Walking

Since the day your baby came into the world it has been in training for the day when it will take its first steps. They have been developing muscle strength and coordination, and have mastered one amazing feat after another, from just sitting up right un-aided to turning over to crawling. Once they have mastered as these feats they start to attempt to stand and then with a little encouragement take that giant step first with the help of furniture and anything that they can hold and then finally alone. It takes a lot of practice to learn to walk and there will be many falls. But once they have mastered it fully it’s their first step towards real independence.

Its best to bear in mind that all children develop at different rates some are quick some are slower most get there in the end it may be worth mentioning to a health professional if they have missed a developmental milestone. There may be perfectly logical reasons for your child's taking their time. Maybe they are busy working on another developmental task, like talking, or maybe they just likes to take his time whenever they learn a new skill. Keep in mind that toddlers who are heavier or who were born prematurely often learn to walk a little later than others.

Helping your child to walk
As your baby learns to pull themselves up to a standing position, they may need some help figuring out how to get back down again. If they get stuck show them how to bend their knees so he can sit down without toppling over. You can encourage them to walk by standing or kneeling in front of them and holding out your hands. Or you might hold both their hands and walk them toward you. Toddle trucks or push toys that your child can hold on to as they walk are great at this stage. Be aware that there is some research that suggests that baby walkers can slow the development of upper leg muscles but this is in no way proof so if you wish to use a walker the chose is yours.

It is best to wait to introduce shoes we know you want to buy all those tiny gorgeous little shoes but the fact is that it is best to wait until your child ventures outside as going bare footed helps it improve coordination and balance. There will be allot of falling over during this period so try to ensue they have a soft safe space to practice in and that they are not left unattended as once they master the art they can move extremely fast.

For more information on the developmental milestones for walking try http://lavenmedia.co.uk/walkingtips.html

Your belly has ears!

Your belly has ears!
Did you know that a baby’s language skills begin to develop even before they are born, that seems mad but they say it is true. The words and sounds that they hear while inside the womb play an important role in learning language. So all of you that have be listening to hard core rave ant those of you you know who you are who sware like a docker when you think no one is listening, be aware the belly has ears.

It must be true as it is due to this sense that babies:
can understand that someone is speaking they can differentiate between familiar and unfamiliar sounds.

Aparently they can
can enjoy classic music,(which is more than many of us can) this is a because they have smooth rhythmic melodies and pauses between sections.

However in most cases this is a short lived thing, as they grow they prefer traditional tunes for kids and start differentiating sounds that are similar. Gradually your, baby start associating sounds with the experiences and give them meanings. Thus, lullabies and white noise may soothe a baby; loud sounds may startle them while pleasant music may make them happy. It is thought that a baby can recognize their mum’s voice right from the time they are born and can differentiate it from the voices of other women and get comforted by their mum sooner it sooner.


Much of a baby's first year is spent learning how to listen. Through listening, your baby learns about the world, makes sounds and learns to talk. If you are concerned that your child has a hearing problem, tell your doctor right away. A hearing problem will interfere with a baby's ability to communicate and to learn. Important language development happens in the first five years, so it's very important to treat problems early. Don't wait until your child begins school.

For more information on hearing milestone and hearing problems try www. lavenmedia.co.uk/hearing.html

Talking

Your child’s ability to speak is directly link to their ability to listen. So now is the time to watch what you say, no one want their child’s first real word to be a swear word. By listening to others, your child learns what words sound like and how to put a sentence together. As a baby, they discovered first how to make sounds, then how to make those sounds into real words, hearing the word mummy or daddy for the first time is an amazing feeling it makes such difference from the noise and the conversations in their own language that only they understand. Once they master the first few words there then follows a period of extraordinary growth, as you watch your toddler go from speaking a few simple words to asking questions, giving directions, to saying no and why and then to regaling you with stories they have made up, watch out for that it is not so much lying as it is experimenting but they can be very convincing, I recall a story of a child drawing a visit to a hospital to see an uncle that had been in a car crash only to find that it was completely made up the child loved the fact that he had been believed and try may different stories for the fun of it. Remember that all though they may be quiet they are taking in every word many parents have been caught out by their child repeating a sentence that was not meant for the persons ears, e.g. “Grandma mummy said that you were a can tant us old moo” “what does can tant us, mean?”. If you are a saint and never say a bitchy word then good for you but for the rest of us mere mortals who do on the odd occasion say things that we may not want the person to hear about make sure they are not listening before you open your mouth.

For the developmental milestone and problems talking try www.lavenmedia.co.uk/talkingtips.html

Toddlers and food

We know its frustrating you spend time cooking something wonderful and your toddler refuses it or worse still launches it at a wall. Sometimes it can be difficult to get your toddler to eat but it is a fact that after the first birthday, your toddler’s growth slows down so they needs less food. Their appetite and the amounts of food eaten will vary from meal to meal and from day to day.

As a rough guide a toddlers aged 1 to 2 years can eat only about 1/4 to 1/2 of an adult portion. It’s better to offer small servings and let your child ask for more. Remember that appetite can vary a lot from child to child. Your child may appear to eat well at one meal and eat refuse at the next. Don’t make an issue of it. Children are good judges of the amounts of food they need. Try to bear in mind that all you can do is offer health food you can not force them to eat.

It a good idea to give two to three (healthy if you can snacks) during the day, along with their meals as they only has small stomachs and can not eat a lot a one time. Milk and fruit juice are good snack choices, but these foods are naturally sweet and should not be served too often throughout the day. If your child drinks too much, they may not want to eat solid foods. If they refuse to eat respect your child’s wishes, even if they have eaten nothing. They will eventually eat they won’t let themselves go hungry it’s not a rebellion they are more than likely just not hungry. Take the food away after a reasonable amount of time or attempts at feeding them. It is good not that it is an issue, as paying attention to not eating reinforces the behaviour of not eating.

Their food likes and dislikes will change over time. A food refused today may be eaten next week. It is thought to take up to 10 tries for your child to actually accept a food. If you wish to introduce a new food try to serve it with one they already know and like, try not to force them if they refuse just try again at another time. It is quite common for a toddler to only eat one type of food try not to make an issue of it, just keep trying to add other foods to the one they like they will come round it just takes time. Try to make sure each days meals are balanced so that they get a health mix of fruit, veg, meat, fish and dairy. It is better to get into a routine and feed a toddler up at the table, if possible a quiet room i.e. no telly, as they are very easily distracted and a telly tubby is much more interesting than a meal, its good to eat with them as they will learn from watching you.