Category: Infants and toddlers

How to build success?

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When children are learning to walk, they fall and get up time after time until they learn. They don’t make a decision to stop trying and to crawl for the rest of their lives.

They are not concerned about how much time it is going to take to get what they want. They don’t know much about time or the future. That seems to work for them. They are willing to give tasks the required time to achieve them. They live in the moment.

They might not be happy repeating all over but that does not stop them. They are not forcing happiness or positive thinking upon themselves.

Do children’s responses differ? Yes, they do. They might accept difficulties with ease but also may not. Babies process their feelings by crying. It is their way to express themselves and to sort things out. Crying does not stop them. It might even encourage to persist.

Children are patient most of the times. Sometimes they get frustrated. Does either of those two feelings stop them from trying again? The answer is “No”.

Yes, they would like approval from people around them but not at the expense of doing what that they really want to do.

How to build success? Adults need to allow children to solve their problems on their own. Children are natural explorers. They experiment and accept that things might not work out right away.

Can we as adults solve our problems as children do, please?

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Sleeping like a baby. What does this mean?

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By Majida MEHANA

We go through different stages of sleep depending on the activity level of the brain. The total cycle is between 92 and 110 minutes. Then the cycle repeats itself throughout the night.

Infants go through a shorter cycle of approximately 50 minutes (National Science Foundation [NSF], 2020). Those stages of sleep include two main states, the Rapid Eye Movement (REM) irregular state and the Non-REM state (regular full sleep with closed eyelids). The duration of REM sleep is longer for newborns (50% of sleep time) and decreases to 20% by age 2. The brain activity in the REM state is similar to the waking state.

In terms of hours, newborns sleep anywhere between 10.5 and 18 hours. The sleep is irregular and can happen at different times during day or night times. The number of hours decreases to approximately 12 hours by the end of the first year (Garvis et al., 2019).

The long duration of the REM state activates the infant’s central nervous system and consolidates learning. It is also the state where we dream (NSF, 2020).

Learning occurs in other Non-REM stages as well. One study showed that babies who were shown new learning prior to a short nap (went into Stage 2, which is a light stage of sleep) were able to remember the learning better than the babies who did not take the nap (Horváth et al., 2018).

As sleep consolidates different learning in different stages, it is important to allow babies enough time to sleep through the full cycle, so they go through REM and non-REM sleep. If they need to be woken up, then it should be done gently. The REM sleep is the state that prompts waking.

Parents should note the baby’s sleep pattern and reinforce a transition to nighttime sleep by providing a quieter environment in the evening. Habits of sleep change throughout life; however, helping infants establish a regular sleep system early will give their body the time needed to recuperate and to be healthy.

Reference:

Garvis, S., Phillipson, S., Clarke, S., Harrison, L., McCormack, J., & Pendergast, D. (2019). Child development and learning. Oxford University Press.

Horváth, K., Hannon, B., Ujma, P. P., Gombos, F., & Plunkett, K. (2018). Memory in 3‐month‐old infants benefits from a short nap. Developmental Science, 21(3), 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1111/desc.12587

National Sleep Foundation. (2020, August). Children and sleep. https://www.sleepfoundation.org/articles/children-and-sleep

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Height, weight, teeth, and hair of babies in their first year

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By Majida MEHANA

We are shaped by nature and nurture and this applies to our physical development and appearance; namely, height, weight, teeth, and hair.

In the first year of life, infants’ physical performance and appearance develop as follows:

Height and weight: Newborns are expected to follow a pattern of growth from head to toe and middle of body to extremities. Gross motor skills get refined prior to the fine motor skills required for the efficient use of hands, fingers, feet, and toes. For example, in the early months, the whole body shakes when the baby moves. It is later that the baby is able to differentiate the actions. The brain plays a major role in the implementation of the actions by giving orders to the body to move and then analysing the response and adjusting new orders accordingly.

Height and weight vary according to the genetic makeup of the child and the expected norms in the child’s culture. In general, boys tend to be taller and heavier than girls. With the growth in height and weight, we have changes in muscular development which allows the child to sit and walk. In one year, babies move from moving head from side to side, to rolling over, crawling, sitting, standing, and taking first steps (Alli, 2011).

