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Pampers Baby Play and Development webchat, Wed 31st August

Babyexpert.com is pleased to welcome Dr Maggie Redshaw to host live Q&A session.



Maggie is an expert on babyhood and early child development and has been working with Pampers to create the Born to Play hub, which lets mum know about the different types of play that their baby can experience at each stage of their development.



Join Maggie here on Wednesday 31st August from 12-1pm.



Don't worry if you can't make that day or time, post your question now and Maggie will endeavor to answer as many posts on the day as possible.

Replies

  • Hello Everyone, my name is Maggie Redshaw and I am the baby development expert on the Pampers Village Parenting Panel and I am looking forward to answering your questions this morning.
  • Hi Nikkio24,



    Language development takes time and there are big individual differences in the way this happens. Listening skills are important as well as talking and understanding what others say or are talking about comes before being able to produce your own words and put them together. So it is likely that your 28 month old son is understanding and reacting to quite alot of what is being said to him.



    Shared play is a great way to help and encourage your son to use language more- both in play sessions with you and with other children. At other times, like in the car or when sitting in his high chair, games that involve songs and rhymes could help, allowing him to join in with key words and phrases.



    You might also want to bear in mind that boys are often slower than girls to develop their language skills. In the mean time keep chatting to him, give him time to answer and he may surprise you as his talking takes off.
  • hi maggie

    my little one is 13 months and still not walking! do you have any advice on how i can encourage her to get moving?!
  • I spoke to my health visitor who said that my three month old, who is putting his hands in his mouth is a good developmental sign. What does that mean and what other signs should I be looking out for and how do I stimulate my three month old to keep him interested?
  • Hi Maggie



    My 20 month little boy seems really uncoordinated and can't do simple games with shapes and spaces that all his friends can do. Is there anything you can recommend to help him along, I'm just getting worried that he is going to fall behind in his development.
  • Hi Maggie



    My baby is 14 months old and very clingy - she doesn't seem to like seeing other babies and cries whenever anyone else holds her at baby groups. how can I help her be less shy?
  • Hi Maggie,

    I have a bit of a messy problem image

    Two weeks ago I started potty-training my daughter and she's doing well. Probably about 2 wee accidents a day, but the trouble is she won't do a poo in the potty. She holds them in until she gets her night-time nappy on, and then goes. I wasn't too worried about this, but she's started to rip her nappy off before doing the poos and we have been faced with some very messy scenes in the cot when we go in to check on her. The last time she smeared it all around the cot which was just awful. How can I get her to use the potty for poos?

    Please help!



    Ooops - forgot to say my daughter has literally just turned 2.



  • take him to Kindermusik classes... image
  • I have a 7-month-old baby and I try to take time out of every day to 'play' with her. But after a few nursery songs and a round of peek-a-boo, I begin to run out of ideas. Do you have any advice on good ways to stimulate her, and can you let me know how long these play sessions should last? I want to be a fun mum!
  • Hi, my son is 18 months old and has always been active and lively, but he will crawl over toys to play with a remote control or plug socket! He loves throwing things [remote controls/stones etc] and taking things apart too [his sister's barbie house] is this normal? Sounds silly but should I stop buying him toys??



    Thanks

    Lisa
  • It seems that lots of parents were very busy today, hopefully playing, getting outdoors with their children and having fun.



    Play is really important for baby development and also has a role in in relationship building as shared play activities provide opportunities for laughter, chat, humour,problem-solving and trying out new skills in an unpressured way. For more information that you can download, tips and play ideas for different ages groups go to www.pampers.co.uk/play



    In the meantime enjoy watching your baby or toddler play,whether he or she is an explorer, an active livewire, someone who loves social play or one who is just getting going on with their imagination and beginning to play make-believe games.



    Have a great day what ever kind of play goes on





    Maggie Redshaw,

    Pammpers Village Parenting Panel
  • Hi SummerUK5



    Babies differ in their enthusiasm for walking. Many prefer to stick with the tried and tested crawling or shuffling. Creeping round the furniture happens next, but letting go altogether is harder. Gentle encouragement can help, but walking requires balance and co-ordination together with confidence. Give your baby time, he will do it, if only to enjoy first of all the different persepctive on the world and then the movement itself which he will then want to practice endlessly, keeping you busy following him
  • Hi Monajethwa,



    Your baby is at a stage when he is practicing really important skills. Being able to put his hand to his mouth is the basis of later reaching and grasping which will gradually develop over the next few months.



    Talking to your baby face to face, showing him things like his toys or a mobile and placing them just within reach may encourage him to hit them again after he has done so by mistake. It this way he will begin to learn about the consequences of his own actions.



