What to Expect When Your Baby Starts Crawling and Walking

Help your baby develop his coordination skills. Here are some mommy tips to share:

Crawling
Between 6 and 10 months, your baby will wiggle and stretch, then push himself up and take off. He may also shimmy, scoot on him bottom, or skip crawling entirely…lots of babies do. To help develop a crawler's coordination:

• Fill a baby proofed room with cushions and boxes he can crawl over, under, or through.
• Pump up some music, plop down on all fours next to him, and swing to the beat. He'll likely imitate you.

Cruising
Soon after he can stand, between 8 and 13 months, he'll most likely try taking steps while holding on to furniture. First he'll drag his feet sideways, but eventually he'll pick up his legs. To bring him closer to walking:

• Push furniture together so he can glide around a room.
• Stand him on your lap, then slowly move each of your legs up and down so he can get used to shifting his weight.

Walking
Between 9 and 14 months, your baby will let go of the couch and take his first steps. He may be unsteady at first, but to ease him along:

• Let him go barefoot so he can balance better.
• Stand a few feet away from him while holding a toy. With practice, he'll walk confidently toward you to grab it.

THE SPOILED BABY MYTH

Can you actually spoil a baby?

Your baby cries a lot and you're uptight. You're not sure if you're supposed to soothe him or let him weep.

You are not alone. Many parents know very little about what to expect from babies. Your motherly instinct may be to comfort him, while friends and relatives tell you "No, you'll spoil him." The question is can you spoil an infant?

Spoiling means teaching someone to expect that his every demand will be met each time he makes it. Babies under three months exist in the present. And because crying is your infant's only way of telling you something is wrong, you need to listen to him so he can begin to make the connection between his cries and your reassuring, which happens around 6 months of age. Even then, an older baby probably is incapable of manipulating you to get your attention.

Young babies should not have to wait for a response, either. Too much stress on an infant's nervous system such as crying continuously is not healthy for him development. After three to six months, you can try stalling your response a bit with a gentle "I'll be right there", but it's never a good idea for babies younger than 6 months to "cry it out."

So trust your gut -- pacify your new baby when he weeps. Turn a deaf ear to everyone's advice not to your baby's cries.

Some Handy Tips

Here are some simple tips which were shared by my cousin that I find very handy. ;-)

Ants Problem: Keep the skin of cucumbers near the place or ant hole.

To get pure and clean ice: Boil water first before freezing.

To make the mirror shine: Clean with spirit.

To remove chewing gum from clothes: Keep the cloth in the freezer for an hour.

To whiten white clothes: Soak white clothes in hot water with a slice of lemon for 10 minutes.

To give a shine to hair: Add one teaspoon of vinegar to hair, and then wash.

To get maximum juice out of lemons: Soak lemons in hot water for one hour, and then juice them.

To avoid smell of cabbage while cooking: Keep a piece of bread on the cabbage in the vessel while cooking.

To rid the smell of fish from your hands: Wash your hands with a little apple vinegar.

To avoid tears while cutting onions: Chew gum.

To boil potatoes quickly: Skin one potato from one side only before boiling.

To boil eggs quickly: Add salt to the water and boil.

To check freshness of fish: Put it in a bowl of cold water. If the fish floats, it's fresh.

To check freshness of eggs: Put the egg in water. If it becomes horizontal, it's fresh. If it becomes slanting, it’s 3-4 days old. If it becomes vertical, it’s 10 days old. If it floats, it's stale.

To remove ink from clothes: Put toothpaste on the ink spots generously and let it dry completely, then wash.

To skin sweet potatoes quickly: Soak in cold water immediately after boiling.

To get rid of mice or rats: Sprinkle black pepper in places where you find mice or rats. They will run away.

Rashes Away!

All babies get diaper rash from time to time. Most diaper rashes are caused by skin irritation. Irritation can be caused by diapers that rub against the skin or fit too tightly. Irritation can also occur if your baby is left in a wet or dirty diaper for a long period of time. Your baby's skin can also be irritated by the soap used to wash cloth diapers, or by some brands of disposable diapers (diapers with plastic edges) or baby wipes.

Keep your baby's diaper area clean, cool and dry. Wash baby’s bottom every nappy change with water. No need for soap. I only use soap when my baby poops. No powder too for Talcum powder can get in my baby's lungs. Cornstarch may make a diaper rash caused by a yeast infection worse. Pat dry (not scrub, it can irritate your baby's sensitive skin) to dry completely before putting on another diaper. Avoid baby wipes, it’ll save your baby’s delicate skin from irritation and even your pocket.

If your baby has rashes, try applying Desitin, Drapolene or Petroleum Jelly liberally to the affected area. If diaper rash persists, change the type of wipes, diapers or soap you're using.