Early Childhood Development

[target2019]

This morning I was watching my 11-month-old grandson's fascination with containers. Each one holds new fascination for him. It so happens that the actual containers hold things sometimes, and that must be investigated. Other times an empty container requires filling with nearby objects.

My daughter and I laughed as he took all the shoes from the floor rack, and found a way to lift and then drop them into a recycle container that comes up to his shoulders. SInce he needs to hold on to stand, it became a real scene as he found a way to carry the shoe to the bin while stooping and holding on to the shoe rack. At one point he had to remove a shoe that sat at a bad angle in the bin, blocking the capacity to add more shoes.

I had developmental classes in college, but this was way more fun than any course I remember.

Scientists call this container play.

Developmental stages of container play:
Early infancy (around 6 months): Babies will begin to explore containers by batting at them, putting their hands inside, and mouthing them.
Mid-infancy (around 9 months): Babies start to intentionally drop objects into containers and may even try to take objects out.
Later infancy/toddlerhood (around 12 months and beyond): Children become more coordinated and can purposefully put objects in and out of containers, often engaging in repetitive "dump and fill" play.

 

[athena53]

I remember my son being fascinated with an empty-washed out Baby Wipes box that had a hinged lid- putting things in, taking them out, etc. I've always been fascinated watching small children learn, especially the things you can't directly teach them- what's funny, words they use that you don't remember teaching them, leaps of logic. I took my granddaughter to the Chicago Children's Museum when she was 4 and they had a Kids' Town section with a market, a bus, a garage, etc. You could take the laminated "letters" out of the mail box and deliver them. She did that a couple of times, we went out for lunch and came back, and this time she sorted them first by destination. I was blown away. Of course I told her proud parents and her grandparents on the other side!

 

[target2019]

It's wonderful how children learn. My wife's mother was always taking the grandchildren to museums of all kinds. She had great curiosity for all sciences, and there's a lot to explore around the Delaware Valley.

 

[pacergal]

Our DGKs favorite play toys was Grandmas Tupperware cupboard! All of those fun containers

 

[Koolau]

I helped my youngest with her reading vocabulary. She had flash cards to use and I could actually experience her learning right there in front of me.

She is so smart and she was at the proper age (for her) to learn vocabulary. It was a precious time to spend with her. She is very successful now and I always enjoy talking with her. It brings back those wonderful memories.

 

[EastWest Gal]

DS has central auditory processing disorder, so his language skills were significantly delayed. It took years of speech and language therapy and discovery of an incredible aptitude for music to help him catch up. It took videogames with written words (thanks Zelda an Mario), to get him reading well. In college he sought further therapy on his own.

Watching my various young patients grow up was fascinating, since they learned at different speeds and showed different aptitudes at a young age. I remember one 18 month old that was reading the letters on the eye chart in the exam room. As an early reader, that's something I would have done.

Normal development is full of recognizable milestones, gross and fine motor skills, language, and other skills. The game of peek-a-boo is related to object permanence-cover an object at 4 months old and the baby doesn't remember it exists. Yet at 6-8 months, most babies actively look for that object.

 

[Koolau]

DS has central auditory processing disorder, so his language skills were significantly delayed. It took years of speech and language therapy and discovery of an incredible aptitude for music to help him catch up. It took videogames with written words (thanks Zelda an Mario), to get him reading well. In college he sought further therapy on his own.

Watching my various young patients grow up was fascinating, since they learned at different speeds and showed different aptitudes at a young age. I remember one 18 month old that was reading the letters on the eye chart in the exam room. As an early reader, that's something I would have done.

Normal development is full of recognizable milestones, gross and fine motor skills, language, and other skills. The game of peek-a-boo is related to object permanence-cover an object at 4 months old and the baby doesn't remember it exists. Yet at 6-8 months, most babies actively look for that object.

At her 2nd BD, our niece (wife's side - of course) was doing her ABCs (with the appropriate example such as "A is for Apple" etc.) I still recall learning my ABCs in preparation for Kindergarten - age 4 I guess.

 

[1242Vintage]

Youngest was born with a severe hearing loss. We started going to weekly family sign language class when she was 14 months. To this day … 3 decades later … I still find myself humming the ABC song we started with every week and do the basic signs!!! APPLE APPLE A A A …. BABY BABY B B B ….

Daughter also developed talent for music. Played in high school marching band. Super fun at half time seeing her out on the field at half time of football game with her interpreting tow! Had fun explaining to other parents in the stands that the middle age guy marching with daughter was sign language interpreter because daughter is deaf!

 

[EastWest Gal]

Youngest was born with a severe hearing loss. We started going to weekly family sign language class when she was 14 months. To this day … 3 decades later … I still find myself humming the ABC song we started with every week and do the basic signs!!! APPLE APPLE A A A …. BABY BABY B B B ….

