Babies don’t read books on child
development so they are unaware of when, statically speaking, they should be
crawling, standing, speaking, weaned and dry. Books and charts give averages.
Development charts and books are useful as an indication of what to expect, and
an indicator if the child appears to be developing seriously behind the
majority.
The Early Months.
All of the brain nerves and brain cells a
person will ever have are produced by 6 months of age. Good nutrition, good
physical attention and plenty of TLC (tender loving care) are needed in these
formative months.
The infant has three basic drives: the need
for air, food and water. However, infantile sexuality has been exaggerated, but
parents should recognize that they help to build healthy sexual attitudes in
children by skin contact, by both parents handling the child, and by husband
and wife demonstrating affection in front of the child. Children experience
emotions, including those of others, before they can reason. The world is full
of frightening surprises for the infant and he displays the same reaction as
adults: fight and flight. The frightened baby cannot run or fight, so he just
yells.
Within weeks baby’s eyes will follow the
movement of a toy above him. Then the hands will reach out to the toy. These
brightly-colored objects are stimulating the child, developing control of eye
and hand. Aural stimulation is provided by music, not too loud and not with a
heavy beat. An understanding of the meaning of words is built up before the
child speaks. Talk and sing to babies as soon as they are born. In a few months
they will be playing back your words, and the child’s recorder has no erase
button.