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Tell Baby Between Gas and Smiles One of the first milestones a baby reaches is also one of the most exciting--the social smile. From the time a baby is born, he may smile slightly when laying still, otherwise known as a gas smile. Telling the difference between the two is fairly easy, if the baby and her environment are observed when the smile takes place. Instructions Note the baby's age. Most babies start smiling between 4 and 8 weeks of age. Before that, it is most likely a gas smile, and not a social smile. Watch to see if there is a trigger. A social smile is usually due to the actions of a parent or someone else the baby is familiar with, whereas a gas smile is usually not accompanied by a trigger. The social smile can be in response to a noise or to something in her sight. See if her cheeks rise. One of the main differences between a social smile and a gas smile is whether the cheeks rise with the smile. With a gas smile, the cheeks stay lowered, but the social s

 Teach a Baby to Use a Straw Drinking out of straws is recommended by speech therapists as opposed to drinking out of a sippy cup. It allows for proper training of the tongue, which makes articulation of consonants easier for children. Most babies catch on fairly quickly to drinking out of a straw and with very few problems. Instructions Try a straw when baby is around nine months to one year of age. Before this, baby should just drink from a bottle or a breast. Start with juice boxes. These allow for the drink to be squeezed while the baby has the straw in her mouth. Squeezing it makes the juice go up the straw, so baby can understand what exactly it is used for. The only problem with these drinks is, if baby holds it, it will be a huge mess, since she will squeeze it. Make sure an adult is holding the drink at all times. Tell the child to kiss the straw. Since sucking a straw is very similar to kissing, many children are able to drink from a straw after trying to kiss it.

Learn Baby Sign Language Teaching your baby to communicate is about more than using words. In the recent years, baby sign language has become more and more popular. And research shows that this type of communication does not hinder normal speech development. Baby sign language is easy for you to teach to your child, and as a parent, you learn it in the process. Instructions Recognize the signs your baby already uses. For example, he may lift his arms when he wants to be held. Put words to these existing signs and use them in your regular conversations. Learn basic words. Some of the most popular signs are "eat," "drink" and "more." These need based signs will help build your child's self confidence because she can now communicate easier with you. Discover what interests your child. If he's interested in the ceiling fan, learn the sign for it. This allows your child to talk about the things that really interest him. Find a resource that

Find An Infant Growth Chart Tracking an infant's growth is an important in order to make sure the baby is developing normally. Doctors use the baby's height, weight and head circumference as a guide to tell a number of health issues. Your doctor will gather all this information during regular checkups, but you can also keep track of your baby's growth at home. Instructions Ask your doctor. Infant growth charts are in abundant supply at the doctor's office. Your pediatrician might be willing to give you a copy, or he can direct you to find one yourself. You might also ask if you can bring your baby in for a weight check to make sure you have the right measurements when you're tracking everything yourself. Visit your local library or bookstore. Books are available that give you specific instructions on how to measure and weigh your child at home. Also included in these books is a growth chart that you can use to track your baby's development. Find soft

Deal With A Speech Delayed Child Many parents of toddlers complain they never get a moment of silence, but if your child is speech delayed, you might be jealous of the nonstop chatter. It can be frustrating and frightening when your child doesn't hit language milestones when the parenting books say he should, but a speech delay is often overcome with early intervention. Here's how to deal with a speech delayed child. Instructions Talk to your pediatrician. If you're worried that your baby or toddler isn't speaking normally, make an appointment as soon as you're concerned. While many speech therapists won't diagnose a speech delay until after the child's second birthday, a pediatrician can let you know whether to wait things out or if there are other reasons to be concerned. Have your child's hearing evaluated. Any hearing impairment might be the cause of the speech delay, even just a build up of fluid in the ear from frequent ear infectio

Track  Your Baby Development Babies grow and learn at an amazing rate, astonishing their parents and everyone around them. All parents, especially new ones, want to know that their child is developing at an appropriate rate. Track baby development as your fetus or infant grows. Instructions Learn how your child is growing before he or she is even born. Wonderfully-illustrated books depict fetal development month-to-month during pregnancy. You can watch in amazement, learning when your growing baby gets a heartbeat, moves its fingers and toes, gets eyelashes and more. You'll feel more connected to the process knowing how the baby is developing through the pregnancy. In addition to books, you can view similar images online. Subscribe to an e-mail service that sends you regular updates related to your child's fetal or infant development. Fetal development programs tend to send you weekly messages, since so many changes are rapidly influencing your child's growth; ne

How Can You Tell A Baby Is Smaller Than Average The growth of your baby is something almost every new parent is concerned about at one point or another--especially if it seems as if their baby is smaller than average. There are some ways you can find out for sure if your baby is in fact too small. Instructions Monitor your baby's growth on a growth chart. These charts are available through your doctor's office, in books and online. These charts are designed so you can mark your baby's height, weight and head circumference and determine his relative size. If your baby is in a low percentile, he's likely smaller than average. Track your child's weight. If your baby hasn't gained weight over a period of three consecutive months, it might be a cause for concern. Talk to your doctor and find out if your child has been labeled "Failure to Thrive." This just means that your baby hasn't been growing adequately over a certain period of time. Lo

