ABM Level 1   – Five Day Certificate Program with Beverly Stokes

Dominican University Campus, San Rafael, CA

August 13 – 17, 2012 (Monday – Friday)

Let’s observe a three-month old baby playing:

• Your three month old baby is lying on his back on a blanket on the floor.
• You are also on the floor at your baby’s level, watching what he is doing.
• Your baby brings his hands to his chest and clasps them together.
• Your baby is focussed and interested in his new body exploration.
• He looks down at his hands at what he is doing.
• What does this little activity tell us about your three month old baby’s development?
• What play activity is your baby preparing to engage in?

The close link between your baby’s body movement, tactile sensations and visual processing informs her about herself from the very beginning.  With these movement explorations, your baby develops her awareness of her body and how each part of her body is moving.

• Prepare your space on an exercise mat or blanket on a carpeted floor.
• Choose a small pillow or folded towel for under your head to align your spine.
• Place your baby on her/his back on the blanket.
• Lie down on your back and place the towel or pillow under your head.
• Raise your legs one after the other and place your feet flat on the floor.
• Roll to your side, lift and hold your baby securely in your arms.
• Bring your baby to your chest and carefully roll onto your back again.
• Adjust your feet so they are flat on the floor.
• Support your baby to rest on his/her tummy on your body.

At the end of the day – this will be a relaxing and quiet time to bond with your baby.  Two-month-old babies are beginning to use their arms and in this position on your body, you will feel your baby’s little hands gently push against you. When you add soft humming sounds, your baby will feel sound vibrations coming from your chest that will be soothing.  See our recent blog entry and write-up in our March eNewsletter Dad’s Humming Calms Baby. By participating in these pleasant body-to-body interactions, your baby will gradually become more comfortable on her/his tummy.

• Amazing Babies Moving Book and eChapter Month 1 and 2
• Let’s hear more from Dads!

A delightful feature at Amazing Babies Moving is talking to first time parents.  Recently I was talking to a new Dad.  Having a baby encourages new parents to develop sensitive communication skills so they can be more responsive to their baby’s expressive communication cues. Here’s How:

1. Notice how you are holding your baby in your arms when sitting, standing or walking.
2. Embrace your baby in a C-curve in your arms close to your chest.
3. Gazing at your baby begin vocalizing a humming sound.
4. Does your baby calm down as she/he listens to your voice?
5. Experiment with other cooing and soothing sounds.
6. Pause and observe your baby’s responses.
7. Your baby may be enjoying the sound vibrations from your chest.

You may also notice that when you are humming, you are relaxing too.  The more you use your body to sense, feel and become aware of your own responses, the more sensitive you will be to your baby’s preverbal communication cues.

Share and let’s hear from Dads!

A recent study published by Florida scientists discovered that around 6 months babies start to study mouths when people talk to them to figure out how the shape of their lips makes the sound they are hearing.  This new research appears in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.  Even newborns mimic a parent’s tongue game that has been well documented by Andrew N. Meltzoff, Ph.D.

Visit our Baby Guide, Month 1 Slider to view a baby’s focused attention on his mother’s mouth in her tongue wiggle-waggle game. Be patient and notice how your baby responds.

• Download the Amazing Babies Moving eChapters 1 and 2 to learn more.

NEONATI FELICI IN MOVIMENTO

Guida Per Lo Sviluppo Motorio Insieme Al Tuo Bambino Da 0 A 12 Mesi

Click on this link to order:  www.macroedizioni.it

On the floor, babies are curious about what’s around them and through their active focus and gestures communicate what they are interested in.  One of our recent photo vignettes is about a baby who directs a play interaction with an adult and she is only 4 months old!  We continue to document the Pre-Locomotion Baby and Locomotion Baby to show the significance of how babies move, move to communicate and move to learn in their amazing first year!

I have been promoting this view for many years in my published materials and workshops as a reminder of just how aware babies are.

A typical example is when a ten month old baby keeps dropping toys from his high chair and keeps you busy picking them up.  But you may not have noticed him also dropping toys and taking them in and out of the wastepaper basket.  Dropping toys from his high chair takes longer before he hears the sound of his toy hitting the floor.  This is one of the many actions your baby performs every day that leads to his understanding the concept of ‘time through space’.

A budding scientist, he is busy experimenting in his environment and making new connections and discoveries that are the physical foundation of many future cognitive concepts.

• Please note: An earlier draft with a working title was inadvertently published today by mistake.

I have been promoting this view for many years in my published materials and workshops as a reminder of just how aware babies are.

A typical example is when a ten month old baby keeps dropping toys from his high chair and keeps you busy picking them up.  But you may not have noticed him also dropping toys and taking them in and out of the wastepaper basket.  Dropping toys from his high chair takes longer before he hears the sound of his toy hitting the floor.  This is one of the many actions your baby performs every day that leads to his understanding the concept of ‘time through space’.

A budding scientist, he is busy experimenting in his environment and making new connections and discoveries that are the physical foundation of many future cognitive concepts.

My recent documented photo vignettes will be produced under The Aware Baby.

When you are at your Baby’s Level on the Floor:

• Watch, listen and learn…
• Babies develop new body moves and interactive games just for you!
• Magic Moments spring up when you are interested in what your baby is doing.

TummyTime for Two will be your baby’s favorite activity every day.