Developmental Milestone

0-3 Month Milestones

Here are some baby milestone for you to be guided as your beloved one grows up.

Motor

• Lifts and holds head up
• Pushes up on arms while lying on tummy
• Able to move fists from open to fist
• Able to bring hands to mouth
• Moves legs and arms off of surface when excited

Sensory

•  Moves eyes to visually track objects
• Attempts to reach for a toy held above their chest
• Keeps head centered to watch faces or toys
• Able to calm with rocking, touching, and gentle sounds
• Is not upset by everyday sounds
• Enjoys a variety of movements

Communication

• Turns head towards sound or voice
• Quiets or smiles when spoken to
• Shows interest in faces
• Makes eye contact
• Cries differently for different needs (e.g. hungry vs. tired)
• Coos and smiles

Feeding

• Turns head toward nipple or bottle
• Tongue moves forward and back to suck
• Drinks 2 oz. to 6 oz. of liquid per feeding, 6 times per day
• Sucks and swallows well during feeding

What Should We Ask/Talk About With Our Childs Kindergarten Teacher?

The first day of kindergarten is just around the corner here are some topics that might help you get a good idea about what questions you should ask and how they will more than likely be able to answer most of your questions.

Homework
Ask your child kindergarten teacher what kind of homework will be sent home and how much. Knowing up front what to expect will help you prepare your child for homework and also schedule helping him in your evening.

Daily Routine
Asking about the daily routine and how the day plays out is another good question. The teacher can address your fears and concerns and help you see how instruction is broken up by free time, recess, snack, lunch, and games. The whole day won't be focused on lecturing your child on how to write his letters, but knowing exactly how the day will be might make you feel better.

Curriculum
Many parents really want to know about their child kindergarten curriculum. This includes the different themes that will be discussed and what subjects will be covered. All parents have a fear their child won't excel and want to do everything they can to prepare them for a successful year. Because of this parents should talk about the curriculum with their child's kindergarten teacher and determine what will take place and what their child will learn.

Discipline
Discuss discipline with your child kindergarten teacher as well. This is an important topic and one you will want to know all about ahead of time. You don't want to be surprised with a method of discipline so talk with the teacher and find out how transgressions are handled and what punishment children will receive.

You may have some other questions other than these you want to ask your child kindergarten teacher. If that is the case then feel free asking  them. 

Early Literacy: Reading

There are basically two approaches used in the teaching of reading...

• look and say

• phonics

Look and say involves the recognition of whole words by their shape. Words and often written on flashcards and children will attempt to memorize them, often practicing at home.

Children can then read simple stories comprised of words that they have learned. They recognize words from their shapes, from the look of them.

The shortcoming of this approach is that early readers will have no way of recognizing words that they have not yet learned.

Phonics breaks down words into sounds and encourages the sounding out of words. Children are encouraged to pick out patterns in the sounds of words, noticing rhymes and rhythms.

The disadvantage with this method is that English is not phonically regular - a letter may make one sound and a completely different sound in another.

It is not very rewarding for the early reader to be limited to phonically regular words that can be sounded out. On the other hand, knowledge of phonics will have no way of recognizing words that they have not yet learned.

Cognitive Child Development: "From Birth to 6 Years"

Cognitive development is the way in which your child manages her thinking, and talent to create sense of the world and what is occurring around her. When your child is able to deal with difficulties, telling about it in advance are examples of skills associated with cognitive child development.

At Birth

New-born babies are already energetically using all their senses to investigate their new surroundings.

Your child is seeing new things, listening to new sounds and smelling new particular smell.

When not sleeping, your child is attentive and already learning to deal successfully with a big area of new facts.

Your child...

• Starts to develop general ideas.

• Investigates using her senses and using her own action activity.

• Makes eye communication and cries to point out need.

Aiding Her Cognitive Development

You can aid your baby's intellectual development through play. New born babies answer to things that they see, hear and feel.

• Displaying Object - Try to display objects to her such as brightly colored woolly pompoms, balloons, shiny objects and black and white patterns. Hold the object straight in front of her face and give her time to focus on it and gradually positioning it.

Increasing Her Cognitive Development

• Make enough physical contact and maintain eye contact with her at all times.

• Exploit lively, different colors in furnishings around the home.

• Present her to unusual household noises.

Top 5 tips for balancing work and family life

1. Build a Support Network

Ask for help and allow yourself to be helped and contributed to. Get your children involved--work together as a team. Recruit friends, family, neighbors, bosses, work colleagues, etc. and ask for their support. Between work and family, surprises are inevitable. Be prepared by creating back-up and emergency plans; always have a contingency.

2. Let Go of Guilt

Guilt is one of the greatest wastes of emotional energy. It causes you to become immobilized in the present because you are dwelling on the past. Guilt can be very debilitating. By introducing logic to help counter-balance the guilt, you can avoid sabotaging your efforts toward work/family balance and stay better on course.

3. Establish Limits and Boundaries and Remember They are Necessary for Balancing Work and Family

Boundaries are an imaginary line of protection that you draw around yourself. They are about protecting you from other people's actions. Determine for yourself what is acceptable and unacceptable behavior from other people. Boundaries and limits define how you take charge of your time and space and get in touch with your feelings. They express the extent of your responsibilities and power and show others what you are willing to do or accept. Without limits it's difficult to say "no". Remind yourself often that your boundaries are necessary for balancing work and family.

4. Determine Your Own Standards

Get rid of the notion of being a perfectionist. Wean yourself off it by making compromises--figure out where the best places to make the compromises are without short-changing yourself, your spouse, your children, your boss, etc. Live by your own standards rather than someone else's. Standards are about YOU and refer to the behavior and actions you are willing to hold yourself to.

5. Create Time for Yourself

Being a good parent, partner and professional means being good to yourself first. Use your mind to make some affirmations for yourself. Find ways to relax, relieve tension and minimize stress. Taking some time off for yourself will not only benefit you, but it will benefit your work and family tremendously, as well!