Teeth: Signs on the gum line start to show up around four months and babies will have their first teeth from five to eight-month-old. Teething can be associated with crying, fever, restless sleep, biting, rash, rejection of food, and diarrhea. The process can be exhausting for both infants and parents. A visit to the dentist should be arranged soon after the first tooth comes out.

Hair Growth:  The process is a byproduct of genetics and balanced nutrition. Newborns lose hair in the first three to six months and by the end of the first year, they have most of their head hair. The strength of the hair is affected by genetics, nutrition, and the quality of the environment. Stressful events can make a child or adult lose hair; a condition called telogen effluvium.

Children are genetically predisposed to hold a height and weight that falls along a continuum. In addition, nutrition during mother’s pregnancy and in infancy influences the child’s appearance immensely. A balanced nutrition is optimal for this age group.

Unbalanced nutrition has been associated with stunting thus preventing the child from developing as per normal. It is also important to allow opportunities for children to move freely so they could practise using their body independently and confidently.

Caring for infants and attending to their needs help them meet developmental milestones. A disruption of care routines would affect the child’s physical as well as all other aspects of interrelated development.

Small encouragements would allow the child to develop an experimental mindset which would take them further in life to become global successful people.

Reference:

Allie, R. A. (2011, October). Baby’s first year: How infants develop. https://www.webmd.com/parenting/baby/features/stages-of-development#3

Garvis, S., Phillipson, S., Clarke, S., Harrison, L., McCormack, J., & Pendergast, D. (2019). Child development and learning. Oxford University Press.

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What do infants feel in the first year?

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By Majida MEHANA

Newborns have innate emotions. They cannot speak about their emotions, so they behave and use expressions to help the people around them understand their feelings.

The four emotions that we witness in the first year are:

Happiness: This is expressed when infants are exploring their environments. They are looking around them fully engaged, positive, and open to learning.

Fear: Infants are anxious and look in pain. They turn their faces away as if trying not to face the situation or they could choose to stop responding altogether.  

Panic/grief is expressed when infants cannot sense the presence of the caregiver around them and they look sad and cry seeking comfort.

Rage: When infants experience irritation, anger, or restraint for an extended time, they lash out by physically attacking people within their reach.

Happiness is expressed through open body movements and smiles. Babies’ smiles become more purposeful in the early months. They smile as early as two months as a response to touch, move to a social smile at 4 months when seeing their parents, and would laugh of joy at 5 months.

On the other hand, fear becomes more apparent later. It takes time for babies to recognise familiar from non-familiar faces. Once they do, feelings of fear show up when seeing strangers.

It is recommended to expose the child to the different feelings including feelings of insecurity. Parents could wait a short time prior to intervening just to help the child get used to deal with uncomfortable situations. The waiting time should vary depending on the child’s individual needs.

It will take parents some time to understand the facial expressions of infants; however, the process helps parents develop a positive relationship with the child. It is also very important for parents to become attuned to the temperamental characteristics of the child and avoid the child reaching an uncontrolled fear that takes a long time to console.

In the second year, children become more self-aware and they experience feelings of pride and guilt as a response to people’s interactions with them.

Helping children manage the full range of their emotions and learn problem solving techniques to alleviate each emotion will help them succeed in a global world. Successful people accept their emotions and work through them to achieve a balanced life.

Reference:

Garvis, S., Phillipson, S., Clarke, S., Harrison, L., McCormack, J., & Pendergast, D. (2019). Child development and learning. Oxford University Press.

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What to Teach Children in the First Year Series – Part 3

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Children in the first year are more alert than we give them credit for. This series will include facts and recommendations that will help parents and caregivers engage with babies in a confident and an accurate manner. The recommendations will be based on what is known about child development. The provided facts will assure parents and caregivers that they are on the right path to raising a successful person.

Fact: The babies’ first cries could be difficult to act upon. However, with time, babies cry in distress when they have a certain need. Being hungry is often the reason. However, babies will cry when they hear the cries of another baby or when they are tired and ready to go to sleep. Crying increases in the first few weeks before declining.

