When Your Child First Speaks

I'll be glad when I get my Mobile

I well remember musing with my wife,whilst watching our first son take tentative steps, what it would be like once he could talk to us. Little did I realise the significant change there would be in our lives, particularly once he discovered the word "why"!
However talking and walking stages in your child's development are often reversed in order, so if you haven't sought information on walking yet go to the post above! 

What to Do If Your Toddler is Not Talking Yet

If all of your friends toddlers are babbling away and your toddler is not talking yet you may have reason to become concerned. One of the things parents often use to gauge their child's development is how early they start talking. Babies start off experimenting with noises from an early age, usually consisting of babbling noises, the typical "goo goo" and "gaa gaa" sounds, these will turn into "ma ma" and "da da". These babbling sounds eventually progress into Mommy and Daddy. So how do you determine whether your child has delayed speech development and what do you do if your toddler is not talking yet?

On a daily basis your child will find different ways to shape their mouth and change the noise they are making; the first step in their speech development. Parents naturally spend a great deal of time talking to their baby's but they do this instinctually and mostly to enjoy the social interaction it offers. Many don't realize that this is also essential for the development of their speech and language skills. 

Babies recognize the sound of their parent's voices from even before birth; they become familiar with us when they are in the womb. Parent's voices are comforting for them, especially for newborns before their vision is fully developed. Babies and toddlers mimic their parents; that's how they learn. The more verbal communication you engage in with your child, the faster they will learn.

By the time your child is the age of twelve to eighteen months your baby should be saying words like Mommy and Daddy. Over the next year of your child's speech development, they will learn to put together small sentences and communicate their needs to their family members. By the age of 21 months most children can be understood by their family. If your child cannot communicate with family members and be understood by the age of 30 months there would be cause for concern. At any stage, if your child is not meeting the age appropriate developmental timelines you should seek professional opinion. Trust your instincts, more often than not parents know best.

If your toddler isn't talking yet there are things you can do to encourage speech development. Keyword signing, otherwise known as baby sign language has been shown by researchers to increase language acquisition by up to 3 months. Children using sign language have the language re-enforced to them by the parent as the gestures are used in conjunction with the word. Parent's who use sign language with their children are often more aware of their communication with their baby's and flood them with language on a daily basis. Gesture based baby sign language also improves word comprehension as the gesture is a natural movement that mimics the meaning of the word. Reading to your child is another important strategy that will go a long way to improving your child's language skills. When they are exposed to reading at an early age they pick up on the way language ebbs and flows and are more likely to have an interest in books later on.

So if you are concerned that your toddler is not talking yet, assess the developmental timeline as make sure they are reaching the recommended milestones. Not all babies develop at the same rate and the normal range can differ by months. If you are looking for ways to encourage speech development because your toddler is not talking yet, keyword signing and reading are both great places to start.

About the Author: Lisa Baade is the Author of Toddler Interpreter, A Parent's Guide to Baby Sign Language for Hearing Babies and Toddlers.

Teaching a simple keyword based communication tool such as Baby Sign Language can help to accelerate your child's speech comprehension and development. More importantly it can also provide an invaluable head start if you find out later that they suffer from a speech delay. 

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lisa_Baade

                                      Talking WITH Toddlers is Different Than Talking AT Infants

Toddlers are ready to be "talked with" rather than "talked at." The lengthy sentences and questions we surround infants with so they get the overall "speech envelope" of language are not as helpful to language-learning toddlers.

What really helps toddlers is when parents are talking partners rather than "quizzers" (that's a nicer word than interrogators!) If you really want to encourage word use, reduce the use of direct questions and increase the use of statements.

In my 34 years as a speech-language pathologist working exclusively with children and their parents, most parents have told me that they ask their young children who are not talking yet a lot of questions. Many have told me it is upwards of 80 percent. That's a lot of questions! I think parents do this hoping they will actually get an answer which will validate their wish that their child will start talking soon. Unfortunately, such excessive use of questioning works against the child's learning process, and the child is less likely to talk when questioned.

It may seem difficult initially to change all of your questions into statements, but it is possible to do it. For example, instead of asking a toddler, "What do you see?" or, "Do you see that jet?" you can simply state the obvious, "I see a jet way up high in the sky!"

Once you make a full sentence, then systematically reduce it to a phrase and then to a key word--and sometimes right down to the vowel sound from the word or a sound effect. Doing this "filters" the rapid flow of speech so your child gets a chance to grasp what the best word is to match an experience and how to say that word.

Here's an example using the sentence I wrote above. You will see that each utterance is shorter than the previous one. "I see a jet way up high in the sky!" "That's a fast jet. Fast jet. Jet! Zzzzzoooooommm!" Pause to wait for an imitation if the child is ready to try.

I call this process of systematically reducing the length of a sentence the "Upside-Down Pyramid" way of talking with young children so they can learn to start talking or to talk better. My ideas are practical and are intended to be used throughout the day during a family's usual activities and routines. Many parents have indicated that they got results right away as soon as they stopped asking so many questions and learned how to present statements in this new way. When you are ready, you can learn to use this method, too.

Mary Lou B. Johnson, M.S., CCC-SLP, is a speech-language pathologist with 34 years of experience working with children and their families at The Children's Hospital, Denver. 

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mary_Lou_Johnson 

When Your Baby is Not Yet Walking

I'm in no hurry to walk away from here!

No sooner does baby (and you) get through the first 2 development stages in their life than the next is upon you. Although potty training and walking are commonly reversed in time. 

