June 2020 -

TRANSITIONING YOUR BABY TO CUP DRINKING

Transitioning your baby from a bottle to cup can be a rewarding accomplishment as a parent and scary at the same time! Around the time babies are ready to be introduced to cereals and other purees, you should begin to explore cups. Somewhere between 9-12 months, it is typically safe to begin introducing an open cup. Not only does this help progress them through the stages of feeding, it aids in speech development as well! Small cups with small amounts of liquid is best to start with. Look for some disposable ones that have a thicker rim. This helps when you are positioning it to fit to the corners of their tiny mouths and teaches them to keep their tongues in and down to rest on the bottom jaw. Starting this process early on will help with difficulty transitioning when they are older, more aware and potentially anxious, and attachment to the bottle is stronger. If your child is over a year old and you haven’t yet taken this leap, not to worry! Make it a fun activity while they are in the bathtub, having fun outside(in the warmer months of course), or playing with favorite dolls/stuffed animals having a picnic or tea party. When they are in the tub, you won’t have to worry about them spilling! Nesting cups are a great way to practice during bath time. The rim around the top is large and this way they also practice motor skills of dumping, filling, and pouring. Remember, as they are learning, they will tip it too much and sometimes cough, just like we do when we take too big of a drink. Coughing is good, that means the liquid has not reached the lungs. Always monitor when they are first learning and practicing. Also available now at most stores and online are 360 cups that are closed like a sippy cup and will help them learn to tip it up while controlling the liquids(saves parents/caregivers from cleaning up spills). If you suspect your child is having more difficulty using an open cup than you expected and something doesn’t feel or look right, contact your pediatrician. You may want to ask them about further evaluations or your local Early Intervention program.

Words/sounds to include: cup, drink, water, milk, juice, wet, cold, pour, yum, ahhhh(after taking a sip).

MEAL TIME

Meal times are a great way for children to learn, as well as, use language with others. It also teaches them to engage in turn taking behaviors while expressing wants/needs and beginning social/conversational language with parents or caregivers. Food and drink are usually a huge motivator for children, and we are meeting their basic needs while teaching them! Providing some choices for your child(ren) can help them use words/gestures to tell you what they want to eat or drink. It takes some of the pressure off to produce the word spontaneously when they may not be able to. For example, ask “Do you want milk or juice?” while showing them either the containers or if you use certain cups for the liquids and they understand that. You can use choices for snacks, drinks, and even parts of meals. All of this is within reason of course. If you, as the parent/caregiver, are not comfortable with choices, there are additional strategies to use to encourage language. You can limit the amount of food or drink that you provide. If you are working on them asking for “more”, place the object in sight but out of reach. Your child(if motivated) will inevitably try to get more on their own. Ask him/her, “Do you want more?”. If they indicate they do(follow the body language) cue them by saying “Tell me more”. You can use the sign if your child doesn’t imitate “more”. If they indicate they don’t want more, end the snack or meal by stating “All done!”(model the sign when necessary). Maybe they aren’t motivated that much by food/drink. Try giving choices of favorite/preferred cups/bowls/utensils at meal or snack times. Also, naming the food/drink your child is enjoying, and telling them what they are doing(eating, drinking, chew, bite, etc) helps build vocabulary. Make sounds like “Mmmmm”, “yum”, or “ahhh”(after they take a drink) so they imitate. They can participate in sharing and turn taking as well! Meals are a great way to help your child learn and engage with them while they explore tastes and textures with your company. You can find a helpful website for baby sign language in the resources tab.

Words/sounds to include: names of foods or drinks, actions-bite, chew, munch, crunch, taste, sip, swallow, yum, mmmm, sipping/munching sounds, fork, spoon, cup, bowl, plate, cut eat, drink, colors, more, all done, all gone

BRUSHING TEETH

Brushing teeth. When it comes to your baby, it’s easier said than done sometimes. The first question is, “When do I start?”. It is recommended to start when they begin to get teeth in. However, some children experience more pain with this process than others. How can we make this a pleasant, non-stressful experience for them(and for us!)? The earlier you begin, the less stress and anxiety they will feel. This can be a great opportunity to sing some songs with them. It can be a song they like or one you make up about brushing teeth. Also, you can narrate the steps to the process. For example, “Let’s brush our teeth!”. “We get our toothbrush.” “Put on some toothpaste, SQUEEZE!”, “Turn on the water!” “Open up and brush, brush, brush!” Maybe show your child how you do it if they are anxious about what is happening. Try making some sounds along with the oral actions, such as “Ahhhh” when mouth is open wide, or “eeee” when smiling to brush fronts of teeth. Then you can describe the process of cleaning up as well. When they are old enough, this is a great time to practice using a dixie cup to take small sips from. This can be a fun way to incorporate sounds and words, as well as, a distraction for them if they are having difficulty tolerating the toothbrush. As they first begin to get teeth in, start with a finger toothbrush so they can get used to the feeling of it. It will also provide some stimulation to their gums and tongue. Then you can move to a toddler toothbrush when ready. You can find a set of each step in most stores that sell baby items. Remember, babies are supposed to be putting objects in their mouths as teeth are coming in(as long as it is appropriate). Provide them with teethers or safe toys to mouth during this time. This not only gets them ready for foods, but also for speech!

Words/sounds to include: toothbrush, toothpaste, water, on, off, wet, brush, teeth, tongue, all clean/all done, wipe, squeeze, “eeee”, “ahhhhh”

COOKING WITH KIDS

Cooking/baking with kids is a great way for them to follow directions, learn many concepts, and maybe even try new tastes and textures. While getting all the material you need in order to make the recipe, ask your child(ren) to find things they are familiar with, whether it’s an ingredient or object you will need. Label what you need and what you are doing while you are cooking/baking. When possible, help them to touch/feel some of the ingredients, as well as, taste them. Many children are more motivated to taste things they are involved in making. When it’s finished, ask if they remember what they helped make. Remember, have fun, get messy, and praise your kiddos for helping out!

Words/sounds to include: bowl, cup, spoon, fork, knife, pot, pan, stir, mix, pour, dump, scoop, wet, dry, hot, cold, plop, roll, messy, wash, label numbers, label ingredients, oven, stove, refrigerator

OUTSIDE PLAY

Playing outside is the perfect opportunity to teach a variety of language concepts, as well as, the social aspects of language. Your children will be having so much fun, they won’t even realize how much they are learning! Teaching them the names of objects you see or telling them to find certain objects is a great way to build their vocabulary both receptively(understanding labels of objects) and expressively(names/labels of objects). While they are playing on playground equipment, playing in the sand or water, or playing ball, you can teach your children about action words as well. Be sure to have fun being a kid with your child and incorporate turn taking games or simply making silly sounds as you play.

Words/sounds to include: outside, tree, sky, cloud, sun, flowers, ball, slide, sandbox, uh-oh, boom, up, down, in, out, throw, catch, kick, splash, water, wet, scoop, dump, run, jump, Ready, Set, Go!, My turn, etc.