About Treating Preemies Having a preemie can be an overwhelming experience for any parent. You must leave your baby in the hospital NICU so that they can properly treat your preemie. This time can be an emotional roller coaster for parents as they wait for the opportunity to take their baby home. In the meantime, regular visits to the NICU will help teach parents how to properly treat a preemie. Instructions Learn how to touch your preemie with "deep touches." Parents often want to avoid touching their fragile-looking preemie or think they have to touch them lightly. Many NICUs teach parents to use "deep touches" by holding the baby with firm, constant pressure, similar to the walls of the uterus. Avoid overstimulating your preemie. Younger preemies have underdeveloped nervous systems and are easily overstimulated. When this happens, there may be changes in heart rate or oxygen levels. Keep an eye on the monitors to gauge how your baby responds. Avoid ext

How To Make Babies Smile And Laugh Laughter is bridge between baby and you! Babies' smiles are charming. Even the most cantankerous among us soften when a baby smiles or laughs. Baby smiles are essential for a child's emotional and social development. Smiles and giggles are the way a baby shares positive connection with people. Smiles show delight in the world, a way of communicating happy and content feelings. Laughter shows surprise and is a way of being playful. It is so much fun to elicit smiles and chuckles. Here are some sure-fire methods to help you instigate the fun. If you develop these skills, you might get really lucky and end up receiving delightful squeals and giggles. Read on to learn more. Instructions Practice your smile so that when a baby is near you will be prepared and ready. Turn the corners of your mouth up, soften your eyes, relax your face. Be playful. One thing about babies, they can recognize a frozen phony face immediately. They know a sou

How To Encourage A Baby To Stand If your baby doesn't seem to want to place any of his weight on his legs, there are several things you can do to encourage him to eventually stand on his own. With a little creativity and ingenuity, you can help your baby stand up and prepare him to walk. Instructions Place a short table with several favorite toys on top of it in front of your baby. Make certain it is sturdy and has smooth edges. Encourage him to play with the toys while in a standing position. Allow your baby to see other babies standing up. Babies often model their behavior after their peers, so if she sees a friend standing up or walking, she might want to give it a try too. Avoid putting your baby in a bouncy seat, exersaucer or swing too often, as these devices position your baby in a seated position. The more unrestricted floor time you give your baby, the sooner he will learn to stand. Hold your baby with her stomach pressed against a couch's back cushions

How To Help A Baby Roll Over Tummy time encourages upper-body strength necessary for rolling over. While each baby develops and meets milestones at his own rate, the average age for rolling over is around four months. In many cases, babies will roll from front to back before they roll from back to front because of the physical mechanics of the motions. If your baby is not rolling over yet, you cannot force him to do it; you can, however, encourage him and practice with him to help him learn on his own. Instructions Give your baby plenty of time on her belly. At the time of publication, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends placing a baby on her back to sleep. This recommendation makes tummy time during awake periods more important. Tummy time helps strengthen the baby's upper-body muscles. Roll your baby over back to front to back again by gently holding his legs and manipulating them so that his whole body turns over. Make this a game by singing to him as you d

 How to Teach a Baby Sign Language Sign simple action words and nouns with your children. Baby sign language helps infants and toddlers communicate before they utter their first words. According to Gwyneth Doherty-Sneddon in "The Psychologist," behavioral and developmental problems can occur when children have difficulty communicating with adults. When you teach a baby sign language, you reduce tantrums, advance cognitive development and increase parent-child bonds. The benefits far outweigh any risks involved in teaching babies sign language, such as delayed speech. Start your lessons by observing hand gestures your child already uses, and keep lessons short and fun. Instructions Speak your baby's name to receive her undivided attention. Be sure the room is quiet and there are no distractions. You can start teaching sign language when your baby is between 6 to 9 months old. She should have enough hand coordination to form the signs. Begin with nouns or simple ac

  How To Teach Colors To Your Infant Baby toys often come in bright colors because infants are drawn to these colors. From the moment your baby is born, he is absorbing the world around him. Everything is new and exciting. He will learn more in his first year than at any other time in his life. Therefore, you should strive to expose him to as much information as you can during that period to maximize the opportunity. It may seem silly to teach an infant about colors since he cannot verbalize his understanding, but creating a familiarity with colors will help him later in life. Instructions Expose your child to colors as often as possible. According to Babycenter, infants can see in color at the time of birth but have difficulty telling the difference between closely related colors. This is why many infant toys come in white, black and red. The contrast is easier for young infants to see. However, exposing them to various colors is still important. Name colors as you encounter