Moms worry. Let's face it; we worry about everything from baby eating,

 to sleeping, to walking. So what if your baby isn't 

walking yet, even though all of your baby’s friends at church, 

play group, or daycare are already running around?

Some babies start walking around 9 or 10 months old, but yours is still just 

crawling and doesn't show any interest in walking. Should you 

be worried? The answer is NO. Baby just isn't ready yet. In 

fact many babies don't start walking till well after their first 

birthdays. Usually between 13 and 15 months, but sometimes as 

late as 18 months in some cases. My child didn't walk until he 

was 17 months old. There are many factors that play into when 

your baby will start walking. So here are some factors that may 

influence when your baby takes his first steps.

-Your baby’s genetic makeup determines whether your baby will 

walk early or late.

-A baby’s weight and build also determines when your baby will 

walk. A baby with short legs will most likely walk before a 

baby with long legs that are difficult to balance on. A short 

baby will probably walk before a taller baby. A more muscular 

baby will probably walk before a skinny baby. You get the 

point.

-If your baby is happy crawling, chances are baby will crawl 

longer because there is no need to walk. Also, babies that are 

carried a lot seem to walk later. A baby that doesn't crawl 

much will probably walk earlier.

-A bad fall can discourage your baby from walking. The first 

time baby lets go of mom’s hand and hurts himself can be 

discouraging. Baby will probably wait until he is more sturdy 

to take his first steps.

-An environment that is small can discourage walking because 

baby can crawl anywhere he may want to go.

-When you encourage baby to walk several times a day, baby may 

rebel. My theory is that baby gets more attention from not 

walking, so he refuses to walk. Baby's can be stubborn.

-Usually babies that aren't around other children seem to walk 

later because they have no one to keep up with. That is why the 

he first child tends to walk later then the second or third 

child.

-A baby who is sick with the flu or an ear infection will limit 

walking and prolong walking for a couple of weeks.

-Putting your baby in playpens or strollers can hinder the 

development of leg muscles which can slow down the walking 

process.

A good thing to know is that walking later has nothing to do 

with baby's intellectual development. As soon as baby starts 

walking, you--the mom--will be more active as well. Baby will be 

exploring everything. So sit back and enjoy some peace and 

quiet while you can. Remember, kids that walk later learn to 

run soon after.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Brooke_Schuman

Working at Home

You can wear what you like, take as many tea breaks as you please and don't have to worry about the boss seeing you slacking.
Yet research has found that working from home can be just as stressful as going to the office.
Home-workers often stay at their desks late into the night and at weekends, and complain that they can never escape work pressure - to the detriment of their family life.
Women, especially those with children and in managerial positions, have the most problems.
Researchers at the University of Teesside, backed by the Economic and Social Research Council, found that more than a quarter of those who work at home feel it makes their lives more difficult.
They said their self-esteem and 'work-life balance' had suffered. Dr Jeanne Moore, a lecturer in social science and law, said: 'Working from home can encroach on both evenings and weekends. People also found they were having difficulties managing space and time because of their families.'
Dr Moore said those interviewed complained that 'their home was no longer their castle'. The report concluded that working at home is a ' doubleedged sword' which allows greater flexibility but can also create problems.
Carol Savage, who runs a recruitment and consultancy service for home workers, said: 'In reality these people are working incredibly hard, not just watching TV or going to the supermarket.'
According to official estimates, 1.5million people - 5.5 per cent of the workforce - work at home. That number is expected to double by 2010.
One of them, recruitment consultant Sam Walker, said: 'You feel very relaxed in your own environment but you can also lose a bit of focus and momentum without people around to give you help and motivation.'
Mrs Walker, 36, worked for two years at home in Chelsea, West London, but has decided to return to office life - even though her annual income will drop.
Last year the University of Central Lancashire and the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology found that home-workers experience more stress than those in an office. They are also more likely to be lonely and irritable, which can lead to loss of concentration and sleeping problems

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-178544/Working-home-just-tough.html

Working From Home is a LIFESTYLE

In our modern world there are many different ways of making a living, with many different cycle times.

The traditional "daily commute" of leaving home, travelling to a place of work and returning home in the evening is carried out by millions of us.This mixes with the life cycle of our families, spouse's job, children's school etc.

Should one cycle change, for instance as in some sales jobs, to a weekly cycle; out Monday, back Friday, this imposes changes to the spouse's life in having to assume more responsibility for every day decisions. With the advent of better telecommunications this is getting less problematical compared with 30 years ago!

With jobs such as on oil rigs or in export sales, the cycle becomes even more at odds with that of a family. The primary income earner may be away from the home for extended periods of weeks or even months. The prime example of this is the forces.These cases impose a much greater change of discipline on the family with the spouse and children forming a separate grouping into which the returning income earner (mother or father) has to adjust and fit. In a 6 week cycle such on oil rigs or on safety ships it can take 2 weeks to readjust, 2 weeks being part of the family group and then 2 weeks preparing to leave. Then the spouse and children return to deciding questions amongst themselves. This can lead to stress when the other spouse, on return, can be thought to be "muscling in". The advent of satellite comms. from even battlefronts has helped reduce this problem!

In the case of export sales trips, which can take a number of weeks, we have the case of the dreaded "neighbours' holiday films".You are advised not to take a camera as your trip is not a family holiday and he family is not really interested, having been living their own life cycles in your absence and then readjusting to your presence on your return.

The point of these observations is to show that any change of means of earning a living can mean a change of lifestyle, even when "working from home on the internet" .Effectively you have to live the job!

In support of working from home though I would say from personal experience with my grandchildren that being able to see the joy of children in the first 4 years of school in the morning is worth the effort; sadly something daily commuters miss!