One short, practical read for every week of your baby's first year.
You are home, your baby is finally here, and part of you is wondering what on earth is going on behind those sleepy, squinty eyes. Can they see you? Do the…
Read more →Your baby just spent nine months in the most perfectly controlled environment imaginable: warm, dark, snug, with a constant soundtrack of your heartbeat an…
Read more →There is a myth that floats around parenting circles: the idea that responding quickly to every cry will somehow "spoil" your baby, that picking them up to…
Read more →You have just finished feeding your baby. You burped them, set them down, and maybe even closed your eyes for a moment. Then, five minutes later, they are…
Read more →If your baby cries the moment you place them on their tummy, you are not doing anything wrong, and you are certainly not alone. Tummy time is one of those…
Read more →You have probably noticed your baby getting caught by certain things: the edge of a doorway, a ceiling fan, your face against a bright window. There is a r…
Read more →You have seen those fleeting smiles in sleep and while feeding, and you have probably wondered when your baby will smile at you, on purpose, because you ar…
Read more →Your baby has started making those melting little sounds, soft coos, gurgles, drawn-out vowels, and you find yourself answering back without thinking. That…
Read more →The short answer: now. Whatever age your baby is right now, it is a good time to start reading to them. The longer answer involves some fascinating researc…
Read more →If you are reading this at 3 a.m. wondering whether your baby will ever sleep like a normal person, take a breath. You are not failing, and your baby is no…
Read more →Have you noticed your baby starting to swat at things, arms swinging with more purpose, sometimes making contact and sometimes missing wildly? Those clumsy…
Read more →One day you look down and your baby is completely absorbed in their own hands, turning them, staring, bringing them to their mouth as if they are the most…
Read more →Remember the wobbly, barely-there head lifts of those early weeks? Look at your baby now. During tummy time, they are pushing up, lifting the chest, and st…
Read more →You might hear the phrase "crossing the midline" from your pediatrician, an occupational therapist, or a baby development class, and wonder why such a simp…
Read more →You hold out a rattle and, for the first time, your baby actually takes it. Not by accident, not a reflex closing around your finger, but a real reach and…
Read more →Somewhere between the coos and the squeals, you start hearing consonants. Ba. Ma. Da. Strung together and repeated with obvious delight. If you have caught…
Read more →One day your baby is lying where you set them down, and the next they have somehow flipped onto their side, looking a little surprised at themselves. If yo…
Read more →Around 5 months, something changes. Your baby's sleep cycles are maturing, their circadian rhythm is more established, and, according to most pediatric sle…
Read more →Fingers, toys, your shoulder, the corner of a blanket: if your baby can reach it, it is going straight into their mouth. If you find yourself wondering whe…
Read more →You hide your face behind your hands, then pop back out, and your baby dissolves into giggles as if it is the funniest thing that has ever happened. Ever w…
Read more →You prop your baby up for a moment and they hold it, wobbling like a little bowling pin, before tipping gently sideways. If you are wondering when your bab…
Read more →It can sting. You have been there through every feeding, every midnight wake-up, every diaper change, and suddenly your baby only has eyes for your partner…
Read more →Your baby is staring at your plate, maybe even lunging for your roti, and everyone has an opinion about when to start solids. If you are wondering whether…
Read more →The high chair is ready, the spoon is tiny, and your baby is looking at you expectantly. Starting solids can feel like a lot of pressure to get right. Here…
Read more →You say your baby's name across the room, and they turn to look, right at you, as if to say yes, that is me. If you have wondered whether your baby knows t…
Read more →You may have noticed your baby banging a spoon on the tray again and again, watching your face light up every single time. It can look like simple mischief…
Read more →One day your baby topples over the moment you let go, and not long after they are sitting upright, steady and pleased with themselves. You might be wonderi…
Read more →Before your baby says their first word, they have already pulled off one of the most remarkable learning feats in nature: decoding the sound system of thei…
Read more →You set a few small objects in front of your baby and watch them sweep a whole hand across the surface to gather one up. It looks a little clumsy, and you…
Read more →You hide a toy under a cloth and, instead of forgetting it, your baby tugs the cloth away to find it. That small moment is a big deal. You might be wonderi…
Read more →Crawling might look like simple locomotion, point A to point B. But what happens inside your baby's body when they crawl on all fours is remarkably rich. I…
Read more →Your once easygoing baby now cries the moment you leave the room, clings when a familiar relative reaches for them, and wants only you. If you are feeling…
Read more →Your baby has just grabbed a fistful of your hair and yanked, hard. Or maybe they have clamped down on your shoulder with those new teeth, or slapped you a…
Read more →Your baby keeps grabbing at your plate and eyeing every bite you take, and you are wondering if it is time to let them feed themselves. It probably is. Mov…
Read more →The first time your baby looks at you and says "babababa," something shifts. It is not a word yet, but it is clearly intentional. They are experimenting wi…
Read more →Your baby grips the edge of the sofa, hauls themselves up onto wobbly legs, and beams at you from this brand new height. Then they do it again, and again.…
Read more →Watch a 9-month-old try to pick up a single piece of cereal and you are witnessing one of the most elegant progressions in human development. What started…
Read more →For most parents, bathtime is a routine: get the baby clean, enjoy a few giggles, towel off, move on to bed. But beneath the splashing, something far more…
Read more →Just when you thought you had figured out your baby's sleep, 9 months happens. The baby who slept through the night is suddenly waking at 2 a.m. The one wh…
Read more →Your baby stands at the coffee table, grips the edge, and side-steps their way along it to reach a toy at the far end. You may be wondering whether first s…
Read more →Your baby cannot say many words yet, but lately their little hands seem to be doing a lot of talking. A finger points at the ceiling fan. A palm opens and…
Read more →If your baby has started emptying every basket, drawer, and box in the house and then filling them right back up, you are watching a real developmental sta…
Read more →You say where is Papa and your baby turns to look at the door. You say no-no near the plant and their hand pauses. Even though your baby may only babble, y…
Read more →Going back to work, or spending any significant time away from your baby, can trigger a wave of guilt and worry. Will my baby forget me? Will our bond weak…
Read more →Your baby's first independent steps will be one of the most celebrated milestones of their first year. But the real story starts long before that moment, i…
Read more →You hand your baby two blocks and, instead of just banging them, they try to balance one on top of the other. It topples, they frown, and they try again. T…
Read more →You brush your hair and, moments later, your baby drags a spoon across their own head. You cough, and they cough back with a little grin. Suddenly your bab…
Read more →"Mama." "Dada." "Bah" for ball. "Nana" for banana. "Mo" for more. Your baby's first words are coming. Between 11 and 12 months, most babies are right at th…
Read more →Your once easygoing baby now arches their back when you buckle the car seat, wails when a toy will not cooperate, and melts down when you say it is time to…
Read more →Mealtimes with a nearly one-year-old can feel unpredictable, a happy eater one day and a food-thrower the next. You may be wondering how to bring a little…
Read more →Your baby lifts an empty toy cup to their lips and takes a loud slurp, then holds a wooden phone to their ear and babbles hello. You may be seeing the very…
Read more →Somewhere around 11 months, you start to notice a shift. Your baby is not entirely a baby anymore. They have opinions, preferences, and a sense of humor. T…
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