Daughter also developed talent for music. Played in high school marching band. Super fun at half time seeing her out on the field at half time of football game with her interpreting tow! Had fun explaining to other parents in the stands that the middle age guy marching with daughter was sign language interpreter because daughter is deaf!

I'll bet that was cool to watch!

 

[Allytx]

I love Early Childhood and watching children learn. In fact, that was my career for the 33 yrs I worked. It was fascinating.

 

[Koolau]

Youngest was born with a severe hearing loss. We started going to weekly family sign language class when she was 14 months. To this day … 3 decades later … I still find myself humming the ABC song we started with every week and do the basic signs!!! APPLE APPLE A A A …. BABY BABY B B B ….

Daughter also developed talent for music. Played in high school marching band. Super fun at half time seeing her out on the field at half time of football game with her interpreting tow! Had fun explaining to other parents in the stands that the middle age guy marching with daughter was sign language interpreter because daughter is deaf!

Very cool story! Thanks for sharing.

 

[target2019]

I love Early Childhood and watching children learn. In fact, that was my career for the 33 yrs I worked. It was fascinating.

I had a course or two on developmental psychology and biology. That was 50 years ago! It was an interesting field, but circumstances took my career in another direction.

What I find odd is that I don't recall watching my own children and marvelling at the various stages of progress.

What have I learned recently (he's 1 year old now)?

- There is a phenomenon called Miss Rachel on youtube. She and husband are both music majors, and very successful. Through youtube and tiktok they are estimated to be worth $10 million.

- Old furniture cups are just as good for playtime as more expensive electronics toys. All we need now is a bucket or container so he can take the booty along on his travels.

 

[sengsational]

Parents kept the ones that were good at picking things and put them into the container.

 

[street]

I like this thread!! We have a 22 month old and it just amazes me how things they do. They learn by watching and then attempting to do the task. The things they pick up on is unreal.
My little GD loves to sway and move to music and is just a wonderful thing to watch.

 

[target2019]

This morning I received 5 pictures from daughter. Each showed 12-month gs using a gesture. After talking with her, she mentioned they are using signing too. Between Miss Rachel, the Library, developmental toys and lots of love, it's a true child development lab at their house.

"By observing children’s early gestures, you can obtain a critical snapshot of their communication development. Even small lags in communication milestones can add up and impact a child’s rate of learning that is difficult to change later."

Ref: Children should learn at least 16 gestures by 16 months

Baby and Toddler Milestones: 16 Gestures by 16 Months

Research with young children indicates that the development of gestures from 9 to 16 months predicts language ability two years later, which is significant because preschool language skills predict academic success. Find out what gestures children should be learning each month from 9 to 16...

www.readingrockets.org

Beside the images and videos coming through text and Telegram, we also have a Frameo running. This was a gift from both kids at Thanksgiving. She set things up, and that was a good idea since we tend to let tasks pileup.

Frameo comes in different screen sizes. Ours is the 10.1" size. Others install an app on their phone and link it to the frame. Through the phone app they send pix to your frame. You have a sildeshow running, and the new pix show up with no intervention by you.

So we're seeing pix from the DisneyWorld trip and other events we couldn't attend. As you must know by now, the young prince is in a lot of these photos, starting to smile and gesture in endearing fashion.

 

[ponyboy]

We have a 4 year old so going through developmental stages all the time. We did get lucky with him, no disabilities that we can tell, smart and has a really good memory.

I have noticed that a high percentage of kids in his daycare have developmental issues. I don't know what the deal is with so many kids having problems. There is definitely something in the "water.". What that is seems to be a mystery.

I will say, when we travel we allow our son to use an iPad. On the plane, in the hotel room, we connect it to the WiFi and he plays on YouTube kids. That device sometimes turns him into a demon. Anyone who allows their young kids to consume this "drug" all the time is doing their child a disservice. Once we get home the iPad vanished until next trip.

 

[target2019]

Developmental issues may come from lack of nutrition during pregnancy and infancy. Could also come from drug and alcohol use.

 

[target2019]

How about this at 13 months or so? The child grabs a book, comes to you, and reaches up to sit in your lap for a wonderful reading.

There's so much in that behavior to unpack.

 

[Winemaker]

Yes, childhood learning is fastening. My grandson was born wit a medical condition that had him in childhood ICU, where everyone wore face masks. When he was released, it was in the middle of the pandemic. He had a severe speaking and language problem until he was 4. The speech therapists all agreed that since he was unable to watch others move their lips when they spoke, he did not learn to speak properly. Being a bright kid, he has overcome his speech handicap and continues to overcome his medical condition.

 

[target2019]

"Love the child who learns behind masks,
Whose first words are muffled, whose voice is delayed.
Love the child who sees no lips move,
And hears a world that speaks in silence.
Love the child whose bright mind must fight,
To untangle the knots of a speechless start.
Love the child who overcomes with family,
While the world forgets its role in his struggle.
Oh, love the child who rises despite it all,
A testament to resilience,
A beacon of hope in a masked generation."

That was AI-generated, then edited by me.