Parents, You Are Your Baby
Six Months!!! Wow! Half a year has now gone by since you gave birth! It is a time to celebrate the day she arrived in the world! You and your family have been transformed into a new unit, a new dynamic! You have all started on this amazing journey and you are still here to tell the story! There may have been times these last six months when things were tough. But, if you take time to listen to your child, to your feelings, to those loved ones around you then you will remain positive despite these challenges. Well done…
This week…
Your baby will still be exploring her world through all her senses – auditory, kinesthetic, taste, and visual. Give her every opportunity to fully appreciate everything available to her. Keep her safe, of course, and let her explore her environment. There is a school of thought that the ‘environment is the third teacher’ –let yours be a good one.
By this time, your baby has already started grabbing her foot and bringing her foot to her mouth. Don’t be alarmed when you see her put her toe in her mouth, as it is totally normal! My son actually sucked his toe a handful of times; I think he was quite fascinated with his feet and toes at one point.
Last week, we mentioned that your baby should start to initiate contact with you and show you how unhappy she is when contact is lost. This week, you may notice that your child has the occasional ‘bad mood’. This is caused by an occurrence that she doesn’t like, such as a toy being removed from her. Displeasure is an emotion that your baby is getting better and better at communicating to you. However, she hopefully can be easily distracted and it will pass. As she grows older she will begin to understand the need to regulate her emotions – but that’s not going to happen for a while yet!
Although we have been discussing feeding your baby solid food for some time now, some parents opt to wait until their baby has turned six months old. If this is the case for you, then now is a good time to introduce solids to your baby. If you aren’t sure what foods to start with, ask your pediatrician.
You and your family are the most influential teachers, role models and guides for your baby. All that you say and do has an impact on her world. Her rapid growth over the next months will reveal to you a baby that is fast developing into a small child. So, for now, enjoy your baby while the term still applies!
