General:By now your baby is well on his way to becoming his own little person. You probably have a clear picture of his temperament or disposition. You can tell whether he’s generally active or quiet, calm or intense, eager for new experiences and people or wary of them, and happy or serious most of the time.Height____________ Weight____________General: By now your baby is well on his way to becoming his own little person. You probably have a clear picture of his temperament or disposition. You can tell whether he’s generally active or quiet, calm or intense, eager for new experiences and people or wary of them, and happy or serious most of the time. You may find your baby’s temperament easy to deal with or very difficult, especially if his way of interacting with the world is very different from your own. Remember that you didn’t create your baby’s temperament and that you can’t do much to change it, but you will need to learn to work with it when you can and ignore it when you have to. If your baby’s temperament is difficult for you, we may be able to offer some suggestions that will help.
Development:
Safety: As your baby becomes more independent and mobile, safety becomes an even bigger issue.
Parenting: This is a wonderful time to begin interactive games with your baby such as patty-cake and peek-a-boo. As babies become more aware of their independence or separateness from you and the world around them, they often develop separation or stranger anxiety. A brief but warm kiss “good-bye,” and a happy, reassuring hug “hello,” can help your baby transition through this difficult stage. Dwelling on their anxiety only makes the separation more difficult for them. Remembering that this is a normal and important developmental stage will make this easier for you and your baby. Again, the use of a “transition object” (i.e. a soft toy, a silky square of fabric) can be quite helpful. Play: Contact with caregivers will remain your baby’s favorite activity. Continue to read to your baby using board or cloth books. Push and pull toys are favorites at this age, as is water play in the tub. Next visit is at 9 months of age. |