Recommendation 1: It is important for the parent to learn the child’s daily cycle and needs. This makes identifying the reason behind the cries much easier to discern. The intensity of the cries should help parents understand the severity of the need. It is fine if the parent misses the reason at the beginning. The parent should understand that this is normal and they will become more discerning with experience.

Fact: For Erik Erikson, children move though stages as they develop socially. The child is expected to overcome a challenge in each stage in order to pass it successfully. The first stage is “Basic Trust versus Basic Mistrust” and covers the first year of life. The child needs to feel that if they cry, someone in the environment will respond to their need. They need to trust this new world where they suddenly found themselves in. If their needs go unmet, they will develop a mistrust for people around them. A small amount of unresponsiveness is healthy especially when the parent knows that the child’s basic needs have been met.

Recommendation 2: When the baby is crying, the parent should acknowledge the child even if they are not able to attend physically. A reply from afar helps the child know that help is on the way. The parent should try to be consistent in responding to the child.

Fact: To soothe a crying baby, continuous and rhythmic sounds work best. Babies need an external system that helps them regain a regular rhythm until the balance can be initiated from inside.

Recommendation 3: Singing softly to a crying baby, massaging the body parts, putting a baby in a stroller, or walking while holding the baby are methods that would calm the child. Bringing the baby in close proximity to the caregiver gives them a feeling of safety.

When the baby cries persistently and nothing seems to help them, the parent should seek the advice of a specialist. Crying could indicate an imbalance of the central nervous system. The last thing a parent wants to do is to feel guilty or helpless. Babies will grow up to be independent human beings but their personalities start to get defined from day 1 if not before.

Note: Click to access Part 1 or Part 2.

Reference:

Berk, L. (2013). Child development (9th ed.). Pearson.

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What to Teach Children in the First Year Series – Part 2

~ futureglobalchild ~ 2 Comments

Children in the first year are more alert than we give them credit for. This series will include facts and recommendations that will help parents and caregivers engage with babies in a confident and an accurate manner. The recommendations will be based on what is known about child development. The provided facts will assure parents and caregivers that they are on the right path to raising a successful person.

Fact: Babies that are 4 to 6 months old can distinguish speech from a familiar and a non-familiar language. They focus on the speaker’s face and lips to do so.

Recommendation 1: In a multicultural world, it is becoming increasingly important for children to learn more than one language. Even if parents do not know a second language, they could help their children continue to have the ability to distinguish sounds in two languages. Regularly exposing the child to nursery rhymes and short story readings from videos will help sustain this ability until a better option becomes available through a relative, community support, or child care. This is especially important for parents who emigrate to a country where the second language is the mainstream one.

Fact: Children who are exposed to two languages simultaneously learn to differentiate the two speech systems. It is not necessary for each parent to just stick to one language when communicating with the child. Research has not found that separating the source of languages is more beneficial. Bilingual children may take longer to learn the specifics of the two languages but they are processing all the sounds.

Recommendation 2: In bilingual families, it is important to provide exposure to both languages in sufficient amounts and in many contexts. Children might advance more in one language than another but with sufficient time and exposure, they will master both languages.

Fact: Sequential bilingualism is a term used when a second language is introduced some time after the first language. The rate in which children acquire the second language will depend on the context of the second language and the frequency of exposure. Children might go through a period of silence when receiving the language prior to expressing the new sounds.

Recommendation 3: When a second language is introduced, it is important to speak clearly to the child and to relate the language to concrete objects and explicit behaviours. The child might respond to a request in the second language through pointing or taking an action. This will show that the child understood the message. Expect the child to delay speaking the second language.

This series focus on children’s development in the first year; however, it is worth noting that the issues related to second language learning seem to be similar regardless of age. With sequential bilingualism, there is agreement that reception will precede expression in the second language.

Note: Click to access Part 1 or Part 3.

References:

Berk, L. (2013). Child development (9th ed.). Pearson.

Hoff, E. (2104). Language development (5th ed.). Cengage Learning.

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What to Teach Children in the First Year Series – Part 1

~ futureglobalchild ~ 2 Comments

Children in the first year are more alert than we give them credit for. This series will include facts and recommendations that will help parents and caregivers engage with babies in a confident and an accurate manner. The recommendations will be based on what is known about child development. The provided facts will assure parents and caregivers that they are on the right path to raising a successful person.

