Your Baby Week 23
At this age, your child is probably chatting up a storm, cooing, gurgling, mimicking facial expressions and putting multiple syllables together. If you would like to help your child develop her language skills, here are a few things to keep in mind.
- Be sure to speak slowly and clearly when you talk to your baby.
- Repetition. Repetition. Repetition. Sticking to the same songs or nursery rhymes will help your infant learn!
- Try repeating the sounds that your baby makes, see if she repeats you.
- Make reading a part of your daily routine and read actively by asking your baby questions about the pictures on each page as you go.
- Don’t use only “baby talk”. Stick to the type of speech that you would like her to model.
Let her respond! At 23 weeks, she isn’t using words yet, but give her time to respond to your questions or statements, even if it is just a coo or a gurgle.
Keeping your Home Safe
Now that your little one is gaining mobility, it is important to make sure that all of your stairwells are gated and that all cabinets and drawers at their level are properly baby-proofed. Baby gates and other baby-proofing items can be easily purchased online if you don’t have time to run to the store!
The best piece of advice for baby proofing your home is to get down to their level. Get down on your hands and knees and crawl around every room and into every corner. From this perspective, you may notice a sharp corner or an outlet that you never would have noticed no matter how many times you checked from a standing position.
Shoes
Though it may be tempting to invest in a good pair of shoes for your infant, especially since there are so many cute options out there, don’t feel pressured! Though you may have heard stories of some babies walking by 7 or 8 months, most babies don’t take their first steps until around 9-12 months, and they aren’t walking around until about 14 months. And even when they do begin walking, pediatricians suggest that they go barefoot most of the time in order to allow their feet to develop with a full range of motion.
If you are attached to the idea of shoes, try some of the soft-soled options that are more like a sock than a shoe, so that they won’t impede proper foot motion and development.
