Touching, smiling, and all the contact of general company are vital to your baby’s happiness at this stage, as he gradually learns to refine his conversational gestures and cries into recognizable signs of communication.

6-8 months Closeness to another baby will be a delight. He’ll reach out and touch new friends and will enjoy social games like “Peek- a- boo” and “Pat- a- Cake.” He will try to communicate with a series of shrieks, grunts, burbles, and coughs, and will mimic facial expressions and conversational gestures. You should “answer” him in order to stimulate these “conversations” and impress upon him that social interaction is a two-way activity.

8-12 months He will respond to his own name now and will understand that a firm “no” means that he should stop whatever he is doing. He is affectionate and will demand closeness with you, particularly big hugs and intimate smiles. Certain social rituals are common to him now- like saying “bye- bye”- which he’ll imitate with little prompting. He’ll no longer calmly allow a toy to be taken away; he’ll show anger if this happens.

12-15 months His sociability is constantly expanding, and he enjoys being in groups, especially when he can follow conversations and join in whenever there’s a lull. Despite his outgoing attitude, he will still need to be close to you for reassurance and security, and will often look to you when meeting new people- just holding hands will give him the confidence he needs. He can say a few words, ask for things, and show thanks when things are done for him in an individual way. He likes to be helpful, and enjoys sharing tasks with you.

15-18 months By now your baby is even more helpful with daily chores, and loves the independence of dressing and understanding himself. He is very affectionate, and shows love for his family, pets, and favorite toys. He imitates adult behavior and is fascinated by adult interaction and conversation. Despite being socially aware, he will tend to play alone and, although he will enjoy playing near another child, he will not tend to play with him.

• Very eager to show how grown up he is becoming
• Determined to be independent and to manage without help
• Demonstrating likes and dislikes with certainly and assertion, if not consistency
• Unable to consider consequences and gets very angry when he has to wait, often showing this with violent noises and actions
• Aware that he is a separate being from you and, as such, is determined to have his own way
• Often confused and unhappy at the conflict between his urge to be independent and his desire to love and please you
• More willful than his intellectual maturity will allow
• Extreme in his emotions, which range from great happiness to outbursts of temper tantrums
• Seemingly infatuated with saying the word “no”

If you have a quiet child who has a long concentration span, you can take him to a flower show or museum, and point out the things around him. If, on the other hand, he’s very active, he’ll need more space to run around in and a trip to the zoo, a playground, or an outdoor event may be more appropriate. Wherever you go, be prepared to make endless stops to look at whatever catches your child’s attention. Always take enough drinks and snacks to keep your child happy for the full duration of the trip. Don’t take on a trip of any kind if you or your child are feeling out of sorts; The day is beyond to be a disaster, so don’t feel guilty about canceling the outing altogether.

What to take: For an older baby, you’ll need solid food and feeding and changing equipment.

• Changing mat
• Fabric or disposable diapers
• Baby wipes
• Diaper cream
• Plastic bags or sealable container for dirty diapers
• Baby food, dish, and spoon
• Bib for feeding
• Snack, such as fruit
• Diluted fruit juice
• Sun hat or woolen hat
• Cardigan or sweater
• Comfort objects
• Favorite book
• Favorite toys

Handling a stroller

Make sure you can kick it shut, open it up one- handed, and operate the brakes.

What to do Make your home as childproof as possible: remove breakable objects from within her reach, and install safety plugs and guards around the house to make sure that she can’t injure herself. Distraction is a good ploy for frustration, so always have a favorite toy on hand or be ready with a game.

As your child searches for comport she may become attached to an object, such as a blanket, or turn to thumb- sucking as consolation when you are not around. Nearly all children requires some form of comport that they control. Very often comfort objects are ones that they suck or stroke in moments of anxiety or stress, to simulate the effect of being stroked or being comforted.

What to do The best thing is extra reassurance, physical contact, hugs, love and soothing talk. Your child will outgrow this period of anxiety, but it helps never to force her to go to a stranger if she doesn’t really want to. Explain to strangers that she is shy and needs some time to get used to them. Your presence helps her to cope with new situations and experiences, even though she may feel fearful and uncomfortable. Whatever you do, let your baby have the comforter of her choice, and always give her lots of hugs.

This doesn’t mean to say you can’t gently encourage your child to be curious and adventures. To grow up with a feeling of self- confidence, your child requires your approval, love, and phrase, so give it every time she shows some independence.

What to do While it lasts, be very careful about the way you take leave of your baby and ensure that she’s familiar with her surroundings and the people she is with. If she find separation very unpleasant the first time, she’s likely to respond with crying the second time. It’s up to you to make separation as easy as possible. Be sympathetic and supportive and never make fun of your child’s fears. She will respond better to reassuring action than words, so if you make a promise to her that you are coming back, always keep it. If you say that you are only going for five minutes, leave the room, get on with some job, and come back in exactly that time.

