Letting her take her time with a present

       This little girl takes her time opening her present.  She very carefully takes ALL the paper off before really looking at the toy.  Her parents do a great job of not rushing her or expecting her to be super excited. Dad asks her if she wants help opening the box. She seems to appreciate that.

The "no car seat" twist

Her Dad and Mom are very patient. She is old enough to know that she has to get in the car seat, but too little to care if she is safe.  She just wants her freedom.  Dad and Mom are very good about being clear that she has to get in. Though it might seem like forever, soon she will soon learn that it is just easier to get buckled in so she can get home and get out.
 

presents down low=trouble

.  Mom left the presents where he could get them.  He was doing what toddlers do best.- trying to figure out what ever is around that looks different and interesting.  He opened one. She does a good job of not getting mad since she let it happen. Hope she puts the rest away until it is really time to open or else she might feel like she has to go buy more so that he has something to open on the "real" day. That might not be good for the kid or the wallet.

Teach, babyproof, or both?

This baby knows she isn't supposed to touch the cords, but finds them sooooo tempting.  Her Dad caught her this time and is teaching her that she isn't supposed to touch them.  What about next time?  Teaching is great, though with the uproar of the holidays,  kid proofing the outlets will make it easier for everyone.

Bedtime problem

This smart little girl has a new toy and a Dad that is great to play with.  No wonder she doesn't want to go to bed. At family gatherings, this type of situation can cause problems when some grownups feel that parents should be tough and make her go up the first time while others feel that it is OK for her to stay up and play since it is a special time.  Sometimes it helps for parents to talk about how they want things to go with their kids before there are a bunch of other people around.

What does a little baby like about a present?

Lots of young babies just want to play with the paper and ribbons.  They don't much care about what is in the box. This can be frustrating for parents who have put time and money into finding a special present  that they hope will  great fun for the baby.  It might seem dumb to just wrap up an empty box, but the baby will probably have a great time.
 

Will there be a screaming fit?

Shopping with toddlers is always a challenge, but especially this time of year. This Dad has his little guy safely secured in the cart and is keeping a good eye on him.  The kid finds a way to entertain himself since shopping can be boring.  Will Dad let him destroy the mushrooms?. Will there be a big screaming fit if Dad tries to take them away?  Anything else Dad could give him to to keep him happy?
 

Following directions at 5 months?

While they have to work pretty hard to get her to show off what she can do, this little girl can both copy "Hi Dad" and show us that she understands the words "play patty cake". Her family is teaching her well.   She really likes all the happy attention she is getting, too.

A faster way to move?

This little guy has found a different way to move and he is fast! Some kids find this easier than crawling or scooting. Might work well on steps, too.

More than one way to get there

This baby has found another way to get where she wants to go.  She may learn to crawl or she may just scoot until she figures out how to walk. Both ways work.

Finally!! Real crawling

After all the prep work, she is really crawling!  Now the cat is in for trouble!!!

Almost crawling

This baby can crawl, almost.  Once they have the strength,sometimes it just takes the right motivation.

Not crawling, but moving!

Wow, he can both move where he wants and make the car go. Now that he has put in all the hard work of tummy time, he can really  make things happen in his world. There is no stopping him now, unless he isn't watching where he is going.

From tummy time to mobile?

This little one has mastered tummy time, but where is she going now?  It might take her a while to get the hang of going where she wants  but you can see she is figuring out that all that hard work during tummy time is starting to pay off.  Looks like it is time for her parents to start baby-proofing if they haven't already.

Tummy Time- getting more control

This little guy is still having a tough time figuring out how to make this work for him.  You can see that he is stretching out better with his legs.  Still working on getting the arms to help him out.  Sometimes making things more fun makes their hard work seem more worthwhile to the baby.

Tummy time pro- 6 days old

These parents do everything right to have a happy tummy time baby.  They have a clean, firm, smooth place to put her down.  They stay right with her, patting her a bit if she gets fussy.  The baby does a lot of random moving around.  They gently cheer her on when she turns her head.  They can tell she is getting tired so they pick her up.  Both the baby and the parents are tummy time pro's.

Feed me!!!

This baby isn't old enough to talk, but he sure can communicate what he wants.  His crying and his look at where his food is really say " Feed me!!!".  His parents get his message and are helping him out as quickly as they can.   Babies this age don't get the idea of waiting , even if it is only  long enough to get dressed.

Toddlers test everything!

What we sometimes think of as being naughty is really just how toddlers learn. How do kids figure out how the world works? We might try to explain it or show them, but  they have to do it themselves, over and over and over again. The trick is to set things up so that we can tolerate it and the kids are safe.This video is from PBS and Talaris.
 