Fact: Newborns use their senses to discover their environment. A newborn is able to focus on a person or an object within 30 centimetres. This is the average distance between a child and the mother’s face when the child is held or breastfed.

Recommendation 1: Look at the child in the eyes and engage in conversation with them especially when they are in an alert state. Ignoring the child and engaging with other people around means that the child is looking at the adult’s chin instead of looking at the face and eyes. The eye to eye contact is also the first communication step.

Fact: A child is able to gaze at another person even at a very early age. They look intently as a way to engage socially with the other person.

Recommendation 2: The mother, father, or caregiver should capitalise on those moments to initiate a trusting relationship with the child. Ignoring the child’s gaze means losing valuable opportunities to establish a connection and to familiarise the child with facial expressions. The baby also learns to associate a facial expression with a feeling. This synchrony is one of the main features of successful communication.

Fact: As soon as children start to move, they use movements to sense and discover what is around them. When children are lying on their back, they look at an object and try to touch it with their hands or feet. Once older, they will reach for it and try to hold it in their hands.

Recommendation 3: Provide baby hanging mobile selections so children can take their time looking at them. The collection of items can be homemade and needs to be changed regularly. Provide different colors, sizes, and textures. Once the baby is ready to hold the items, small material will work better as children can explore the different characteristics of the item and also get a sense of what they can hold firmly and what slips away.

As the series continues, we will follow the different aspects of children’s development and give recommendations on how to enhance the development of their body, mind, and feelings. The first year in a child’s life is critical as it is the child’s first contact with a world that will unfold over a lifetime.

Note: Click to access Part 2 or Part 3.

Reference:

Garvis, S., Phillipson, S., Clarke, S., Harrison, L., McCormack, J., & Pendergast, D. (2019). Child development and learning. Oxford University Press.

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How do infants and toddlers socialize?

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The infant learns what it means to socialize by interacting with family members and by engaging in activities with them.

Early on, the infant reacts to the adult’s smile and gestures by smiling back, by moving, or by vocalizing sounds. With time, the child not only reacts but also initiates social encounters even when the basic needs are taken care of.

For the socialization process to be successful, the infant needs to feel that the context is secure and safe to explore, to express own emotions, and to expect a positive response. The mother or caregiver provides the child with the emotional and physical supports to explore the surroundings thus facilitating the baby’s feeling that the world is safe to explore. Babies understand that they could refer back to the adult, if needed.

Babies experiment with their responses. By the second year, the gestures become more accurate. For example, toddlers would wave Goodbye to a person leaving. They also start to use different intonations of language for different social purposes. They learn to say “no” to assert their choices and to test how far they can get away not doing as told.

By the third year, toddlers get a refined sense of the adults’ thoughts and feelings. This skill strengthens their ability to know when it is better to respond to the adults’ requests and what could be negotiated. Toddlers are seeking to develop autonomy and independence as they go about exploring the world.

Infants and toddlers learn valuable social skills when they have siblings. As children can have different set of skills, they engage and negotiate with varying strengths. So, the rules of social play get constantly redefined. This is quite different than the interaction with the adult who models interactions with the infant in a more predictable manner.

Children who attend day care at an early age will have different levels of acceptance to the setting. This is dependent on their temperament, home interactions, and the characteristics of the caring environment. High quality service delivery ensures that the child is receiving adequate attention from a caregiver.

Peers provide social support for the toddler when there is consistency in the implementation of the rules. Parallel play is often the form where a child first engages in social interactions with another child. It starts with the children playing in close proximity to each other. This is followed by each child keeping an eye on what the other child is doing without necessarily engaging in play or initiating a verbal communication.

Children observe other peers and could imitate them. Role play is a powerful medium for children to practice the skills that they observed. This capacity will become more enhanced by 3 years of age.

As children grow older, they will engage in group play and will apply rules of successful interactions. From there begins a lifelong process of socializing that will take them to different people, places, and cultures. They will engage in a global world and develop the tools to successfully do so.

Reference:

Garvis, S., Phillipson, S., Clarke, S., Harrison, L., McCormack, J., & Pendergast, D. (2019). Child development and learning. Oxford University Press.