Buy a Baby Walker Create a safe environment for your baby by learning and understanding the risks of a baby walker. Most accidents occur when the baby is left alone and unattended. Follow these steps to find a baby walker that makes your child's first steps safe ones. Other People Are Reading  When to Put a Baby in a Walker Types of Walkers for a Baby Instructions Make sure that the walker you chose has met the Product Safety Standards Baby Walker Regulations 2001 to assure that the product is safe. Pick a walker which has a base larger than the average door frame. This reduces the risk of injury since it limits the child's access to open areas and stairs. Find a walker that has a wheelbase wider and longer than the walker frame to assure that the unit is stable and does not overturn while your child is in it. Hunt for a product that has protective coverings over all metal screws or hinges. This prevents your child from cutting her hands on rough edges or getting

How To Increase Infant Intelligence Most parents are willing to do whatever it takes to further their infant's development. Though part of intelligence is genetic, certain activities and exposure can advance a child when it comes to learning and development. Instructions Understand that early development doesn't mean added intelligence. If a child walks or talks late, it doesn't mean he's lacking in intelligence. Give your infant opportunities to learn through new activities and experiences. For babies, play is the most valuable work there is. Blowing bubbles, banging on pots and pans, ringing a bell and pushing elevator buttons all are important as they teach cause and effect. Let your infant fully explore surroundings, with your supervision. Splashing in bath water, touching flowers, squishing bare feet in mud and rolling in the grass are tactile experiences the child can learn from. Teach language through frequent communication. In addition to everyda

How To Teach Your Baby To Sit Up Give Your Baby A Toy To Play While He Sits Up. You may prop your baby up very early on, but it isn't until about 4 or 5 months that a baby begins to show a willingness to sit on his own. If you want to help your baby sit up, you need to not only teach your baby how to sit but also strengthen the neck and back muscles that he will use during sitting. With daily exercises and practice, your baby should be sitting up independently by the time he is 8 or 9 months old. Instructions Begin teaching your baby by sitting him up with your assistance for short periods of time. Do this several times a day to get him used to the sitting position. Gradually hold him up for less time, giving him the chance to sit up on his own. Place your baby on his tummy by placing a blanket on the floor and putting him down on it. Also known as "tummy time," this exercise will strengthen his neck and back muscles as he begins to hold his head up while he

How To Encourage Your Baby's Speech Parents love hearing a baby's early words. Babies' brains are wired to acquire language, with millions of brain cells primed to make neural connections that will form the framework of the child's skills in her native language. Parents and caregivers can help encourage children to communicate by doing things that often come naturally when interacting with a baby. Instructions Talk to your baby. Some parents feel odd talking to a baby who cannot yet talk back, but babies first get a feel for the sound of their parents' language and then recognize specific words long before the infants can speak. Narrate what you are doing with the baby, using a combination of single words or short phrases ("blanket") and longer sentences ("here's your warm yellow blanket"). Babies are excellent listeners to whatever you have to say. Play sound games. When your baby starts responding to your speech with vocalizat

How To Find Safe Teething Toys For Babies Your baby is at that stage where she is gumming everything. You keep handing her stuff to chew on, but what is really okay for her and what is dangerous? What do have around the house that wasn't specifically made as a teething device, but that she can chew on anyway? What will keep her happy and those gums cool? Here are some ideas for helping that teething little one find some joy and relief. How to Find Safe Teething Toys for Babies Buy a bunch of baby teethers in your grocery's diaper aisle. Most of them are plastic with liquid inside. They can be frozen or refrigerated before giving them to your baby. If your baby is eating solid foods, you can try giving her a frozen carrot or a frozen piece of apple or banana. She will enjoy holding it and gumming it as it warms up. Be careful as it thaws though, to make sure she doesn't get a chunk of food in her mouth that she can't swallow. Usually a child will lose intere

How To Teach Your Child To Speak There’s nothing more sublime than hearing your child say “Mama” or “Dada” for the first time. After all, it’s the fastest way to turn a proud parent’s heart into quivering pudding. Perhaps that’s why so many parents become concerned when their child misses this developmental milestone or uses only a few words after 18 months of learning. Fear not, teaching your child to speak requires little more than patience and the following tips. Instructions Don’t panic. Some children wait until they are 3 or 4 years old to speak. These toddlers spend their time soaking up information and usually burst into speech like a broken dam when the time is right. An average 10- to 20-month-old child learns 10 new words a day. Therefore, even if they’re not talking, they’re learning, and that’s why it is important to carefully monitor what you say and what they hear. Keep them healthy. While this seems absurdly obvious, children need vigilant attention if they

How to Teach Your Baby to Drink from a Straw It's a baby's natural instinct to suck and get liquid. Once your baby is strong enough to sit up on her own, or in a high chair, you can practice teaching her how to drink from a cup, bottle or straw. Babies are curious and like play with straws anyway, so drinking from the straw is a big event for them. Plus it keeps them busy in a restaurant. They watch you drinking from a straw and they're always interested to try whatever the bigger people are trying. It's not hard to teach and using water is a good idea. The baby will enjoy the hydration and learning a new action. Instructions Put a straw in a glass of water. Put your index finger over the top of the straw, trapping some water inside. Lift straw out of the water. Make sure there's some water inside the straw. Put the end of the straw with the water dripping out of it into your baby's mouth. Slowly let some of the water into her mouth. She'll s