BEST BABY TOYS
Now you can add a soft rubber or woolly ball to his toys.
Put him in the playpen, give him a rattle, soft doll, and ball. Then leave him
alone except for necessary care.
A BUSY BABY
By now your little one is
beginning to reach for objects, and everything he picks up goes into his mouth.
This is your signal to remove and put in a safe place thing like safety pins,
coins, or buttons—anything that might be left within his reach. Caution the
older children not to leave objects around or to give objects to the baby on
which he might choke.
And keep an eye on your little wiggleworm. Now that he's rolling over, you can't
leave him alone on his bath table, your bed, or a sofa for even a minute.
BABY SITTING UP
You'll probably notice now when you hold your baby
that he is beginning to push with his toes. This doesn't mean that he wants to
stand up, so don't rush him. It's simply his way of exercising muscles that
he'll use later in pulling himself up.
He might begin sitting up at 5 months, but this usually. doesn't happen until 6
to 8 months. Let him do this at his own speed. If he can control his head, and
if he's well supported, you can put him in a semi-sitting position, but then if
h slouches over, it's too early for even supported sitting.
This doesn't mean that you can't set him up in your lap or; pull him up to a
sitting position, but be sure to keep his back straight whenever you do. A
better practice, however, is to put him in his playpen and let him sit and stand
whenever he gets ready.
BABY CUTTING TEETH
The average baby cuts teeth between the sixth and eighth
months. The earliest teeth to appear are those in front—the central incisors.
There are wide variations in the ages at which first teeth come through—all the
way from 4 to 14 months so don't worry if he teethes later than other children his
age.
If he's getting the proper foods and vitamins, and is developing normally, then
his teeth will take care of themselves. There's also a tendency for the babies
in a family to cut their teeth at about the same age.
Many babies will cut their teeth without their parents being
aware that they're
teething. Some will be fussy and irritable, and drool a lot for a few days.
Occasionally they will have loose stools and may spit up.
As a relief measure, offer him a teething ring made of hard
rubber or plastic
and cooled in the refrigerator.
Teething is rarely associated with any illness. However,
your physician should be
consulted if there is a high fever, rash, or if your baby does not act well. |