Watch Her Grow: One-Year Old!

Q-ball is one-year old today!

 Tonight she will celebrate with her first cake and ice cream experience after enjoying favorite foods of falafel, hummus, and sweet potatoes. (Blueberries is still the ultimate favorite, so we had it for breakfast, as always...)

We started the party last night by letting her get really messy with flavored yoghurt-

 a special treat!  (She's chowing down on her second cup in the pictures!)

I can't believe it. To celebrate on the blog, I have a puzzler I'd like to share.
I called to make her one-year check-up on March 1, and I was told that appointments were only booked 28 days out, so I needed to call on March 2. I was too busy that day, so I called on March 3.  And, then I was told that they were booked until April 5.  Fuzzy math???

So, I do not have baby stats to share today, but they are coming!


Interactions with Materials

• She continued to like playing with stuffed animals this week. Especially hugging them. She would carry them to me and want me to have them ask her for a hug. Not very Montessori, but oh, well. We are learning words!
• Balls! Everywhere!
• Also, cups. She loves getting cups out of the cabinets and pretending to drink out of them. Or, "smell" (another new word) them- I'd given her an old cinnamon spice container, and the habit of smelling has carried to everything!
• Favorite materials: balls, cups, books, books, books, and the bunny Aunt B gave her

Interactions with Others

• I think it's so funny to take Q-ball to a playgroup with older toddlers. Toddlers love "babies" who are sooooooo much younger. They run up to tackle hug her, which used to result in immediate tears. But, now Q-ball is just clearly scared, but avoiding tears.
• During the natural parenting meeting, Q-ball stayed in the nursery without me for nearly half the meeting! Just another dad she'd never met. I couldn't believe it! Maybe it's almost time for a date night outside of the house!

Interactions with Space

• She just keeps climbing up stairs.  She loves it!
• She also loves dancing! She likes when I turn on music (she has even asked for it with signs) so she can sway from side to side.

Interactions with Life

• I forgot to mention last week that she had started attempting to use her spoon to eat. While she still clearly prefers her hands, she has continued practicing. She does know that I will serve her food with her spoon, so she hands it to me when she wants more food.
• And, she has been using a few more signs this week.  It's very exciting. This week she learned "cheese" and is very quick to ask for it! She's also using "more" and "all done" at meals.  Daddy and I think meals are funny because it's when we use the most signs with her, and sometimes we can pretty much she the annoyance and mockery on her face as she just randomly waves her hands.

What a year!  How did you celebrate the big "1"?
 

To see the rationale and purpose for the Watch Her Grow series, please check out this post!

Dr. Montessori on Rewards and Walking

    This past weekend was a very exciting weekend in our household; Q-ball started walking!  But, because of our belief in Dr. Montessori's methods as well as a the desire to follow principles of positive discipline and unconditional parenting, Daddy and I worked to ensure that we did not let our excitement diminish Q-ball's own excitement, sense of accomplishment, and desire to continue to work towards mastery. Watching Q-ball learn to walk has allowed me to observe two of Dr. Montessori's ideas firsthand- 1) her reservations towards rewards and 2) her concept of a sensitive period towards walking.

Rewards   

    I believe that Q-ball had been mentally preparing for her attempt throughout the evening. She demanded to get down from her high-chair during dinner and speedily crawled to a wide-open space. Suddenly, although wobbly, she was on her feet with arms flapping. And, then she was on her rear.  But, then she was up again with arms flapping, and then she took three steps! And, then she was on her rear.  She did not look to Mama and Daddy for a verbal reward or encouragement.  In fact, she did not realize that we were watching.  She was so focused on the work of walking that she hardly cared what we were doing.

    Instead of rushing towards her and showering her with "way to go," "good job," and "you are the world's best (and cutest!) baby!" (which would have, no doubt, knocked her over anyways...), we simply looked at each other with happy disbelief and continued our conversation. But, Q-ball was already on her feet to try again. 

