Parenting Blog

Children normally start babbling by the age of six months and start uttering their first words when they are around one year of age. However, some children seem pretty slow with developing speech and this becomes a point of concern for parents. While hereditary reasons may be involved in such a case, many such instances are caused by a problem in hearing. Children who can’t hear well fail to develop speech easily.

If your baby hasn’t started babbling while he/she crosses six months, chat with moms in the neighborhood and see if their kids of the same age babble sounds. If your child seems to be failing to babble while other babies of his age do, your baby’s hearing may be impaired. Take him to a General Practitioner, preferably a pediatrician. In many cases, the kid’s hearing is blocked by glue ear, a painless condition in which a sticky fluid builds up behind the ear drum. In most cases, the fluid is removed naturally. But in some kids, a doctor is required to drain the fluid out of the ear.

Ear infections in 15 to 17 months old children may continue to make hearing difficult for them and they may not develop speech easily or respond to conversation even when they are as old as 5 years. In such cases, you need to have a doctor see your kid’s ears and provide adequate treatment. Remember, if your child is slow in developing speech, his hearing may be at risk and if the ear infections causing the problem are not treated in time, permanent damage to hearing may occur. So don’t be late in taking the next step for your kid’s hearing and speech.

There are different parenting styles which people adopt to bring up their kids. Usually, parents employ more than one style though their overall style of parenting falls into one of the three main styles of parenting: authoritarian, democratic, and permissive.

Authoritarian parents make most of their children’s decisions and the children are expected to accept the standards of behavior determined by their parents. With their parents in charge of everything, children feel rather secure, clear about the expected behavior pattern, and usually meet success in practical life.

Democratic parents allow their children to have a say in matters that are related to them. Children are gradually introduced to deciding for themselves. Hence, democratic parenting style helps children move easily toward independence.

Permissive parents give the greatest degree of freedom to their kids. The decision-making responsibility is left to the children while guidance and protection are provided only when needed. There are fewer penalties and rules imposed on children than in other parenting styles. Children of such parents usually exhibit greatest creativity and problem-solving skills.

While you may be tempted to practice one of these parenting styles for your kids, it is always good not to adopt a single one of these styles in its extreme form. Doing so runs the risk of developing your child with a maladaptive personality. Overly authoritarian parenting can lead to lack of confidence and initiative in the child. Excessively permissive style of parenting may leave the child wayward and libertine. Blending all the three styles is helpful, beginning with a more (but not extreme) authoritarian when the child is very young, gradually to a more democratic, and then a more permissive style of parenting. Keep in view the response of your child to each mode of your parenting and then act accordingly.

The health of the unborn child directly depends on the chemical environment of the mother’s body. There are different substances and exposures that can cause birth defects in the infant. These threats are collectively called teratogens and must be avoided by expectant mothers since early pregnancy to ensure the healthy birth and growth of their infant. Well-known teratogens include:

• Alcohol: Drinking in pregnancy can cause brain damage, miscarriage, mental retardation, and stunted growth in the infant.
• Smoking: Smoking (including passive smoking) by expectant mothers can be the cause of premature birth and/or low birth weight.
• Drugs: The use of drugs like crack, cocaine, heroin, LSD etc. can cause immense damage to the fetus. Besides low birth weight and premature birth, these drugs may cause stroke, brain damage, or even death in some infants.

There are other harmful substances that a pregnant woman should avoid coming in contact with during pregnancy, e.g.:

• Hair care products, especially permanents and hair dyes
• Household cleaners, especially strong-smelling products
• Paint products, especially paint removers
• Lead

It is also advisable that pregnant women should stop taking caffeine (coffee, tea) in significant amounts because caffeine has been linked to the threat of miscarriage in some studies. Also, expectant mothers must not take any medication without consulting their physician.

Switching the baby’s feeding source from breast or bottle to cup is a turning point in his/her growth. However, it is not an easy game for many parents and proves quite a challenge in a large number of cases. As a general rule, the longer you take to introduce a cup to your baby, the harder it gets to make him/her say bye to breast/bottle. So when and how to start with a cup?

It is recommended by childcare experts that babies should be introduced, at the age of 8 to 9 months, to a trainer cup, preferably one with side handles and a snap-on lid along with a spout. If you see that your baby is responding to get food this way, it shows that he/she is ready to switch the feeding source.

How to Proceed

To start with, take a little water in the cup and help the child tip it into his/her mouth. In a month or two, the baby will normally be able to get most of the liquid down his/her throat. At this time, you may start feeding the child diluted juice or formula from the cup. Start using the cup first at lunch, then in the morning, and finally in the evening.

Tummy-ache is the problem of many babies. While giving the child burp in the right way often relieves the ache, caused by accumulation of gas, in some cases the ache persists. You should remember that tummy-ache that stays for 12 to 24 hours and becomes more painful with time is a sign of appendicitis. In such a case, you should take the child to a doctor.

Tummy–ache usually results when the child is constipated or is going to have bowel movement shortly. In some cases, the child gets a stomach virus and tummy-ache is accompanied by fever, vomiting, and diarrhea. The virus usually passes out naturally in a few days time. But the infection may be severe in some children and the child may look seriously washed out. Also, he/she appears to have stopped urinating for several hours. In such as case, it is time for you to call the pediatrician.

In case of diarrhea, give your child two cups of clean water, after every bowel movement, with a tiny pinch of salt added in every second cup to make up for the lost mineral salts. Keep him/her comforted and let him/her sleep enough to restore the energy. Check the body temperature from time to time and if fever recurs, call the doctor for treatment.