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Development FAQ: 6-12 months – Other Advice
My little boy, Ben, who is eight months old, has several teeth, which I try to clean in the morning and the evening. Sometimes he is very co-operative but on other occasions he clamps his mouth shut and won’t let me clean them. Do you have any tips on the best way to clean your child’s teeth and what to do if they are not to keen on the idea? Ben’s response is perfectly naturally. He is at an age when he is beginning to want to try to do things himself. I suspect he probably wants to feed himself too? These first indications of independence are a very healthy…
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Development FAQ: 6-12 months – Behaviour
How do I get my 10mth old son to stop screaming? It is affecting our whole life My son has always been a very happy and easy baby. However, there is one major problem that has caused endless tension and countless arguments between my husband and me. Basically, he likes to scream (a very high pitched horror film style scream). He seems to do it when he is excited, tired, hungry, dirty, bored, frustrated or in need of attention. It started when he was about 4 1/2 mths old and I was adamant it was just a phase that he would soon grow out of. I have always been able…
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Development FAQ: 6-12 months – Behaviour
At 11mths my daughter is able to use spouted beakers for both milk and water. Lately she has started to drop or throw her cup after taking a small amount at milk feeds having previously taken these well. How do I deal with this behaviour? We introduced beakers to my daughter, who is now 11mths following the guidelines. She took to them well, and is now only having a bottle once a day at bedtime. She uses non-spill Tommee Tippee cups both with and without handles. She has always been inclined to drop her water beaker at mealtimes, and recently she has also started to drop her cup whilst it…
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Development FAQ: 6-12 months – Behaviour
My nine-month-old twins have become extremely vocal in the last couple of weeks. My little girl makes most of the noise but my son is beginning to copy her. She has developed an ear splitting scream and continually blows raspberries. The twins are clearly enjoying communicating in this way, although it does contribute to rather messy mealtimes. It is hard not be amused by my daughter’s animation, and I assume it is just a phase but at what age should I begin to be “responsible” for my babies’ behaviour? They’re such happy babies that I don’t want to stop them from expressing themselves and being lively, but equally I don’t…
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Development FAQ: 6-12 months – Behaviour
At 10.5mths my son is very clingy, especially when we are alone together I wonder of there is any advice you could give to help my baby form being wingey and clingy. He hangs onto my legs if I am washing up etc and wants to be picked up most of the time. He is very active and enjoys being around his older brother and he likes going to play centers. But when we are at home he just wants my constant attention, more so in the mornings whether there is anyone around or not. Have you any tips? At this stage in your son’s development he will become very…
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Development FAQ: 6-12 months – Learning
We have emigrated and my baby’s development is regressing Please help… we emigrated to Australia four weeks ago with our 9 month old son, and despite seeming to be happy he does seem to have gone backwards in his development. He was finger feeding quite confidently before we left, and now he refuses to put any food in his mouth at all, although he will put an empty spoon in his mouth, and in my mouth. He is happy to eat finger foods, i.e. toast, fruit etc and is eating quite lumpy food, but I have to feed it to him. When we first arrived here we put him straight…
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Development FAQ: 6-12 months – Learning
How can I get my nine-month daughter Kate to be less wary of people? How can I get my nine-month daughter Kate to be less wary of people? We live in a small village, which is a close and friendly community. Until about a month ago, Kate would smile happily at everyone, but now she turns her head away when people speak to her. My neighbour, whom Kate has known since birth, would love to look after her occasionally, but Kate just wants to be beside me the whole time. I tried leaving Kate last week for an hour, but it was a disaster and in the end I brought…
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Development FAQ: 6-12 months – Learning
My 6 month old is not properly sitting yet and is unable to amuse herself for long My daughter who is just over 6 months old does not sit well alone. She seems bored and frustrated within minutes of being put down on her play mat. Often she will hold a toy for a few minutes, suck it and then look for something else as though she is bored with everything she has. It isn’t long before she is grizzling and wants to be picked up. What sort of toys should she now be having and what can I do to help her be more independent? Getting your daughter to…
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Development FAQ: 6-12 months – Learning
My son, who is almost eight months old, is making no attempt to crawl yet. Should I be concerned about this and is there anything I can do to encourage him? He sits quite well on his own, but has never really enjoyed being on his tummy. I appreciate that, once he is crawling, a few changes will have to take place around the home to prevent accidents. What things should I be aware of? You can find ways to encourage your son to crawl, but only when he is physically ready to do so. Crawling is a milestone, which comes once sitting alone has been mastered, and usually occurs…