   This expereince is very similar to the observations that Dr. Montessori describes in The Discovery of the Child that encouraged her to shy away from a system of rewards and punishments (i.e. praise, grades, threats, and criticism)  within an educational and developmental environment.  In one of her Children's Homes, Dr. Montessori observed two children- one being punished by time-out (or "forced isolation" in the words of Unconditional Parenting's Alfie Kohn) and the other had been rewarded with a large star to wear on his chest. The "good" child was allowed to continue his work and, while busy with his materials, dropped his star.  This child did not even notice he had lost his reward, but the "bad" child quickly asked to pick it up and have it.  The rewarded child was "[indifferent]" to his reward and gave it away without a care. Dr. Montessori concluded, "This pendant could satisfy the naughty one, but not the child contented with his work!"  

   Q-ball does not need us to give verbal praise for her accomplishment. Ultimately, most people provide praise as a means to getting a behavior to continue.  However, the fact that she immediately gets up from falling with a huge smile on her face, ready to try her next steps, indicate that she is internally driven and satisfied with her work.  No additional, exaggerated praise necessary.

   Which leads to the second observation of Dr. Montessori's work...

The Sensitive Period for Walking

     Dr. Montessori believes that very young children undergo a number of "sensitive periods" during which they are especially excited and willing to learn specific skills.  The sensitive period for walking is somewhere between one and two years. Dr. Montessori saw walking as a critical development for children as it provides them with a new sense of independence.  But, she believed that children who are learning to walk view the activity in a very different way than adults do.  While we walk to get to a specific destination or to reach a goal, children walk just to walk.  "The small child walks to develop his powers, he is building up his being. He goes slowly. He has neither rhythmic step nor goal. But things around him allure him and urge him forward."  Q-ball's walking over the last few days has certainly demonstrated this.  

   We have also worked to honor Q-ball's work in developing her walking skills by letting her always lead the way.  We rarely have "helped" her walk since she took her first step (although when a baby is clinging to one's leg as one is frantically trying to finish dinner, one doesn't want to just knock baby to the ground.)  Dr. Montessori also saw this respect for allowing the child to lead while working towards mastery of walking when she said, "If the adult would be of help, [the child] must renounce his own rhythm and his own aim."

   It's amazing to watch Q-ball push herself as she is learning to master a new task. While I'm avoiding providing too many rewards in her presence, I'll happy use this medium to say, "Way to go, Q-ball!  You are the best baby ever!!!"  (Alas, avoiding giving praise is tough!)  

Sources:

Crain, W. (2011) Theories of development: Concepts and applications. NY: Prentice Hall.

Montessori, M. (1936). The secret of childhood. (M.J. Costelloe, trans.). NY: Ballantine Books, 1966.

Montessori, M. (2004) The discovery of the child. Dehli, India: Aakar Books.

What was it like watching your child learn to walk or master another milestone? Did you provide them with reinforcement?

A Baby's First Teeth

Are my two front (bottom) teeth! That's right!  Q-ball's bottom front teeth emerged simultaneously about 10 days ago.  So, I wanted to share some fun or interesting facts about infants' teeth.  Also, it's the holidays, so I'm taking a little bit of a break with this Science Friday post. :) 

• The technical term for baby teeth is deciduous teeth (just like the trees that loose their leaves.)
• Streptococcus sanguis (a.k.a. the bacteria that causes dental plaque and, sometimes cavities)  is only found in the human mouth after the first teeth appear.  In the infants studied, the bacteria was found in 100% of infants by 3 months after their first teeth appeared. 
• The vast majortiy of infants get the bacteria from their mamas.  This is especially true for daughters (88%  of girls share the identical bacterium as their mamas, while 53% of boys do.)  There is no evidence that infants receive the bacterium from their fathers.
• Some babies are born with teeth (these are called natal teeth), while others develop teeth within the first month of life (called neonatal.)  Natal and neonatal teeth are more common in babies with cleft palate or other syndromes that are present at birth.  But, the teeth are not always a cause for alarm.  It is not necessary to remove natal or neonatal teeth, but they may be removed if they disrupt feedings. 
• Low-birth weight babies appear to have increased problems with their baby teeth, to include being more porous and containing more "subsurface lesions."
• There is no evidence that breastfeeding causes an increase in cavities, and some studies have found that breast milk can help prevent cavities.  But, nighttime snacking can be a cause of cavities.
  

No, this isn't Q-ball- my teeth picture attempts were a fail!

