excluding Gerber and breast milk). That includes sitting cold meals that a dog wouldn’t even touch.
- Kids at the age around 2 loves to be independent. Help them when need to, but do not do any work for them (unless it may be threatening to their health/safety).
- Don’t think that by not picking up your baby (who’s age is less than 10 months), you will save them from being spoiled. Affection and touch is one of the most important aspect of development and without it, they can only develop so much. So next time the baby cries, pick them up, talk to them, communicate.
Oh there are a million other things that I’ve learned, from children’s psychological needs and so on. I’ve never been to keen on talking to kids, especially toddlers, but lately, working at the drive-thru station, I’ve been talking, waving and even communicating to some of the toddlers and babies that goes through. For one thing, they are super cute, and boy they are smart.
I am slowly becoming more fascinated with babies and their capacity of learning. Perhaps I have been wrong about them in some areas. For example, trying to be “cute” to children by talking “baby talk” isn’t going to impress them much. Haha, I never knew this. I’ve seen parents who talk to their babies like they’re talking to another adult, and before I took this class, I always thought they were crazy. I mean, how could a baby possibly understand adult language? But they can. They understand everything that we say, they simply aren’t able to say anything in return. But they understand.
Yay to another useful class 
2 comments
Comments feed for this article
March 30, 2008 at 11:28 pm
Nadia
When Noah was just six months old, I recall giving him a “lecture”, partially out of silliness, but I did talk to him normally on many an occasion as I too read that babies understand far more than we give them credit for. Granted, he just looked at me oddly, but later on, we did carry on fun “conversations”. There is one discipline technique that encourages parents to go down to their children eye level, give them a hug, and explain to them why they should stop what they were doing. I started using that technique when Noah became more mobile, and by 12 months, it was working!
Babies respond to high-pitch voices more so than they do lower-pitch ones, or so I have read. So babytalk in that sense is very helpful, and when you repeat the noises they are making, it gives them a sense that you are responding to them, acknowledging their attempts, and actually communicating. This is their first introduction to communication.
Beyond the cooing and first communication stage, it is best to put babytalk aside and start using real words with them.
This is where reading comes in very handily. And make reading-time fun! I remember Noah loving the part in “Where the Wild Things Are” when the Wild Things “roared their terrible roars” for I’d always “roar my terrible roar” too.
The whole “your baby will get spoiled if you pick them up too much” is pure nonsense for babies still under 12 months old, or babies who have yet to be mobile. There is a saying in many baby books that go “you can never spoil a baby (newborn) with too much attention or love”.
And there are numerous research that shows how babies who are able to form close and deep attachments to their mother (father or other caregiver) develop better than babies who do not have such connections. And the time-span for these connections cap off at age 2.
So spoil them with attention, read to them, be kind to them, talk to them, as seriously, time goes by way too fast for us to even relish the moments for longer than a second.
There will come a time, and it will come sooner than we think, when they won’t want the hugs, the close reading time, the kisses, the silly conversations any more.
April 29, 2008 at 11:47 am
Rene
Thanks for these Green Cleaning Recipes. I have found a couple of times while cleaning the shower with toxic chemicals how it actually eats away at your lungs. So anything that is green cleaning is great!