This is the third post in the PhD Parenting series, click here to read PhDad and PhD Mom.
I’ve been doing this mom thing for about 2 years now and along the way I’ve gotten a chance to not only watch my child grow from being a squishy potato of a newborn into a boisterous, opinionated, and hilarious toddler, but I’ve also learned some cool things about baby cognition and child development along the way.
Babies can learn to use sign language before they are even able to talk.
Language is one of the unique features of being a human, so a lot of research and attention goes into understanding the development and use of language. On average, a baby’s first spoken word comes around 11-13 months after birth, but even before spoken communication, babies can learn to communicate using sign language. Babies can learn and pick up on various signs as early as 6-9 months, and teaching this skill, even if it’s just a few signs, can transform relationships and experiences with young kids. The first sign my son learned was “more” and he used it constantly to ask for more food or more songs, or more time with his parents or grandparents. By 8 months old he could sign “more,” “food,” “milk,” and “all done.” Not only was he able to use these signs to communicate their exact meaning, he was able to adapt them to express different uses as well. If he wanted to snuggle, he would sign “more milk” because he knew I would pick him up and hold him so he could nurse. If he wanted out of his high chair but was still hungry, he would sign “all done,” and then once we set him down he would sign “food” so we would put his food on his little play table.
Babies start out with a different sleep pattern than adults.
The brain activity of newborns while sleeping follows a very simple pattern of REM (Rapid eye movement) sleep and nonREM sleep. Around four months of age though, babies go through a drastic change in their sleep patterns so that they reflect patterns we see in adults and older children. So instead of 2-stage sleep (REM and nonREM), they develop the 4-stage sleep patterns you see in adults (Alpha waves, sleep spindles, delta waves, and REM). This change in sleep patterns can start as early as 3 months old or as late as 6 months old, can take anywhere from 2-6 weeks to change, and can be exhausting and disruptive to everyone in the household. Although this is the only major change in baby sleep patterns as they age, it’s common to hear a baby or toddler is going through a “sleep regression.” Although regression isn’t exactly the best word to describe what’s happening. Many of the “regressions” babies and toddlers have tend to correlate with a new stage of development that they are going through, but more likely is a result of sleep and wake patterns ranging widely throughout the early years of childhood.
Playing is one of the most important things a baby can do for healthy brain development.
As adults, we may view play as something fun to do, but it turns out to be an incredibly vital part of development. Matching games, like finding matching pictures or fitting the right shape into the right hole, can enhance critical thinking skills, reinforce memory and attention, and problem solving. Unstructured play with sensory bins at a playground or in the backyard, allows for sensory exploration and development, improves gross and fine motor skills, provides opportunities for creativity, and expands the imagination. Group play improves social skills, communication, and assists with language development. Play also transforms as the baby grows. Playing with a newborn started out with me moving a black and white patterned card from one side of my son’s eyeline to the other, and now he’s the green dinosaur hunting the orange one he shoved into my hand while saying “Mommy rawr! Mommy run!”
The phrase “baby-led weaning” doesn’t actually refer to the process of a baby weaning itself off breastmilk. It’s about babies learning to eat solid foods.
Babies will exclusively drink breastmilk or formula for the first 4-6 months of their life, and then rely on breastmilk or formula for the majority of their nutrients and calories until their first birthday. In the latter half of their first year, parents are responsible for introducing babies to solid foods, and how they do that is a huge decision. Some opt for starting with purees, others start with soft foods, and then there is something called baby-led weaning aka giving your baby solids and letting them feed themselves rather than you holding the spoon. Recent research has shown this method to be incredibly beneficial for babies learning to eat solids, by creating awareness of appropriately portioned bites, expanding the palette, creating awareness of hunger and fulfillment, and baby-led weaning creates a sensory experience for every meal. The hardest part though is the natural gag reflex babies have while learning to feed themselves, it can be incredibly scary for parents. However, the risk of choking through baby-led weaning is about equal if not less than starting solids through purees since baby-led weaning allows babies to use the sensory experience to become familiar with their food and bodies. No matter the approach you take, always make sure you’re providing appropriate size bites and food items.
Car safety
Do you remember how excited you were when your parents finally let you sit in the car without a booster seat? Well, now that I’m the parent, I am totally horrified at how early my parents got rid of my booster seat. There’s a reason why babies sit in the back seat, and it’s most often suggested that the car seat go directly behind the driver’s seat. Your spinal cord is protected by your vertebrae but your vertebrae are not fully developed until around age 7. So in a crash, young kids and babies are more likely to damage their spine due to reduced protection. Facing backwards, helps protect an immature spine, and instinctually the driver will take action to protect their side of the car first. In addition to how and where a child should be sitting, there’s even guidelines on purchasing car seats. Any new seat on the market has passed all safety regulations by the government, but you should NEVER purchase a used car seat because there is no guarantee that it still passes those safety regulations. That means the new $70 car seat has passed all the same safety regulations as the $500 car seat, but the used car seat has not passed any regulations. This is also why experts recommend you purchase a new car seat if your car has been in any sort of accident.
While we don’t realize it as we are growing up, babies and kids are incredibly interesting phases of life. They learn and grow so much in such a little amount of time. As a PhD parent, my skills as a researcher have helped me learn and understand my son as he develops, and I can’t wait to learn more as he continues to grow.
Edited by J Wolny and Liz Rosdeitcher, Ph.D.
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