 

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Pregnancy and negative environmental factors

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The baby in the prenatal period is called Zygote in the first 2 weeks, embryo between weeks 3 and 8, and fetus, from the 3rd month onwards, between weeks 9 and 38. The age of the baby’s viability, where the baby would survive, starts between 22 and 26 weeks.

Berk (2013) discussed many elements or factors that could negatively impact the baby prior to birth. Hereditary factors might be hard to avoid but harmful environmental factors, or teratogens, need to be taken seriously.

The negative effect of the teratogen will be more significant if the organ, structure, or body part is going through a sensitive period of development.

As the effect can be damaging very early in the pregnancy, it becomes vital to avoid teratogens. The embryonic period, between 3 and 8 weeks, seems to be the period where teratogens can have the most impact.  As early as week 3, teratogens can have a major impact on the central nervous system, heart, upper and lower limbs, ears, and eyes. The sensitive period for ears, eyes, and the central nervous system continues. Damage could occur in other times but might be less harmful.

Pregnant mothers need to be very careful with prescribed, non-prescribed, and illegal drugs. The danger on the baby is paramount as drugs enter the placental barrier to the baby’s bloodstream.

The use of Aspirin has been debated with some studies relating its regular use by pregnant mothers to low birth weight. The use of illegal drugs such as cocaine and heroin puts the baby at risk for addiction, prematurity, or even death around birth.

Alcohol consumption has been related to facial abnormalities and a slow physical growth.

Smoking has been related to low birth weight, miscarriage, prematurity, and heart malfunctioning. Low birth weight and prematurity were also related to the excessive consumption of cola, tea, coffee, and cocoa.

The dosage, timing, and length of consumption/exposure of the above teratogens lead to varied effects.

Other teratogens include prenatal malnutrition, radiation, mercury, lead, viruses such as rubella (German measles), toxoplasma parasite, and AIDS.

On the other hand, a balanced nutrition and a healthy physical activity were related to increased birth weight. The Apgar Scale is used to assess the newborn’s appearance, pulse, grimace, activity, and respiration.

Caring for children before birth gives them a strong start in life. In a complex world, the best thing we could offer a child is the road to success. Prenatal care sets the way.

Reference:
Berk, L. E. (2013). Child development (9th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

 

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Language and Memory

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Children increasingly make sense of what they hear by strengthening their auditory perception. Auditory perception skills include the ability to memorize information and the ability to reproduce and act on what was memorized.

Children’s short- and long-term memories develop as they grow up. A preschooler can repeat two to three pieces of information with the number growing up to five pieces by age 7 (Kearns, 2017). Adults have the capacity to retain 7 +/- 2 pieces of information in their short-term memory.

To move the information into long-term memory, children need to develop recall strategies. Many nursery rhymes and children’s songs include steps, lists, and ordered numbers that help children recall accurate information and that allow them to carry out actions.

To develop a repertoire of words and detailed actions, children need to have been exposed to them early in their lives. We can help children develop a repertoire of words by engaging in conversations with and around them when they are alert. By doing so, we help children combine the words, actions, and context into a meaningful outcome.

As parents and educators, should we talk out loud whenever possible throughout the day around our young children? If the self-talk covers different topics and introduces the child to hundreds of words, then the answer is YES.

Around the world, parents communicate with children in different ways. The number of adults taking care of the child varies and could include one or more primary caregiver. In some cultures, older siblings participate in caring for the child as well. As a result, the language input is diverse and it is not surprising that the children grow up displaying different linguistic communication patterns depending on whom they are addressing than children with fewer verbal interactions.

More research is needed to understand how the relationship between memory and language development unfolds in different contexts. We constantly witness children defying the current memory capacity when applied to language development. How far can the “piece of information” captured by children’s short- and long-term memories be stretched? Is “the piece of information” one letter, one chunk, one poem, or one storybook?  It depends on how educators and parents complement the child’s genetic dispositions.

Educators and parents have a responsibility to help children succeed in a global world. Surrounding children with a rich language input is one main success strategy.

Reference:

Kearns, K. (2017). Birth to big school (4th ed.). Victoria, Australia: Cengage Learning.

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