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You Will
Learn:
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what to expect
from infants.
-
all infants
are different yet they have similar patterns of development.
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the first year
of life is very important.
Infants
Two infants born at the same time may be very different. Some infants are
very quiet and sleep a lot. Other infants are very active. Accepting these
differences will make it easier to take care of infants and help them grow
and develop.
This fact sheet lists characteristics of most infants. These
characteristics are listed for three main areas: physical (body),social
(getting along with others) and emotional (feelings), and intellectual
(thinking and language) development. Remember that all infants are
different and reach the various stages at different times. A child who
walks or talks at a younger age than another child is not necessarily
"better" or more advanced. All age ranges given are approximate.
Learning more about infant development will help you:
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plan
activities that help infants grow and are fun,
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feel good
about what you do as a provider, and
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help infants
know they can do things and are loved.
Remember that
there is no perfect family day care provider. Sometimes you won't know
what to do. That is all right. Trust your own judgment and stick to it.
Learn as much as you can about infants. It takes time and practice to be a
good provider.
Also, there is no perfect infant. Infants are human. They have needs and
feelings. Infants look and act differently. Some babies are born quiet.
They may want to sleep all the time. Some babies are demanding and very
active. Let each infant be himself or herself. Adapt to each infant's
behavior instead of pushing the infant to be more like other infants.
Physical Development
Birth to Six Months
- At birth, infants cannot control their body movements. Most of their
movements are reflexes. Their nervous system is not fully developed.
- For the first few months, infants can see clearly objects that are about
10 inches away from their faces. By 6 months, their vision is more fully
developed.
- By 4 months, most babies have some control of their muscles and nervous
system. They can sit with support, hold their head up for short periods of
time, and can roll from their side to their stomach.
- By 5 months, most babies can roll over.
Six to Twelve Months
- Infants can sit alone.
- They start to eat and sleep at regular times.
- By 8 months, they can reach for and hold objects.
- They eat three meals a day and drink from bottles at various times.
- They start using a cup and spoon to feed themselves.
- Infants still take a nap in the morning and in the afternoon.
- They crawl with their stomach touching the floor, and they creep on
their hands and knees.
- They pull up to stand, they stand holding onto furniture, and they can
walk when led.
- They can pick up objects with their thumb and forefinger and let objects
go (drops things). They start to throw things.
- By the time they are 12 months old, most babies weigh three times what
they weighed at birth and are two times as long as they were at birth.
Social and Emotional Development
Birth to Six Months
- They begin to develop trust as their parents and providers meet their
needs (for example, feeding them when they are hungry, changing their
diapers when needed, or holding them when they cry).
- When frightened, infants cry and look surprised and afraid. They cry to
express hunger, anger, and pain. It is their way of communicating.
- They are easily excited or upset.
- They need to be cradled and comforted.
- It seems as if they cannot tell where their bodies end and someone
else's begins.
- Infants smile in response to a pleasant sound or a full stomach. At
about 6 weeks, they smile in response to someone else. By 4 months, they
smile broadly and laugh when pleased.
- They learn to recognize faces and voices of parents and providers.
Six to Twelve Months
- Infants will talk to themselves in front of a mirror.
- They respond when you say their names.
- They get angry and frustrated when their needs (for example, being fed,
having diapers changed, being held) are not met in a reasonable amount of
time.
- Eye contact begins to replace some of the physical contact that younger
infants seek.
- They begin to learn what is and is not allowed.
- They begin to fear strangers. They begin to fear being left by their
parents or other care providers.
Intellectual Development
Birth to Six Months
- Infants can focus on and follow moving objects with their eyes.
- They cry in different ways to express hunger, anger, and pain.
- They babble, coo, and gurgle.
- They turn to locate the source of sounds.
- They study their hands and feet.
- They forget about objects that they cannot see.
- They explore things with their mouth. They put anything they can hold
into their mouth.
Six to Twelve Months
- Infants make sounds like "dada" and "mama" (two-syllable sounds).
- They repeat actions that cause a response. (For example, when given a
rattle, they will shake it and laugh.)
- They wave bye-bye and play pat-a-cake.
- They look for things not in sight.
- They begin to pretend by acting out familiar activities.
- They respond to simple directions.
- They make sounds that can be understood by people who know them well.
- By 12 months, many infants speak their first understandable words.
Infant Safety
Infants learn by exploring with their bodies. Young children do not learn
simply by being told something. They discover meaning. It is important
that they have as many chances to explore and learn as possible. They must
do this exploring in an environment that is safe. It is the family day
care provider's challenge to encourage infants to learn by exploring and
to provide a safe environment. Keep the following safety tips in mind.
- Infants try to put everything in their mouths. Watch for small objects
that can fit in infants' mouths. Children under the age of 3 years should
not be allowed to handle small objects because of the danger of accidental
choking.
- Keep all poisonous substances out of the reach of young children. This
includes cleaning products and house plants.
- Be sure to wash objects that children put in their mouths. Many toys and
rattles can be cleaned in the dishwasher.
- Each infant should have a safe crib or playpen to rest and sleep in.
- Always use the safety straps in infant seats and other furniture. Use
federally approved child restraint systems when transporting an infant in
a car.
Activities to Do With Infants
Birth to Six Months
- Talk and sing to the babies when you feed, diaper, and clean them.
- Imitate the sounds that the babies make.
- Point to and say the names of the babies' mouth, ears, nose, fingers,
etc.
- Place toys and other colorful objects where babies can see and/or touch
them.
- Shake a rattle behind a baby's head and let the baby turn and grab the
rattle.
- When you hold or rock the baby, sing lullabies or other soothing songs.
- Place babies in different positions. For example, place them on their
stomach so they can practice lifting their head and rolling over.
Encourage hand clasping and kicking.
- Take care of babies' needs promptly. (For example, feed a hungry baby or
comfort a scared baby.)
SIX TO TWELVE MONTHS
- Play peekaboo or other games in which you disappear and reappear.
- Give babies a safe place where they can crawl, creep, and pull
themselves up.
- Roll a ball or place a toy where babies have to reach or crawl for it.
- Give babies toys that squeak.
- Give babies teething toys.
- Read aloud books that have large pictures and not much writing.
- Talk to babies and name objects as you and the babies handle them.
- Begin to teach what is allowed and what is not allowed.
- Do not force baby to interact with strangers.
- When babies indicate that they want help, provide it.
- Rock and hold babies when they are upset.
- Let babies fill containers with objects and then dump them out.
- Change toys often when babies get bored with them.
Remember
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Babies learn
trust and that they are loved when you respond to their needs
for food, comfort, and attention.
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Toys that go
in babies' mouths should be cleaned before giving them to another child.
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Toys should be
big enough so that infants cannot swallow them.
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Games and toys
are the tools that infants use to learn.
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Unless the
parents are harsh or critical, the way you and the parents treat the
infants should be similar.
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Taking care of
infants is demanding work. When the infants are not in your home, take
some time to do something for yourself
If you think
your child may have a problem or delay in development, it is important to
have a professional evaluation and begin intervention as soon as possible.
For evaluation resources, visit our online
Special Needs Database to search for diagnostic and evaluation
resources. Reprinted
with permission from the National Network for Child Care - NNCC. Nuttall,
P. (1991). Infant development. In (Family Day Care Facts series). Amherst,
MA: University of Massachusetts.
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The impact of a
disability can always be lessened to some degree by early intervention. |
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