Q-ball only exhibited minor pain with the emergence of these first two teeth.  However, I suspect that her one or both of her top teeth are now coming in, and she does appear to be exhibiting some discomfort.  I am currently giving her a wet washcloth that has been frozen for comfort, but I have also been debating purchasing a baltic amber necklace.  However, I can't find any hard research to support their pain relief claim. But, it seems lots of mothers have had success.

Have you used a baltic amber necklace? Do you think they work?  Do you have any other recommendations for teething pain?

Sources: 

Carlsson, J., Grahnén, H., Jonsson, G., & Wikner S. (1970). Establishment of Streptococcus sanguis in the mouths of infants. Archives of oral biology, 15(12). Retrieved from http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0003996970900051

Caufield, P.W. & Yi, L. (1995). The fidelity of initial acquisition of mutans Streptococci by infants from their mothers. Journal of Dental Research, 74(2). Retrieved from http://jdr.sagepub.com/content/74/2/681.short

Le Leche League International. (2010). The womanly art of breastfeeding. Ballantine Books: NY.

Noren, J. (1983).  Enamel structure in deciduous teeth from low-birth-weight infants. Acta Odontologica Scandinavica. Retrieved from http://informahealthcare.com/doi/abs/10.3109/00016358309162347

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Streptococcus_sanguinis

http://www.impcna.com/intranet/Nelson%20Pediatric/Newborn/NatalNeonatalTeeth%5B1%5D.pdf

Wordless Wednesday: Moving Up

Q-ball knows she can pull herself up on just about anything now- especially Mama's legs!  Now she's even starting to try letting go and balancing on her own!

That Was Stinky...

            While it often seems to be an overlooked sense, a human’s sense of smell is a remarkable ability.  Smells allow humans to assess their environment for dangers (as in the ability to detect and avoid rotten meat) and can even serve as a way for humans to communicate (as is demonstrated by research that indicates that smell plays a critical role in human attraction.)  An infant’s sense of smell is especially remarkable.  A fetus even experiences smells as his mother does; in fact, living in amniotic fluid actually heightens some smells for the fetuses (while I knew about the mother-fetus taste connection, I was surprised to learn this!)

            At birth, newborns can distinguish as many smells as adults- somewhere between 4,000 to 10,000 (big difference, but there seems to be some conflicts among olfactory theorists…) The smell that is most identifiable to newborns (especially newborn girls, the effect is seen much less in boys), though, is the smell of their mother’s breast.  They can actually distinguish their mother’s breast from that of another woman. 

            While infants have very developed olfactory systems, they do not yet have the ability to distinguish good smell from bad smells.  Experiments have shown that even when really stinky stuff (like “simulated feces”) is put in a 2-year-old’s play space, they hardly notice.  (Maybe this is some innate survival skill??)  But, by age 3, humans can determine whether something smells good or bad (known as odor hedonics.)

            Which is what led me to start researching this post- I like things to smell good.  My house, my car, my clothes. Most of the products I use at home have no added fragrances (laundry stuff and cleaning products, although vinegar could be considered a pretty strong fragrance at times…)  But, I do like plug-ins, candles, and Scentsy products.  But, this week Q-ball reached a much-less celebrated milestone- she had her first “it doesn’t smell like breast milk anymore” diaper.  This is obviously a challenge to my smell-good house. 

But I have been hearing and reading more about “toxins” in these fragranced products which makes me hesitant to use them around Q-ball.  Most of what I have read has provided no actual information other than “fragrances have toxins,” so I decided to delve a little deeper.

Here’s what I found-

In 2007, the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) found that 12 of 14 air fresheners that they tested contained phthalates. Phthalates (pronounced THAL-ates) are a group of chemicals that make plastics more flexible, resistant, or enhance fragrances.  They are found in some cosmetics, food packaging, shower curtains, detergents, flooring, and tons of other daily products. 

