More On Sensory Needs And Fine Motor, Cognitive And Adaptive Skills

This is the time when all your routines and schedules should be starting to become engrained in your everyday life. Your baby will be getting used to certain routines – time in his pram while you push him around the shops or the park. Visits to grandma and sitting in his car seat while watching the world go by. He will recognize time for lunch and dinner not just by the promptings of his tummy but also because he will hear certain sounds and associate them with imminent food!  He will almost certainly recognize Daddy’s tread on the stairs as he comes to kiss him goodnight and he will know and love the sounds of his sibling’s voices. Give yourself the opportunity to look at the world anew, as you see it through his eyes – full of wonder and joy!

This week…

As part of your baby’s development of his cognitive and fine motor skills, you will see him start to reach and grab for objects.  He may even hold one object with one hand and reach for another object with the other hand.  As your baby does this, watch him, as he will more than likely hold the toy tightly.  He may start to raise his own voice in protest now if a favored toy or object is removed before he is ready to let it go! His sense of self increases and he knows very well what he wants.

At this stage, your baby may be ready to drink from a cup – a trainer cup with a lid and small spout is highly recommended. Show him how to hold it and how to sip – remember that you are always his first and best teacher.  There are trainer cups with different nipples for each stage that your baby is in.  For example, when I started giving my son water, I used a trainer cup that had a nipple resembling a baby bottle nipple with a slight adjustment.  And as he got older and his oral motor skills were a bit more developed I changed the nipple to a spout.  Get a feel for what your baby needs and start off slow. 

He is also starting to satisfy his sensory needs by playing with food!  He will often hold pieces of bread and squash them with glee, making a mushy, mashy mess! This is one of the ways in which he teaches himself about spatial and physical law – you make a piece of bread small and squashed but you can’t do the same with a toy block.