What is your baby doing?
- Taking a few wide steps on his own
- Being able to stand alone
- Saying a few words more than mama and dada
- Getting a few more teeth (*or his first ones)
- Talking to you all the time
What not to worry about – No teeth yet
While some babies get their first teeth from four or five months, other start teething around 8 months and some after a year. It’s nothing to worry about and rest assured it won’t be long until your baby’s teeth begin to show, with all 20 of his/her baby teeth being in place by the time your baby is two and a half years old. The two bottom front teeth (will usually come in first) so watch for signs of excess drooling, gum swelling and biting down on hard objects.
How you can help your child at this age
- Learn to listen to your child. His words may sound like babbling and/or feel repetitive but it’s very important for your child’s self esteem and his ability to listen, for you to respond to what he/she says.
- Start to drop the baby speak and at the same time encourage her to respond to you by asking questions such as; “Red or pink socks?” “Apple or orange?”
- Imitating words and phrases helps children learn to make sense of the world, try talking books, and toys that speak back when a button is pressed, all will help your child to expand her world.
Troubleshooting -“My baby holds her breath when she’s angry.”
“My son did the same thing for a few months and it scared the life out of me, especially as he used to turn blue. My health visitor was wonderful she said it was common and that it probably was due to frustration and heightened by my anxiety. She taught me to stay calm by pointing out he wasn’t going to injure himself and how it was better to distract him with a toy, rather than giving in to what he wanted or trying to make him breathe. It really helped both of us and eventually he just stopped doing it.”
Lara 29, mum to Callum 18 months
Bounty
Bounty