While no study has specifically tested the effects of phthalates in humans, in a 2005 study, the U.S. Center for Disease Control found that phthalates disrupted the endocrine system in test rats, resulting in reduced sperm counts, abnormalities in reproductive organs and systems, and even liver cancer.  Thankfully, for Q-ball and mine’s sake, it appears most effects have been found in males.  For my husband’s sake, it appears we were still able to have Q-ball….Other studies, more specific to fragrances, have found increased instances of allergies and asthma as a result of prolonged exposure.  Some researchers believe that the effects of these chemicals are especially harmful to infants and fetuses. They state that increased levels of phthalates in urine taken for pregnant women and a threefold increase in newborn boys with deformed sex organs over the last 40 years provide enough cause for alarm.

As a result of these reports, in July 2008 the U.S. Congress prohibited the use of some phthalates in children’s toys and cosmetics. 
            But, not all researchers believe that phthalates are harmful.  The study on test rats mentioned above was later conducted on test monkeys.  The results of this study show that there were no abnormalities in the offspring.  The researchers state that humans are closer to monkeys than humans, so that the effects of phthalates of humans is likely minimal at best. 

So, how can you establish a yummy-smelling secure base for your family?  As with all parenting decisions, it’s really up to you.  Because the tests haven’t actually been conducted on humans, and research is telling us two different things, some would consider the data inconclusive.  But, I’ve decided, why take any chances?  So, in my house, we’ve gotten rid of plug-ins and candles (these had to go with general baby-proofing anyways…) I’m also planning to place some plants that help remove toxins from the air around our home.  It looks like I might not even be able to kill spider plants, peace lilies, or devil’s ivy.  As for my beloved Scentsys, I’m now using the following recipe- 

·         2 Tbsp of coconut oil

·         A few drops of essential oils.

It should be noted that this smell is not nearly as strong as the actual Scentsy fragrances, and in large room probably won’t even be noticed.  But, it can keep a small room free from bad odors, and, since research has shown that my husband and baby probably don’t even notice the smelly stuff, that’s enough for us.

Have you stopped using fragrances in your house?  Do you have any other natural ideas to keep odors at bay? 

Sources:

Eliot, L. (1999). What’s going on in there? How the brain and mnd develop in the first five years. Bantam Books: New York.

Reineke, R. (2008, January 8). It's right under our noses: The importance of smell to science and our lives [Weblog post]. Retrieved from http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/exchange/node/1751

http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1664954,00.html

http://www.cbsnews.com/2100-18560_162-6506892.html?pageNum=3&tag=contentMain;contentBody

http://www.denverplants.com/foliage/html/CleanAir3.htm

This Goes in That a.k.a. The Long Telegram of Infant Containment

            With all of the boxes that have cluttered our home over the past week, Q-ball has had a lot to explore.  She’s been able to tip the boxes over, climb in them, pull out the paper, and use them as drums.  It’s made me wonder what exactly she understands about boxes and their purpose.  Turns out, quite a bit of research has been done studying the “categorization of infant containment,” so this Science Friday is devoted to what infants know about putting stuff in boxes, bags, baskets, or any other container.    

            Developmental psychologists generally believe that the earliest spatial concept that infants understand is “in” (compared to under, between, around, etc.).  They believe that knowledge of this concept is closely tied to comprehension of the word “in.”  Here are some of the findings:

1.    Infants as young as 3 months can determine spatial change, as has been demonstrated by the amount of time that infants stare as a dot’s location in relation to a bar (above, below, between.)  But, research shows that infants cannot determine spatial change in novel objects (defined as objects with which they are not familiar) until later.  That is, they know that a round dot that was above the bar is now below the bar, but if the dot is changed to a triangle which they have not seen, they are not able to make the cognitive leap that the triangle can also change positions in relation to the bar (or perform “abstract categorical representation” as researchers call it).  Some research has shown that infants cannot form spatial ideas about novel objects until 6 or even 9 months.

2.    Other researchers have demonstrated that infants as young as 2.5 months understand that a container with an open lid can have an object placed inside of it, whereas an object with a lid cannot.  After grasping this concept, infants can start to learn which objects can fit in containers.  So, they start to understand that a short box cannot hold a really tall spoon or that a small basket cannot hold a big ball.  This is known as forming categories of containment.

The study I read tried to merge the findings of the previous research described above- that is, it tried to see if infants can form categories of containment for novel objects.  Researchers looked to see if 6-month-old infants were able to understand containment in the following items, based upon the length the infants looked at the items and the act of placing one in another:

The researchers found that at 6-months, infants can make abstract categories of containment.  So, they understand that a teddy bear is inside of a basket, even if they have never seen the basket or they teddy bear before.

