A YEAR AND HALF - - Fotopages.com

The World of my Baby~ 18 Months News Letter from Pampers.co.uk

BYE-BYE BABY DAYS.... Your toddler has gained a lot of independence in the last six months. By this age, he is keen to try to manage things alone whenever possible. You find yourself slowed down by his clumsy, but insistent, attempts to feed himself, or his refusals to get into the pushchair when you're in a hurry. It's hard to find a happy medium between encouraging independence and providing the support your child still needs, when the recipient can be so stubborn! Keeping your sense of humour is vital during this stage, as it can be quite exasperating at times. Whenever possible, try to present your toddler with a choice of options to give him the impression that he is playing a real part in the decision making process. If he believes he has some degree of control over his life, he will be less likely to actively seek it out at every opportunity.

Baby Development
Involving your toddler in family life

LENDING A HELPING HAND Are you eager for your child to start learning about helping and sharing? Eighteen months isn't too early to begin teaching him to take part in simple tasks around the house. Take advantage of his insatiable desire to imitate. He will enjoy nothing more than being given the chance to get involved in all the exciting things he watches you do. Whether it is giving you a hand carrying the washing and popping it into the machine for you, helping you wash his hair by rubbing in the shampoo, or simply holding the keys for you when your arms are full. Your toddler will be thrilled to be given these little tasks, and taking part in family responsibilities will be an empowering experience for him. In terms of daily house chores, this is good age to implement a routine "tidy-up time" after every playing session. And why not let him help in the garden too. Buy a little watering can and let him water the plants where any spillage won't matter. Give him the independence to manage these little simple tasks alone - overcoming difficulties is a wonderful way to encourage problem-solving skills. But always stay close by - remember, he still needs your help every step of the way.

Health
Clothing tips for your growing baby

PROTECT SENSITIVE SKIN He's not a little baby any more! Your child has progressed from babyhood into toddlerhood and, as he continues to grow, you'll be kitting him out in new clothes faster than you ever thought possible. Your baby's skin may be sensitive to chemicals in new clothing, or to the soap and detergent that remain on the fibres after washing. To avoid skin reactions, wash all new clothing and linen before your baby uses them. You may also want to use a gentle detergent and put your laundry through the rinse cycle twice.

FYI: Some temperamentally sensitive children seem bothered by such things as labels on clothes, elastic waistbands, stiff jeans, press studs on shirts, and so on. Don't get into fights with your child over these things - you won't win. Find clothes he's comfortable in, even if it means buying several sets of the same outfit!

Sleep
The transition from cot to bed

AND SO TO BED Now that your child is spending most of his waking time on his two feet, he's probably getting increasingly resentful of being enclosed in a cot or strapped into a pram or a highchair. Obviously, there are still many situations in which he must be restrained for his own safety. For instance, he is not ready yet to sit on a grown-up chair to eat because he's likely to want to stand up on it rather than remain quietly seated, and the feeding process is probably still rather messy. Similarly, although he may disagree with you, he's still too young to do away with the buggy in most situations. In terms of bedtime, you might find that he is spending a lot of time these days trying to figure out a way of climbing out of his cot. Many toddlers happily remain in a cot until they are well over two years old, and this is certainly easier for parents. But if you're worried that your child may succeed in escaping, or fall over the sides in the process of trying, this may be the time to think about moving him into a bed. Make sure you invest in good quality side-guards that fix onto the side to stop children from rolling out of bed. Try it out for a few nights before going to the trouble of dismantling the cot, in case it doesn't work out. And prepare yourself for a phase of training while your little one learns to stay in bed long enough to go to sleep. As soon as he realises he is no longer caged in at night, the temptation to jump out of bed at every opportunity is very hard to resist!

Family
The best books for your toddler

BOOK WORMS Babies are never too young to enjoy the wonder of books. Each time you cuddle up with your little one and a selection of his favourite books, the bond between you and your child grows stronger. Reading to your child is also a great way to encourage his language development. Choose very simple storybooks that contain a lot of repetition and rhyming, and try "first words" books filled with clear pictures of items, colours, animals and people for you to name. You can even introduce number books with counting rhymes to get him used to the rhythmic aspect of counting and the sound of number strings. Take every opportunity to build up your child's vocabulary. Right now, he is like a little sponge when it comes to new words, and enjoys nothing more than finding out about his world. Always keep in mind that toddlers' language comprehension is far ahead of their word production. Even if your little one doesn't seem particularly interested in producing many recognisable words, he can already understand a great proportion of what is being said. So keep reading, because all that language is being soaked up and stored away in his busy brain!

Tips
The beauty of bubbles

Go bubble ballistic in the back garden. Buy a bottle at the shop, or, for more fun (and mess!), make your own from scratch. Take 2/3 cup of washing-up liquid and add water until you have lots of bubble mixture. Almost all children, from an irritable, tired one to a very sensitive one, will calm down with bubbles.

Semak samun dah bersih, infront of our house.... looks good now