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Try These Activities to Encourage Walking
Walking is an exciting motor milestone! Baby typically takes their first steps around their first birthday. So how can you make this milestone more fun? Here are some activities to help encourage walking! Cruise along furniture Cruising is side stepping while holding on to something. You can encourage baby to walk, or cruise, along something … Continued
When Will Baby Sit Up On Their Own?
Sitting might seem like an easy thing to do, but for a developing baby, it’s hard work! Sitting upright and independently takes time and exercise. So how can you help baby sit without your help? Learn when you can expect baby to sit up! When do babies start sitting up? For the first few months … Continued
Celebrating the Differences That Make All Children Unique!
Every person is unique, and differences in kids are worth celebrating! Kids are observant and often notice differences—in others or in themselves. How do you help children talk about differences, and understand how to interact with others? Here are some tips, but remember that every situation requires a different approach. The best rule of thumb … Continued
Expressive and Receptive Communication for Baby
Before they say their first words, babies are developing language skills. Language is made up of two parts: expressive & receptive skills Expressive skills are baby’s ability to express their wants and needs – typically through crying and cooing Receptive skills are baby’s ability to understand language – understanding what is said or heard Both … Continued
Baby Milestones App
Download Today! Take the Guesswork out of Baby’s Development – and it’s FREE! Supporting baby’s development can feel overwhelming. The Pathways.org Baby Milestones App is here to help, offering trusted guidance from experts. Milestone Tracker Easily Track and check off Baby’s Milestones, receiving expert tips along the way Daily Activities Get new, … Continued
When Can Baby Roll Over? Tips to Help Baby Roll
Is your baby ready to roll? These signs indicate that baby is ready to roll: Head Lifter: Can your baby hold their head high while lying on their tummy? Tummy Time Toy Grabber: Does your baby reach for enticing toys while on their tummy? Strong Neck: Notice a significant improvement in your baby’s neck muscle control? Before baby … Continued
Get Your Toddler Talking — Tips From a Speech-Language Pathologist
Tips to Help Your Child Talk From a Pediatric Speech-Language Pathologist Expressive language: sending a message Receptive language: understanding a message When Playing at Home: Have your child request items Describe what you and your child are doing Have your child ask and answer questions How Can I Work on Expressive Language Skills at Home? … Continued
The Pincer Grasp: When Baby Will Learn This Important Fine Motor Skill
Close your eyes and imagine you’re picking up something small, like a bead or a piece of popcorn. Now think about holding a pen or pencil, and how you would hold it in your hand. Finally, imagine you’re zipping up or buttoning your jacket. These are all very simple but important fine motor movements we … Continued
What Does Reflux Look Like For Baby?
As you may have noticed when feeding baby, spitting-up and burping are an expected part of the process. Spit-up is also called infant reflux, and it occurs when food moves back up from baby’s stomach. Baby reflux is typical and may happen multiple times a day. But what is the difference between reflux and a … Continued
Keep Baby Cool, Hydrated and Safe in the Summer Months
Summer is here! When the temperature rises and the sun comes out, many of us want to get outside and enjoy the beautiful weather. How to keep baby cool in summer so they can enjoy the hot weather? Don’t worry, we have you covered! If it’s baby’s first summer, make sure baby is ready for … Continued
How Your Child Can Benefit From Having a Pet
Pets are such an important (and adorable!) part of our lives. They come in many shapes and sizes—dogs, cats, hamsters, birds, or any other cute companion—but no matter the type of animal, they are living creatures capable of building bonds with humans. In fact, many people view their pets as a part of their family! … Continued
What to Expect From Baby’s Hearing Tests
Before baby comes home from the hospital, they will receive a hearing test (also called a hearing screening). The infant hearing screening helps to see if baby is having any issues with their hearing prior to coming home. If baby is found to have an issue with their hearing, intervening early can help their communication … Continued
Healthy Eating Starts Young! Try Building These Habits With Children
We all know healthy eating is important, but let’s be honest—getting children to eat nutritious foods can sometimes be challenging! Sometimes parents feel frustrated or guilty if their child pushes away the fruits and veggies, but so-called “picky eating” is an expected part of childhood. So if your little one is pushing away the bananas … Continued
Having Tummy Time Trouble? This Therapist Has Some Tips
Tips for Shoulder Carry: Lean baby forward on a slant so weight is on tummy. Hold under baby’s bottom. Make sure baby’s bottom isn’t tucked under. Tips for Leaning Back: Rock baby side to side & keep them moving Take baby out of the position before they get too mad Talk in a positive and … Continued
Types of Baby Crawls
Crawling is an important and exciting motor milestone! It’s when baby starts to move independently and explore their environment for the first time. Crawling usually only lasts a few months, because baby starts to transition to standing and walking around 1 year old. Even though this period is brief, there are so many developmental benefits … Continued
Signs Your Baby is Ready to Crawl
It’s time to get moving! Recognizing these signs is crucial to understanding if your baby is ready to crawl. Pay attention to these developmental milestones as your little one embarks on their exciting journey of mobility. Signs baby is ready to crawl may manifest in various ways, from pushing up to hands and knees rocking—observe … Continued
Tips for Dad to Bond with Baby
Bonding with baby means a lot. It’s important for new parents and can be done in simple ways. Let’s look at some of the ways Dad connects with baby! Tummy Time – get on the floor and play with baby during Tummy Time Massage+ 30, 10, 5 – this baby massage can help Spending time … Continued
The Importance of Crawling for Baby
Crawling is an important motor milestone. But it can actually help other areas of development, too! Watch to learn why baby crawling is such an important step. Read along with the video below! Crawling is an important gross motor skill, but did you know that crawling helps other areas of development too? Sensory Crawling on … Continued
The Best Toys for Outdoor Play
Sunshine, is that you? Believe it or not, it’s almost time for spring! The warming weather means it’s a great time for outdoor play with your little one! Play becomes even better for your little one when outdoor toys for kids are added to the mix. These are the best outdoor toys for kids to … Continued
Is Baby Not Meeting Their Milestones? What To Do Next
Have you noticed baby is having trouble reaching a certain milestone? Or does it feel like something isn’t quite right with your child’s development? All parents have concerns at some time about their child’s development. This is a normal reaction and expected part of being a parent! But if you are noticing your baby is … Continued
How to Help Babies and Toddlers When They Fall
When do babies typically fall? It is common for babies to fall when they are learning to roll, crawl, walk, or stand. This is a normal and unavoidable part of development! It is also common for children to fall while trying a new physical activity, or during playtime. So what should parents do when baby … Continued
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Do you want access to new resources first, so you can help us improve our materials? At Pathways.org, we’re creating resources to help parents care for their baby. We need your help to make our content even better. When we have new materials that we need feedback on, we’ll reach out to you to give … Continued
All The Ways Crawling Helps Baby’s Development
There is no doubt crawling is great for baby’s gross motor skills! It is a motor milestone, and an important and exciting step in baby’s independence. Crawling helps baby develop muscles and joints around the tummy, back, hips, and shoulders, and strength and balance for walking. But did you know crawling can help more than … Continued
Baby’s Babbles: What is Babbling and When Will It Start?
By the time baby is 4-6 months, it might seem like they have a lot to say—but you can’t understand any of it! The sound they make before they say their first words is known as baby’s babbling. Babbling may sound like nonsense, but it’s an important part of baby’s communication development. Read more to … Continued