Boredom: The older she gets, the longer your baby will spend being awake, and there is therefore greater score for her getting bored. Many children cry out of sheer boredom, especially if left alone with no distractions, nothing to look at, and no one to play with. Your child of a year old enjoys your company more than anything else, and is constantly interested in what you are doing.

What to do Always leave toys in the crib, especially old color magazines or cloth books. Mobiles, baby gyms, or strings of interesting objects above the crib will help amuse and distract your baby. Though it may be tiresome for you, your baby will cry a great deal less from boredom if you keep her with you as much as you can.

A hunger cry is usually the first cry that a parent recognizes, and it is the most common reason that young babies cry. They rarely cry after feeding. Babies love the sensation of a full stomach, more than being held or sucking.

Tiredness

Until they’re used to their new world, babies cry when they are tired; it takes an observant parent to realize this and put a baby down.

Lack of contact

Some babies will stop crying as soon as you pick them up, because they want a hug. Babies brought up in cultures where they are constantly in a sling or swaddled rarely cry.

Startling

A jerky movement, a sudden noise, or a bright light can upset your baby.

Undressing

Some babies dislike being undressed because it puts their bodies through movements that are neither familiar nor comforting and they hate air on their skin.

Temperature

Babies tend to cry if they become too hot or too cold. They may cry if a wet or soiled diaper gets cold or if they are suffering from diaper rush.

Pain

Colic (in the first three months), an ear infection, or some other source of pain may cause your baby to cry. If it’s colic, his legs will probably be drawn up to his abdomen. Feed on demand. If you have a baby who wants to suck all the time, you don’t need to feed; just give him a drink of boiled water. Use a pacifier, holding it in his mouth if necessary, so that he can suck on it.

What To Do

Lay your baby down where he is quiet, warm, and cozy. Wrapping or swaddling him before putting him down to sleep can help, too.

Always pick up your baby as soon as he cries. Carry him around in a shawl or a sling. Lay your baby tummy down across your lap and gently massage his back.

Hold your baby close, rock him gently, and sing to him. Avoid sudden jerky movements, noises, and bright lights.

Undress your baby as little as possible in the first few weeks, and keep him wrapped or covered with a towel as you remove layers of clothing. Keep up a running commentary of reassuring talk as you undress him.

Keep your baby’s room between 68- 72 F° (20- 22°C) with the coverings suggested on p. 123. Remove blankets and clothing if your baby becomes too hot; add heavier clothing or a blanket if he is too cold. Change his diaper if necessary.

Hold your baby close, hug him, and talk soothingly. If you can find a source of pain, such as a diaper pin, remove it immediately. If your baby seems ill, seek medical advice.

Colic

Crying caused by colic can be distinguished from other forms because it is more of a high-pitched scream than a cry, and usually you’ll find that your baby’s legs are drawn up to his abdomen or scratched out straight and that his face becomes very red.

Colic- related crying often starts in the early evening between five and six o’clock, and is not usually pacified by the usual remedies. Colic generally stops by the age of three or four months without your doing anything at all, is rarely serious, and needs no treatment but parents find it distressing. It is not known why it happens, but it usually starts in the first three weeks of a baby life.

It is well recognize that colicky babies are quite healthy and continue to thrive.

All sorts of causes have been put forward, such as constipation, diarrhea, overfeeding, underfeeding, gas in the bowl, being picked up too much or too little, indigestion, and tension.

As your baby is likely to cry every night for 12 weeks, I am against using any kind of medicine to forestall the crying. Of course, you should try to soothe your baby, but don’t expect him to respond readily. Try to take comport from the fact that these spells last for only three months and do not indicate a health problem, so there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

If you know, for example, that he’s hungry, don’t delay his feeding by deciding to give him a bath first, simply as a matter of sticking to your routine. Occasionally, you have to ignore routines in order to respond to your baby’s crying.

There are all sorts of signs of small discomforts to which you must be alert. When your baby has a cold, for instance, his nose may become blocked, making it impossible to breathe and feed at the same time, so he’ll become angry and frustrated and will almost certainly cry.

Undressing

Many young babies cry when they are having a bath, because they hate having their skin exposed to the air.

• A movement that rocks him, whether it is you, a swing, a rocking cradle, or a rocking chair.
• Walking or dancing with an emphasis on rhythm, since it reminds him of the time when he was being jogged inside the uterus.
• Bouncing him in your arms or in the crib.
• Putting him in a sling.
• Any forms of music as long as it is not too loud but is rhythmic-specially recorded sleeping tapes are available.
• A noisy toy that your baby can shake or rattle.
• A steady household noise such as the washing machine.
• Your own singing voice, especially if you sing a lullaby.