Advice for new parents
Me and my child
Baby Steps | 3 μηνών+
Baby Steps | 3 months+
Starts to really engage and to be an active, wriggling and rolling baby. Now beginning to be aware of surrounding environments and everyone in the family.
What babies can do
• Communicates with adults on many levels, excited anticipation of breast or bottle feed.
• Smiles at sight of well known adults and it is clearly obvious when baby is contented.
• Starts to move hands and feet actively, plus takes everything to mouth for investigating at 4 to 6 months. A baby learns so much from objects by ‘mouthing them’ e.g. the shape, size and texture etc. There are millions of nerve endings in the mouth which magnify the object, enabling the baby to investigate fully.
• Starts to roll from front to back first (3 to 4 months) and from back to front (5 months onwards). Around 90% of babies can roll both ways by 6 months. This further increases the need to be aware of baby’s health and safety and he should never be left unattended.
• Baby’s communication has really started to emerge from coos to babbles, laughing and squealing with delight from 3 months plus.
• Sits with support around 6 months and enjoys sitting in the highchair for playing, as well as feeding. However, this should not be for a prolonged period or baby left unattended.
Routine and parenting
Most babies will be starting to sleep through the night so the routine starts to make life a little easier for parents. Mum may be thinking about going back to work and planning childcare. This can be an exhausting time. Families might take a short holiday before baby gets fully mobile which means they will have to adjust to first experiences of travelling as a family. This can be stressful and they will need products, which are easy to set up (e.g. travel cots) and do the job well. At the end of this stage (6 months) most parents will have started to offer their baby small amounts of solid foods in addition to milk. It is now recommended by health professionals, to start weaning at around 6 months.
What items are required at this stage?
Products – highchair and early weaning items and products e.g. beakers, bowls, bibs and spoons.
Clothes – baby is usually growing well at this stage and getting very messy with weaning, so more clothing required – parents buying more day outfits.
Toys – baby now has greater interest in newborn toys, starts to get more use out of play gym and rattles, and at the end of this stage can really manipulate toys. Continues to explore by putting toys straight in their mouth. Likes rattles, which are easy to hold and lightweight but can make a noise when shaken. Gradually learning to hold toys in the palm of both hands (this is called a palmer grasp/grip). Enjoys looking into a baby mirror, starts to show an interest in own reflection – provides endless fascination from 4 to 7 months. Likes toys with different textures and those which can be investigated. Introduce more colours but still keep toys simple and not too ‘busy’. This is a good age to start introducing simple bath toys; use of a non-slip bath mat essential once baby moves from baby to big bath.
