Last Month's Wow:
When to Potty Train
Baby's improving sense of interoception helps them recognize when they need to use the bathroom.
The Wow of Now:
The Power of Questions
Asking “who,” “where,” and “when,” is a sign of baby's developing confidence and curiosity. The power of asking questions reflects their spirit of inquiry; you answering them makes for new and important connections.
The Wow Ahead:
The Middle Way
Asking “who?” leads to “where?” which expands to “when?” and, as your child approaches the three-year mark, eventually takes them to “how?” This is the great growth-mindset question that defines process and teaches baby “the middle way.”
The Wow
This means lots of “when?” “how?” and “where?” and require your patience to answer. It also means that you can start to ask questions back to better understand their thinking. This back-and-forth questioning can help make baby feel seen and heard, and deepen their sense of connection to the things they are exploring.
The How
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1
Ask Baby Questions
Rather than drill baby with questions, try encouraging them to ask you questions at the end of the day to practice asking, listening, and responding. Set aside a few minutes as “question time” each day. Try it while you're helping baby to calm down with a massage (with Our Moisturizing Cream) or as you shampoo your baby’s hair. Baby often likes to talk when they are also engaged in an activity, helping them to create a no pressure time to share thoughts and feelings.
Why?
This is the beginning of real conversation skills. Helping baby find new ways to satisfy their curiosity and express their confidence is integral to their social-interaction and cognitive development.
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2
Emotion Roll
Sit down on the floor, across from your child with a ball that you can roll back and forth. When the ball is in your hands, label any feeling that you have - either how your body or mind feels. For example, you might say, "I feel happy; or, my body feels relaxed." Then roll the ball to your child and have them take a turn. Do this back and forth a few times, and offer your little one help finding the right words if they have trouble!
Why?
This activity is exercising numerous physical, cognitive, and social-emotional skills at once. On the surface, you are helping your child learn to label emotions — a critical skill that aids emotion regulation — and you are also helping your child identify physical feelings that are commonly associated with emotional experiences, thereby increasing their mind-body awareness. In addition, the format of this activity helps strengthen motor skills as they roll the ball and develop patience through turn taking.
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3
Answer Questions
Answer baby’s questions whenever possible. The answers don’t need to be long or complicated, just follow their lead: Some kids can only take in a little at a time, while others look for consistency in answers by repeating questions many times. This helps reassure them that they really understand the information.
Try not to get frustrated with baby’s need for understanding, and when it’s a bad time to engage, feel free to say, “That’s a good question, give me a minute and I will answer it.” Since you may not fully understand baby’s process yet, asking baby, “What do you think?” or “What were you thinking about?” can help to prompt further discussion.
Why?
Keep in mind that baby has a long way to go in understanding the many mysteries of the world (same goes for us adults), but their work at this moment is important and valuable. By making them and their questions feel heard, we reflect a willingness to support them as they learn and grow.
Support for You
Baby’s temperament is coming into focus. You may be learning a lot about what they are interested in and what they think and feel on a variety of subjects. All of this discovery is exciting, yes, but it can be harmful to start thinking of your baby in generalizations.
For example: discovering they like kicking a soccer ball doesn’t equal athleticism, and engaging in messy play won’t make them great artists. In the same vein, temper tantrums don’t indicate a naughty child, nor is being afraid of dogs a sign of fearfulness for life. These are merely developmental phases. By painting our kids with too wide a brush, or deciding who they are before they are capable of it, we run the risk of getting in the way of them developing into who they want to be. Even at this young age, how caregivers view their children has an impact on how they parent—and how the child develops. Keep an open mind about their complicated and conflicting interests and behaviors, avoid labels of any kind (even the positive ones), and stay focused on what really matters—their health, wellness, and happiness.
Let's Check on the Basics
Eat
Is baby eating?
Sleep
Is baby sleeping?