Some of the containers with which Q-ball is currently playing.

I believe that I have seen some of these concepts while observing Q-ball’s play.  In addition to the moving boxes, we have also been providing Q-ball with a few baskets and some bags- plenty of opportunities to have fun with containment.  She actively pulls toys out of the baskets and has started to return some of them.  However, she has yet to try to put anything into a bag, perhaps because it is not as open as the baskets.  Also, none of the items we are currently giving her provide opportunities for tight fitting containment exploration.  So, her Daddy will be happy to learn that I will need to go shopping to find some new toys!

Source:

Casasola, M. Cohen, L.B., & Chiarello, E. (2003). Six-month-old infants' categorization of containment spatial relations. Child Development, 74(3), 679-693.

Mahler's Separation/Individuation Theory

            When Q-ball started crawling, she did not only reach a significant physical milestone, but also huge emotional and cognitive developments.  She now has the ability to see that she is a separate identity from me, her mama.  Ironically, this ability to move away from me is a significant step towards greater attachment between us.  Margaret Mahler, a psychoanalyst whose own mother kept her at a distance, developed a theory that describes the normal phases of separation for infants and toddlers.  Over a period of seven phases, from birth to 30 months, the baby moves from only acknowledging inner physiological sensations in a half-awake state to the knowledge that he is a separate being from his mother who is about to be able to do his own thing (which can be quite the cause of heartache for the mamas!)  Her theory is known as the separation/individuation theory. 

            According to Mahler, at 6 months, Q-ball “hatched,” becoming her own person who is very aware she is separate from me.  Q-ball’s actions at this stage mirrored many of those observed by Mahler: grapping mama’s glasses, digging her nails into mama’s lips, and pulling mama’s hair.  This is the “separate” part of Mahler’s theory.  She’s also loved taking off crawling and exploring her now accessible world.  This is the “individuation” part of Mahler’s theory.

Today, Q-ball turned 7 months old, and I’ve noticed some other firsts over the past few days. She’s occasionally shy around strangers - turning her head to my chest to avoid them or actually whining when they try to woo her.  Cue the early development of stranger anxiety.  Her reactions are mild, however, compared to some observed by Mahler.  In these more severe cases, the babies had likely not developed basic trust and strong attachments earlier in infancy, often a result of under-responsive parents (i.e.- those who do not respond to baby’s basic needs of food, sleep, and comfort at the baby’s demand.)  These stress reactions, then, serve as one of the first indicators of the importance of being very responsive to baby’s needs from birth. 

As Q-ball continues to crawl and eventually walk around her new world, her curiosity and excitement about the world around her should continue to grow.  During this period of time, Mahler’s research led her to the same conclusions concerning the mother-infant relationship as Ainworth’s research had previously revealed.  That is, the mother should serve as a “secure base” for the infant’s explorations.  The mother should encourage her baby’s new independence by not being overly controlling or disruptive in her baby’s play.  Simultaneously, she must also remain “emotionally [available]”  for the baby- a presence in the background should baby look back for his mother’s approval and encouragement of his actions.  Interestingly, cases in which parents are overly anxious of or involved in a baby’s explorations produce similar emotional disorders and excessive clinginess as parents who are unresponsive to their infant’s wants and needs. 

            So, in order to serve as a secure base for Q-ball, we plan to make nearly all of our next home a “yes” environment for her (the notable exception being Daddy’s man cave.)     In this way, she’ll be able to explore as she pleases with little disruption from me.  I plan to be emotionally available and guide her at times but, largely, allow her to develop her independence.  Maybe I’ll be able to check up on some reading as while I’m lounging on the couch!  (It’ll never happen, I know, but it’s my current daydream…)

How did you serve as a secure base for your baby while he was learning to crawl or walk?  What did you do with all of your new “free time?” 

Baby-Led Solids

I just introduced solids to my 6 month-old.  Like most new parents, I had lots questions.  When? How? What? How much?  After a bit of research, I decided to use the baby-led solids (or baby-led weaning) method in which baby feeds herself from the get-go with food that is suitably sized (not too small to choke on, big enough to hold, but not too big to fit in baby mouth, and not pureed). 

