Chart Your Baby's Healthy Development
0-2 Months
What do we really know about how a young child develops? What can parents do to best support their child’s healthy development and growing brain? This information is based on findings from a report* from the National Academy of Sciences that examined the research on child and brain development to establish what is known about the early years. You might be able to use these key findings to nurture your own child’s healthy development!
The following chart describes many of the things your baby is learning between 0 and 2 months and what you can do to support your child in all areas of his development. As you read, remember that children develop at their own pace and in their own way. Understanding who your child is, what his strengths are and where he needs more support, is essential for promoting his healthy development. If you have questions regarding your child’s development, ask your pediatrician.
What’s Going On |
What You Can Do |
Questions to Ask Yourself |
One of the most important tasks of the first 2 months is to help newborns feel comfortable in their new world. They are learning to regulate their eating and sleeping patterns and their emotions, which help them feel content, safe and secure. |
• Observe carefully. This will help you figure
out what your baby’s cries are telling you. |
• What soothes your baby? How do you know? |
Newborns use their gestures (body movements), sounds and facial expressions to communicate their feelings and needs from day 1. They use different cries to let you know they are hungry, tired or bored. They ask for a break by looking away, arching their backs, frowning or crying. They socialize with you by watching your face and exchanging looks. |
• Figure out what your baby is trying to tell
you. Responding makes him feel important and tells him he is a good communicator.
This builds a positive sense of self and a desire to communicate more. |
• How does your baby communicate with you? |
Even as newborns, babies can play in many ways. They can connect sounds with their sources, and love when you talk and sing to them. Play helps babies learn about the world around them. It is also an important way they connect with you, helping them to develop a strong attachment and promoting healthy social development. |
• Offer your baby lots of different objects for
him to look at, touch and even grip in his palms. He can focus best on
things that are 8 to 12 inches away. |
• What experiences does your baby seem to like best? (For example, talking with him; looking at toys or other objects; hearing the cat "meow.") • What kind of toys grab your baby’s attention? How does he let you know what he’s interested in? • What kind of play do you enjoy most with your baby? |
*The report, From Neurons to Neighborhoods: The Science of Early Childhood Development, was a 21/2-year effort by a group of 17 leading professionals with backgrounds in neuroscience, psychology, child development, economics, education, pediatrics, psychiatry and public policy. They reviewed what was known about the nature of early child development and the influence of early experiences on children's health and well-being. The study was sponsored by a number of federal agencies and private foundations.
Content is excerpted from Healthy Minds, with permission from ZERO TO THREE.
Back to top
|
|