Ten ways to help your child give up the pacifier
Your 11 month old baby
Stand up for yourself!
Your baby's now eleven months old. This month you'll notice even further development in the baby's communication skills, by using a few one-syllable words, and understanding other familiar words, and using body language altogether. Even if some of the words don't make sense to most adults, you might be able to understand through your baby's made up language.
Your baby during this month
- Becomes more aware of their own emotions
- Expresses emotions a lot better.
- Has a clearer grasp of the space around, and how to use hands to move or play with the physical environment around them.
- Stands on their own.
- Figures out which actions grab your attention, and do them exclusively for your attention.
Babies are unique in the skills they develop, as each baby may have a different pace. Be patient with your baby, and call your doctor if you become worried or concerned about your baby's developmental progress.
Tips for you during this month
Listen carefully to your baby when she tries to talk, getting your attention is encouraging to babies so she'll make an extra effort to make sure your attention is still there. Talk as much as you can with her, and respect her words no matter how silly they might sound. It's a bonus to have a room where the baby can explore freely without hearing the word "no".
Soon you'll have your baby's first birthday party, they don't really remember this day when they grow older, although using a video camera will make for excellent memories in the future. This birthday is actually more about you than it is about your baby, plan an event that will get everyone you love from family and friends. Here are a few tips for this event:
- Send invitations a few days early, that way you'll make sure at least most of your guests will be there.
- If you have other kids, make sure to show them you still value them and love them, maybe a small gift might help, or having them be responsible for a certain activity, giving your kids the attention they need is important no matter how young or old.
- Enjoy the party, and make sure your baby and your guests are having a blast as well
- Get someone to do the dishes, take pictures, or help out with the preparation.
- Choose a fun theme for the party, have the cake, decorations, invitations and a few costumes ready and relevant to that theme, it would be nice to get a few adults to dress up weirdly for the pleasure of the kids. You can choose a theme that's about a cartoon, cowboys, astronauts, princesses, a movie, etc...
- Hire a magician or clown to entertain the kids, and pick out a few games...
- If you invite other kids, make sure the party doesn't last longer than a couple of hours. You want the parents to be at ease, and you want to keep the kids from getting upset if they leave early.
- Be ready for anything, babies don't start getting predictable when they're 1 year old, surprises may still happen.
- Be ready for a big mess, kids don't really know how to eat cake properly. So have the napkins and towels ready. And don't forget the cameras, it's better make a good thing out of this mess, not to mention you'll cherish the memory forever.
Did You Know?
Your baby's first birthday party is coming soon, and this birthday is really not about the baby, but about you. Babies really don't remember this stuff, but use a video camera to make excellent memories in the future. Plan the event and send out invitations early, so you get all your friends and family members that matter to you to attend.
At eleven months old, your baby will further develop communicating, by having a few one- syllable words to say out loud, understanding familiar words, and using body language and facial expressions. Sure a lot of the words could be gibberish, but you should always strive to understand your baby's words.
When they try to talk, you should give them attention as often as possible, this is particularly encouraging to babies as they want to impress you, and they'll make an extra effort to get that attention at times. Keep talking different words and use images or show them objects or people whose names you're using, and don't make too much fun of your baby's words no matter how silly they are. Keep motivating your baby.