 I am a big fan of the logic behind the method.  It recognizes and furthers baby’s developmental abilities (Palmer and pincher grasps, hand-eye coordination, budding decision making).  It also acknowledges that breast milk (or formula) is baby’s primary source of nutrition for the first year of life.  Nearly everything I read was very positive towards BLS and further convinced me to try it (although I was still nervous- I am a new mom, after all!)  But, there was a study that was reviewed in several news sources that made me take a second look.  

The title reads “Baby-Led Weaning Is Feasible but Could Cause Nutritional Problems for Minority of Infants.”  True, it says minority, but no one wants to possibly cause nutritional problems for their infant!  The article focuses on a study that is one of the first looks at BLS from a formal, research-based approach. The article lists some of the findings of the study (see link above), but I didn’t think the findings listed completely supported the researcher’s conclusion, which is: “BLW might be feasible for a majority of infants but could lead to nutritional problems for infants who were relatively developmentally delayed. A more pragmatic partial BLW approach would probably be the wisest option.” (Quoted from the original study.)  So, I decided to track down the original study and analyze all of the findings.

I found some very interesting information that is not listed in the article.  First of all, the data used was not collected with BLS in mind; it is from a survey of parents of over 600 infants from 4 to 12 months in the UK who were asked to keep a finger food journal for their babies.  As such, all methods for introducing solids to infants were included, a fact I believe serves as a possible bias. 

Next, the researchers found a “substantial discrepancy” between infants who were over 6 months in age and actively reaching for food and those that were allowed to grab the food.  Even for infants who had been reaching for food for over 2 months, less than two-thirds were offered finger foods more than once a day; while 25% of parents reported their infants could not feed themselves at mealtimes.  Sadly, these parents held low expectations of their infants’ abilities as they were never given a chance to eat finger food, although they had been reaching for finger food for at least 2 months!  This is even more tragic given that the study also quotes research that says that in some countries, later onsets in social skills and self-feeding have been observed when infants are fed purees, in lieu of self-feeding. 

Another interesting fact is that “15-month-old infants eating a finger-fed meal took 50% longer to eat only just over half the weight of food eaten at a comparison spoonable meal, but the average energy intake at both meals was the same.”  A study found that even when self-feed babies took less bites than babies fed with purees, they gained just as much weight.   So, babies are getting more bang for their buck with finger feeding versus purees.  I imagine quite a few adults wish that they could find a way to take in healthy nutrients with half the Brussels sprouts.     

Finally, in regards to the “minority of infants” for which BLS may not be feasible- this amounted to 6% of the study.  These infants were observed to be developmentally delayed in other physical and mental milestones.  As such, it makes sense that their ability to self-feed may also be delayed.  This is a fact noted by the BLW community, and the BLW forum (www.babyledweaning.com) advises against this approach for such infants.

So, in the end, this study actually made me more interested in BLS!  It highlighted everything that attracted me to BLS in the first place- an emphasis on recognizing my baby’s capabilities, likes & dislikes, and needs.  

Here's what Q-ball's tried so far-- 

sweet potato, apple, pear, peas (this is the only thing she hasn't successfully eaten yet), blueberries, whole wheat toast, Cheerios, Chex cereal, broccoli (this was very easy because the stem was perfect for her to hold!), baby carrots, bananas

Sources:

Aboud, F., Moore, A., & Akhter, S. (2008). Effectiveness of a community-based responsive feeding programme in rural Bangladesh: a cluster randomized field trial. Retrieved from http://www.psych.mcgill.ca/computing/aboud/MCN08.pdf.

Baby-Led Weaning Is Feasible but Could Cause Nutritional Problems for Minority of Infants. (2011, January 14). Science Daily. Retrieved from http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/110112081454.htm

Wright, C., Cameron, K., Tsiaka, M., & Parkinson, K. (2010). Is baby-led weaning feasible? When do babies first reach out for and eat finger foods? Maternal and Child Nutrition, 7(1), 27-33. Retrieved from http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1740-8709.2010.00274.x/full#b3.