Posts tagged: Ages + Stages

We teach our littles how to clap their hands, hold a spoon, and roll a ball—but is there a lesson more monumental than the art of kindness? Sensitivity and empathy can be learned from an early age through actions both big and small, says Barbara Grant, a developmental specialist and Founder of Nudge and Cradle in Washington DC. 'What's most helpful is to be intentional as you talk about, teach, and model these ideas.' (Research shows infants as young as eight-months-old can display precursors to empathy, like showing concern if...

Postpartum doulas—caregivers trained to ‘mother the mother’ after birth— are becoming a popular solution to those frenzied first few weeks with a newborn. Wondering if they’re worth the investment? Read on. Postpartum traditions around the globe tend to be remarkably more mom-friendly than they are in the US—new moms in Latin American culture, for example, spend the first 40 days after birth healing and resting while her female family members feed and bathe her, clean the house, and take care of the child. In the US, moms often feel the...

Read about what our blog editor—and other mamas who've struggled with colicky babies—wish they would have known at the time. It was our second week home from the hospital when it started—the incessant, purple-faced, sweaty wails coming from our newborn. He’d switch off between sleeping and fussing (like all new babies) during the day, but once 5 p.m. hit, he let it rip at the top of his lungs straight through midnight before finally passing out from exhaustion. This happened every. single. night.Colic nearly broke me—and if you’ve had a...

Whether you're gearing up for another chilly winter weekend spent indoors (March, where are you?) or you're just looking for a fresh activity to do with your little, we've got a quick and easy craft that comes with guaranteed smiles. Inspired by one of our latest prints—Game, Set, Match—Katie Baumgartner of Make to Celebrate is sharing a fun way to make abstract art with your little using tennis balls. You'll need: A box (or ridged baking sheet) Kid-friendly paint 1 or 2 tennis balls (marbles work, too) Instructions: Place a...

Most babies make it easy on you—they’ll fuss when they’re uncomfortable, says Payal Adhikari, MD, a pediatrician with Child & Adolescent Health Associates in Chicago. It’s normal for your baby's hands and feet to feel a little cold (or even look slightly purple those first few weeks of life as their circulation adjusts to working on its own) but the core of baby’s body (her stomach and back) should feel warm like yours does—not super hot or frigid cold. So what does that mean when it comes to getting dressed?...

Gearing up to give your little their first bite of real (pureed) food—or running into questions as you transition into bigger bites? Consider this your ultimate cheat sheet. Our go-to pediatrician Payal Adhikari, MD, with Child and Adolescent Health Associates in Chicago, is sharing her ten best tips for teaching your baby the art of a good chow. 4-6 months is a good time to start solids “I like to start closer to six months, or when your baby shows an interest in food and has good head and trunk...

It’s reason number 999 babies are as fascinating as they are cute: your little starts to absorb language while he’s still swimming around in the womb. And then every interaction from day one is a chance for baby to build their speech (not that you need to start flashcard drills with your newborn– your warm and happy coos work wonders in the early days.) “Your baby might not understand the semantic meaning of what you’re saying, but he or she can feel the loving meanings of your voice tones,” says...

You’ve probably heard about those naturally great sleepers—the baby who snoozes through the night at six weeks, or the six-month-old who exclusively takes two-hour naps. But for a good majority of parents, getting baby to sleep well takes work. (Sometimes, hours of it—at 3 a.m.) And that’s where sleep training comes into play: it’s the process of teaching baby to self-soothe, so he or she can fall asleep on their own, minus the song and dance (ie: 45 minutes of rocking and sneaking quietly out the door) from Mom or...

Playing with a newborn is pretty simple—funny faces, high-contrast colors and music is enough to keep your little stimulated during those short breaks between naps and feeding. But once your baby reaches three months, she’s ready for a little more action—toys to swipe and grab, textures to feel, and even more silliness and conversing from mom. (If you're dealing with new mom information overload, here's some good news: play is easy.) “A lot of times moms think they have to be the initiator or educator, but babies are built to...

Welcome to The Delivery Room Dish—a place for new moms to spill on the highs, lows, and nitty gritty of giving birth. What you'll learn: there's no one 'right' way to have a baby, the delivery room is full of choices (even when labor doesn't go as planned), and every mom's got a birth story worth sharing. Up next: Monica + Andy's Director of Brand Strategy and Digital Content Jessie Mash, who gave birth to her daughter Maxine in November.The first sign of labor was: contractions I thought were Braxton...