Do You Have Any Concerns on Your Baby? How to Manage it with Your Baby

When your baby grows, you may have some joys to see it but also some concerns on their growth. Sometimes you may face a stage when you don’t know what to do or how to manage something with your baby.

Here, we will introduce how to support your baby’s growth and how to deal with it. 

Concern 1: How can I encourage a child who does not walk to take the “first step”?

 

The behavior of walking is greatly influenced not only by athletic ability but also by the child’s temperament.

In order for a person to start walking in the first place, the following conditions must first be met: the legs and muscles must be strong enough, the cerebellum that controls the sense of balance must be developed, and the child must be able to touch a floor/road when he or she falls down.

 These conditions are generally met between the ages of 11 months and 1 year and 5 months.

 In addition to these requirements, the baby must have the desire to walk. Even if the baby is fully prepared in terms of mobility, it will be difficult for him or her to start walking if this desire does not grow.

The timing of the start of walking differs depending on whether the child is a challenger or a slow learner, so it is nonsense to compare him or her unnecessarily with siblings or friends. You should watch over them with a relaxed mindset.

 In terms of “first steps outdoors,” it is important to choose first shoes carefully.

Don’t just focus on the design; it is better to choose shoes with a large opening and a fit that can be adjusted according to the height of the instep. Choosing a larger size because “they will grow quickly” is an absolute no-no, as it makes it difficult for them to walk.

 If your child is really reluctant to wear shoes, don’t force him or her, but it is okay if he or she can experience walking a lot indoors.

Concern 2: What should I do when my child does not eat as expected?

 

It is around the age of three that children are able to sit properly on a chair and eat calmly. Although it is still difficult for them to eat sitting quietly, you may want to teach them the “rules of eating” little by little.

The recommended eating time is 15 to 20 minutes, and toys and other objects should be put away so that they can be concentrated. If they play and eat in a lazy manner, the interval between the next meal will become too short and their eating habits will become irregular.

 Once playful eating begins, the basic rule is to finish the meal after a maximum of 30 minutes and say “thank you for the meal” or something. It is a good idea to adjust well so that they can get the next mealtime with an empty stomach. 

By this time, there will be more occasions when you can share the adult’s food if you adjust the seasoning to be lighter. You may want to aim for a one-soup, two-course meal menu.

When the same dishes as mom and dad are lined up in front of the baby, the baby will be happy to see that he or she is with everyone else, and this may increase his or her appetite. and this may increase their appetite.

 Sometimes it is also effective to try to make the vegetables more exciting by cutting them out with cute molds or arranging them in a colorful way (of course, this can be done only when you have enough time and when you are not tired). 

At mealtime, communication often occurs at the dinner table, such as opening one’s mouth to say, “I ate everything!” and open your mouth, or point to what you want to eat next.

By listening carefully to your baby’s thoughts and saying positive words such as, “You’ve eaten well,” you can make mealtime more enjoyable.

However, some children want to shut up and concentrate when they are bringing food to their mouths or chewing. This is a sign that they are engrossed in eating, so it is important to quietly watch over them.

Concern 3: What is the ideal way to respond when the child does not yet speak?

As we mentioned earlier, there are two types of language development: “understanding” and “speaking. If the baby is able to “understand,” there is basically no problem even if he or she is not yet able to “speak”.

While assuming this, try to make sure that the pronunciation is easy to understand and correct so that the baby can easily imitate it.

 It is also a good idea to teach words while empathizing with the child’s interests. For example, when your baby is pointing at a car that just came along, you can say something like, “That’s a cool car! It’s very fast!”

On the other hand, when the baby starts to speak little by little, be careful not to forcefully correct the baby’s speech. 

In the beginning, it is normal for babies to pronounce only part of a word. And negative response such as “No, you’re wrong, say it again!” may make the baby feel insecure and stop talking.

 It would be good to teach them the right words as well as positive reactions such as “You said it well.” to help them gain confidence. 

Conclusion

It can also be seen as a way to increase the enjoyment of child-rearing because the child’s unique individuality becomes more visible. It would be fun to take the time to enjoy the joys of growth that can only be enjoyed now.