Infant/Toddler Mealtime Behaviors

Infants and Toddlers give us several clues that they are hungry or if their bellies are full.  It is our job to make sure we are paying attention to these signs so that meal time becomes an enjoyable experience. A one month old may respond to being hungry differently then a six month old.  The following is a list of typical behaviors based on development.

1-4 months:
*Crying
*Turns head towards the bottle, mouthing fists
*Turns head away from bottle and gagging are signs of being full

4-8 months:
*Recognizes the bottle by sight
*Opens mouth for a spoon
*Closing mouth tightly and turning head away are signs of being full

Check back in next week for developmental stages of hunger in children from ages eight months to two years!

Is my child ready for Solid foods??

During the first 4-6 months, a baby requires only breastmilk or infant formula.  Babies' swallowing and digestive systems are not developmentally ready to handle solid foods untill they are between the ages of 4 and 6 months.  During this period the baby's tongue no longer pushes most solid objects out of the mouth.  A baby's weight or age alone does not determine his or her readiness for solid foods.  Each baby develops differently.  Babies begin to show their desire for food by opening their mouths and leaning forward.

Babies are mature enough to begin learning to eat from a spoon when they can:
*hold their necks steady and sit with support
*draw in lower lip as a spoon is removed from their mouths, and
*keep food in their mouths and swallow it rather then push it back out on their chins
*
Babies sow disinterest or fullness by:
*leaning back
*turning away
*pushing the food out of their mouths
*sealing their lips together
*playing with the food
*pushing the bottle or spoon away

Check back next week for more helpful tips about feeding your infant solid foods.

taken from a Guide for Use in the Child Nutrition Programs

Responsive Caregiving

Being a Responsive Caregiver requires that one understands that to contribute to a child's sense of trust you must be intoned to their needs and their mode of expressing these needs.  It's important to know that children who feel safe are better able to actively explore their environments.  Sensitive, responsive care in particular, has been connected in research to cognitive, social emotional, and language development in child care settings.  Responsive care is a critical component of our curriculum, especially in the infant and toddler department.  Being sensitively responsive means reading and understanding the communication cues, verbal and nonverbal, of another individual; to do so requires an established relationship with that person.

What every toddler needs to be socially and emotionally successfull

Here are a few simple steps that you can take to make sure you are giving your child a great start in life.

Show your love
*Smile, hug, touch, and play with your child.  This will make them feel secure with themselves and will have a huge impact on their physical, mental, and emotional development.

Care for your child's basic needs
*Make sure you are providing your child with a healthy diet.  Children should be taken to the doctor for regular check ups as well.  Keep him as comfortable as you can by making sure his diapers are clean and by providing a safe environment.

Talk with your child
*Even if you think your child is too young too understand what you are saying, it is still important to talk to them.  Studies have shown that children who are talked to more often as infants have a higher vocabulary and higher IQ scores.

Read to your child
*Reading is extremely important to help build a vocabulary.  The socialization that occurs while reading a book is very important as well.

What is the RIE philosophy of child development?

Here at HUMmingbird we strongly believe that infants should not be restricted by swings and bouncy seats but should be offered the opportunity to explore their environment freely.  We respect each infant as an individual human being not just as an object.  This is why we practice the RIE philosophy.  So, what is the RIE philosophy you ask?  Check out their website and discover how truly amazing this approach really is!  http://www.rie.org/

SIDS Risk Factors

SIDS stands for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.  It is not considered a disease or illness but occurs when an infant dies suddenly and there is not an exact cause.  SIDS is the leading cause of death in the United States for infants between the ages of 1month and 1 year.  Approximately 2,300 infants die per year most commonly affecting infants between the ages of 2-4 months and occurs most frequently during the colder months.

What are the risk factors?
*Tummy Sleeping
    -The risk of SIDS is 12.9 times higher if an infant sleeps on his belly instead of his back.
*Soft items in the sleeping area
    -Always use a swaddle instead of blankets
*Having a parent or caregiver that smokes
*Being born prematurely
    -The lower the birth weight the higher the risk
*Becoming overheated while sleeping
*Sleeping on soft surfaces
*Being born to a mother who abused drugs throughout the pregnancy
*Being born to a mother under the age of 20
*Being a boy
    -Boys are at a slightly higher risk by a ratio of 1.5 to 1

While there is no guaranteed way to prevent SIDS, if you take care of yourself during your pregnancy, always place your infant on his back to sleep with nothing in his bed, and avoid your babies exposure to cigarette smoke, you will greatly reduce the risk.  When looking for childcare, always remember to ask if the caregivers are trained in and practice safe sleep.  But always remember BACK IS BEST!