Crib climbing- Safety first

You might not want them to climb out of the crib, but if they are going to do it anyway,  best to make sure they have the skills to be as safe as they can be. This Dad does a nice job of guarding the toddler while letting her struggle to figure it out. It is a good method to use with other things that you might really want them to learn.  Also, it is probably time to go get a toddler bed.

Wouldn't want to leave the paci behind

This little one shows us how early in life children can learn to plan ahead.  She wouldn't want to have to climb back in to get them, or be without them, so she goes back to get the paci's before she finishes climbing out. Pretty smart!!
 

Is it the song ?

 This baby has strong ideas about which song he likes!  Is it the song or the look on Mom's face? What makes the difference?  Really little babies learn a lot from the faces that Mom makes as she is doing things.
 

What kind of noise can I make?

You can see this little guys mind working as he tries to figure out just what will happen as he does different things with the drum.  He isn't happy to just make noise, he wants to know about all the different kinds of noises he can make.   Dad does a good job of not interrupting him while he is experimenting.

Head Turning Excitment

It is exciting when our babies learn to follow us around with their eyes! This Mom and Dad are having fun playing with the baby.  Being able to follow things with their eyes and head are important ways that babies figure out how things work in the world, like where Mom or Dad have gone.
 

Wait, Wait Bubbles

The bubbles won't wait.  This little girl is having a great time chasing the bubbles even though they won't wait. for her.  Mom blows a few bubbles at a time so the little girl can track on one or two. The play can last longer too, since everyone doesn't get tired out by a frenzy of bubbles.
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Not quite ready to slide on own.

Oops!!! Fun turned into OUCH. She doesn't know how to get her feet down first and Dad is a bit too far away to help out.  He is very quick to make sure she is OK.  Will she be afraid to slide again?  After Dad and Mom teach her all the ways to get her feet down first, she will have lots of fun sliding safely!

It is scary or not?

It is scary or not? Do I need help or not?  Learning to figure out what is funny and what is scary is a tough job for babies.  This baby seems to be thinking "This cow might be scary, but Mom is right there and she's not scared, so maybe it is OK?"  Parents have to help kids figure these things out by giving them safe, low key experiences to learn with.

Sad Dad, Sad Baby

This is a great example of how our emotions are catching.   This baby is very tuned into Dad and when Dad gets sad, baby gets really sad.  Something to think about when we wonder why the baby is cranky.  Maybe the baby is mirroring us. Dad does a nice job of quickly comforting his baby.

Can you say?

This little girl is showing that she can say a few words.  She seems to understand a lot more.  She sure can understand "Can you say...?".   Mom is having fun teaching her to talk and she is having fun learning!

What is he talking about?

Would you know what he is talking about?  This little guy can tell a story,but only someone who has been part of the story will understand  what he is talking about.  Mom does a nice job of asking him questions to keep him talking without pushing or correcting him.  Getting a chance to tell stories his own way now will help him  learn to tell stories we can all  understand later.

Dizzy fun

The little one copies the older one.  Round and round, we all fall down.  A great way for kids to have some fun, get some exercise and learn some balance. Parents can play, too.  Best played in places where nobody gets hurt when they fall down.

Can she do it herself?

This baby is working hard on rolling over.  Her family is great about giving her time to try, but helping her out before she gets frustrated.  They are also great about including big brother in the action.

Singing copycats

The little one copies the older one.  These girls are having fun and trying to make the drive go by faster by making up a song.  The words may not make sense, but the fun does.  The bigger one learns that being a positive role model is fun. 

Tribute to my Dad

My dad died on January 7. He had a long life, which he lived very well.  In remembrance of a true family man, I would like to share the closing comments that my brother made at my Dad's memorial service. 

" Many of you have told us over the years and in the last week that our Dad was a great man.  He was indeed a great man and usually at these moments  people look for the great definer of the great man. Our Dad wasn't rich or the captain of the football team nor was he ever mayor of the city, though he served under many mayors.  No, our fathers' greatness came from who he was and what he stood for.  He was a man of this place, " his place" , truly a part of the fabric of our family and the community.  If anything, he was the "great encourager".  He encouraged everyone he met and all of his children to be more that they were: to be more adventurous, to give more of themselves to make their communities and families better, to start a project or journey rather than be frozen by fear of failure or the unknown.  And not only did he encourage, he carried part of the load.  He volunteered for everything.  If something he believed in got stalled or never started, he would just start talking to whoever needed more "encouraging" to get things moving.
     Many of you have asked how you might remember or honor our father.  May I suggest that you honor the man by being a little bit more encouraging yourself: by giving a little more of your time and treasure to others, by being a little more friendly to all and by walking a bit more humbly along the path of your life "  J. Thomas 1/13/2011