    The good thing is that young babies have a built in desire to learn which you can encourage.
  • Hi pinkbarbie77



    You are worried about your 20 month little boy who seems really uncoordinated and can't do the things that his friends can do. Children differ so much in the speed and way in which they develop and that includes how they play with samll objects and puzzles.



    The important thing about play is that there are no really right answers and so even if he knocks things down, rather than builds them up, that's ok. Its a good idea to have a range of constructive toys: blocks, stacking pots, shape sorters and puzzles and if he is struggling, perhaps to help a bit and then step back, giving him a chance to try for himself. Being positive and relaxed about however he is playing is likely to help him develop his skills and move on to the next stage.
  • Our thanks to Dr Maggie Renshaw from the Pampers Village Parenting Panel for answering all your baby and toddler development and play questions this afternoon. Web Ed
  • Hi Claireylav1

    You asked: 'My baby is 14 months old and very clingy - she doesn't seem to like seeing other babies and cries whenever anyone else holds her at baby groups. how can I help her be less shy?'

    Children vary enormously in how they respond in social situations. One way forward might be for you to have a friend who has a baby of a similar age, visit you at home or else take your 14 month old to one of the regular mother and baby groups. You are her safe and comfortable base and so the important thing is to stay with her and not hand her over while she gets used to other children and the noise and activity that goes with toddlers and play. Toys that are different or unfamiliar may help distract, though it is important to remember that children of this age are likely to play alongside each other, rather than interacting as slightly older children will do. She just needs to feel comfortable and confident, but that takes time and if you have a relaxed attitude to her socialising that will help too.
  • Hi Carapops17

    You asked: 'I have a bit of a messy problem. Two weeks ago I started potty-training my daughter and she's doing well. Probably about 2 wee accidents a day, but the trouble is she won't do a poo in the potty. She holds them in until she gets her night-time nappy on, and then goes. I wasn't too worried about this, but she's started to rip her nappy off before doing the poos and we have been faced with some very messy scenes in the cot when we go in to check on her. The last time she smeared it all around the cot which was just awful. How can I get her to use the potty for poos?

    Please help!

    Ooops - forgot to say my daughter has literally just turned 2.'

    This is a difficult problem, but hopefully a temporary one. Potty training is often a mixture of ups and downs. You are doing this at the right sort of age, but everyone is different and things do not always go as quickly or smoothly as parents would like. Getting used to sitting on a potty takes time and it may be worth using a seat which fits onto the adult loo and which can feel more steady. It is important to have an idea when she is filling her nappy and so more frequent checks, at least for a time may be helpful. However, it may be that your two-year old feels pressured at this point in time, so letting her know that it is ok to use a nappy at night and letting her do so for a bit longer may help get over this hiccup in potty training.
  • Hi jbirch2

    You asked: 'I have a 7-month-old baby and I try to take time out of every day to 'play' with her. But after a few nursery songs and a round of peek-a-boo, I begin to run out of ideas. Do you have any advice on good ways to stimulate her, and can you let me know how long these play sessions should last? I want to be a fun mum?'

    Play sessions are great, but play can come in at other times too. Chatting to your baby and playing little games while you are getting her changed or dressed is fun for you both and helps her learning. CDs with a full range of songs help Mums and Dads to remember traditional games and songs and learn some new ones. Card books with bright pictures can be fun for both of you and simple stories with flaps showing the puppy or the ball will help with understanding and a bit later, with naming objects. When you want something different try a bubble blowing kit which everybody enjoys. All these activities will stimulate and encourage her development, though it is best to keep the sessions quite short, unless she is really showing a continuing interest in a particular toy or game.

    Getting together with other Mums can help as you talk over your children together, sharing ways of entertaining babies and toddlers.
  • Hi Leakeyloolah

    You asked: 'My son is 18 months old and has always been active and lively, but he will crawl over toys to play with a remote control or plug socket! He loves throwing things [remote controls/stones etc] and taking things apart too [his sister's barbie house] is this normal? Sounds silly but should I stop buying him toys?? Thanks Lisa'



    Hi Lisa,

    Sounds as though you have a lively toddler who is quite active, wanting to really get going and take over the world. With this age group it is important to put possibly dangerous, or items you don't want to lose, out of reach and out of sight. The things you have mentioned are interesting as toys, and particularly attractive as grabbing them gets Mum and Dads' attention. It may be that he needs you to play with him, perhaps with more physical games that might involve balls, chasing and rough and tumble, but also with more complicated toys that encourage shared construction or imaginative play. Children need toys, but these don't always have to be bought; second hand toys are great - as are the cardboard boxes that are used in packaging. Toys are important from many points of view and are usually safe and fun objects for children, but it is worth thinking whether the one you are thinking about is right for your baby or toddler.
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