Womb to Bloom - Maternity & Beyond

Learning about the different stages of child development and some common traits associated with them can help you gain valuable insight into your child's behavior and help you to understand his or her psyche. While every child is uniquely different, there are some general developmental milestones that can cause certain behaviors in many children.

From birth until your baby is 6 weeks old, for example, the key trait of this stage of development is reflex action such as grasping when you touch their palm, pursing their lips when you touch their cheek, or following objects with their eyes, they will even curl their toes if you put your finger just beneath them!

When you have an infant, during the first month or two you may find yourself saying something like "I wish you could talk to me!", because one of the most common difficulties for almost every new mother is learning your baby's cries and cues. While you certainly can't make a baby talk before he or she is ready, infancy is the perfect time to start laying a foundation for good communication skills!

So you’ve taken the plunge and invited a group of moms over to your house for a playdate. Maybe a circle of you has even decided to set up a weekly playgroup with a rotating hosting schedule. And today is your day to open your home to strangers! Are you nervous?

Don’t be! If you have invited new moms over, they will be just as nervous and unsure about playdates as you are. And if you have invited more experienced moms over, well, they will remember what their first playdates were like and not judge you or that pile of clean but unfolded laundry on the sofa.

My twins read Harry Potter books at four months. They’re baby geniuses. Okay, that’s not true. But I did read Harry Potter books to them at four months. I’m a book fiend. My fondest childhood memories are combing the stacks of our small local public library every Friday evening after dinner – my family’s traditional end-of-the-week activity. I remember regularly negotiating with my mother over the number of books I could check out each week. So, reading to my kids is very important to me.