Choosing Age-appropriate toys | 6-12 months old

I have promised a friend to send her an email on giving some suggestions the suitable toys for her 8 months old daughter as she wanted to avoid buying common types like doll for her little girl and wanting something that can enhance her daughter's development.

So, rather sent email, I think it is better I've shared that in here instead so others can benefit it as well. Read on.

Hanz's Note : Those toys featured here been with us for 6 years at most. Bought for our eldest child and being passed down for his younger brother and soon the newborn. One thing to remember, it is essential to invest toys that are durable and sturdy as it can last long and are not easily broken. Always check the safety standard but most well-known toy manufacturer will follow the standard safety and should be safe enough for your child. It is unnecessarily that you must get the same brand or the same toy like in the pictures. Those picture of ours are merely some guides and suggestions based on the purpose the toys being created.

6 – 12 Months
By this time babies are usually able to sit by themselves and are learning to crawl. They  will also be learning fine motor skills, such as pinching and grasping objects with just two fingers. So you’ll want to provide baby with a variety of toys to play with in all shapes and sizes to satisfy the growing curiosity and need to explore. Soon enough, they like to make things happen – they enjoy pushing a button and hearing a song, or seeing something light up. Having the ability to interact with their surroundings is very exciting and once they find something they like, they do it over and over again.

1) Sensorial & Fine Motor-Skill : Colourful objects that suits tiny hands with different textures on its surfaces should be selected by parents. Especially if the toys can be manipulated by twisting, turning, princing, grasping and pinching.

Note : This 5 textured balls manufactured by Playskool. Good for dexterity sensorial.

What should parents do if they see signs of autism in their child?

The symptoms of autism spectrum disorders vary from person to person. With such a wide range of possible symptoms, how is it possible to identify a child with autism?

A child may well reach his milestones at an early age and still qualify for an autism spectrum diagnosis, or, on the other hand, appear to have several symptoms and not be autistic at all. That is because autism spectrum disorders look different in every child, and while some children may develop typically for a while and then develop symptoms, others may have obvious symptoms from infancy.

Autism | Definition, characteristics & Types

Definition : Autism is a pervasive developmental disorder which affects social and communication skills and, to a greater or lesser degree, motor and language skills. It is such a broad diagnosis that it can include people with high IQs and mental retardation and people with autism can be chatty or silent, affectionate or cold, methodical or disorganized.

While people with autism may be different from one another, they do have certain challenges and traits in common.

What is ADHD or also known as Hyperactive?

Parents and teachers often describe children who are excitable, boisterous or disobedient as hyperactive. The terms attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is used by the medical professional to describe a more severe and long-lasting problem in children. It is said that ADHD affect one in every 25 children and this is equivalent to at least one child in every classroom. ADHD also is diagnosed more frequently in boys than girls.

Learning Disability in Children | Diagnosis, Testing & Parenting

Many gifted and talented children are often misdiagnosed as having learning disabilities. Many characteristics of gifted children, both social and emotional, there are times mistaken as symptoms of specific learning disorders. For some gifted children, they have the unusual learning styles . And to some even though they are very intelligent, they may also have learning disability. They may have an issue with self-esteem, verbal acquisition and other areas of lacking as well. Look out the life of Albert Einstein and Thomas Alva Edison as they are one classic example of gifted and yet they are among people with learning disorder.

Learning Disability in Children | Symptoms & Types

Why it is so hard for my son to finish his homework?"

"My daughter can read but at times, she has difficulty pronouncing certain words."

"If she would just pay attention, she would get it."

"Your son disturbs his friends while lesson is on and
seems hard to concentrate in class."

"After I give the instructions, my daughter just stand there and I have to repeat the instructions again. Funny thing is she is not even has any hearing problem."

"When will our son can talk in sentences? He is far delayed compared with
his cousins of same age."

If you have special needs child, don't deny their rights!

The conversation that took place between my elder sister and myself yesterday late evening was an eye-opener for me to shed some light and share with all of you. I had finally confided to my sister when she insisted to understand about Hanafi's condition. My sister was shocked when I've informed her that we just submitted OKU form meaning soon Hanafi is the holder of OKU card.

10 Ways to grow a happy child

1. Fall in love with your baby by having a positive birthing experience for baby, mother and father right from pregnancy, confinement till the early years.

2. Strengthen that love by breastfeeding your child until he or she no longer needs it.

3. A refreshed mother, thanks to co-sleeping and nursing simultaneously ends to worry less of her child's safety and make her a patient mother!

10 Tips on how to manage toddler behaviour

1. Keep toddler safe. Protect him against busy streets and the dangers that he might find anywhere. Keep pills, cleaning materials, sharp objects and other toxic substances out of reach, under lock and key if necessary

2. Give toddler freedom to grow and make discoveries in his own way. Avoid unhampered his spirit by too many rules and unrealistic expectations.

Natural Learner in progress

Hanz's : Progress observation to our eldest boy, Hanafi who was then 6 years old before end of year 2010.

Amazed observing how my elder boy, Hanafi attempted his E.nopi Math worksheet last night. 2 digits addition in example, 15 + 14, 22 + 13, both vertical and diagonal, he did it just like reading, read the sum and without seconds of thinking moment, he wrote the answer. No hesitation. And all was correct.

How pre-reading skills lead to reading success

Ever wonder how I make my boys, Hanafi & Hambali love books?

The keyword is pre-reading skills. Reading is merely a visual representation of the spoken word. And just as we teach our children to talk & the appropriate words for objects & people, we can begin early to teach our children how letters represent certain sounds & when those letter symbols are grouped, they form words.

Pre-reading activities begin early & most parents aren't even aware they are preparing their young child to read.It's all about exposing the child to both spoken & written language.Parents can set their children up for success without pushing by making sure that they have the maximum exposure to these activities.

The hidden messages we give our children

Hanz's Note : I am sharing an excerpt from my current book read, 'The Natural Child' by Jan Hunt (2001). Read on. And do ponder how true these situations are norm in our societies in the past & today.

Infant

What we say: "No more nursing. You're too big for that now!"

What we think: "I'd like to continue, but I can't stand all the criticism from my relatives."

What the child thinks: "I've just lost the most important thing in my life, the long periods of cuddling & the food that felt best inside me. I must have done something terrible. I must be a terrible person."

What we say 20 years later: "Why are you binging too much?"

Cooking exposure for the juniors

Want to introduce cooking to your little ones?

The following are some guidelines how cooking can be done based on Concepts and Skills for each age group.

The settled baby - Four to Twelve Months

Excerpt from the book :-"Smart Baby, Clever Child"
written by Valentine Dmitriev, PH.D

As your baby enters this new phase, it is important for parents to keep up with their baby's rapid changes & advancement. His independent mobility is increasing and so he begins paying more attention to objects in his environment. He is developing new awareness.Hand-eye coordination improves and actions become more & more deliberate. With this is mind, there are 3 goals to aid in this new stage of development.

How to pick early signs of giftedness for very young children

Sometime ago, I regularly received periodic newsletter based on my free subscription with Brainy-Child.com. If my faint memory can be rely on, the former website is based in Singapore. Basically it caters for parents & Early Childhood Educator by providing some insight in latest discovery in all aspects of children especially in brain development & early child development.

Here's some checklist if you feel like assessing your lil ones. Read on!