1. New Parents, New Baby
Chapter 12
PART2

2. How Newborns Learn The sensorimotor stage begins
PIAGET’S SENSORIMOTOR STAGE: learning through the senses and motor skills
From birth to age 2, children learn through their perceptions and reactions to what they see, hear, touch, taste and smell.
Infants learn by doing things with:
Objects: dropping, hitting, shaking, rolling. etc
Bodies: sucking, grasping etc
SUBSTAGE 1A:
Exercising reflexes: birth-1 month---spend MUCH of their waking time exercising tier sucking, looking, grasping, hearing and sound making reflexes. These reflexes become voluntary after time.

3. CRYING: the first language!
Communication in the first few months
Crying is the ONLY way newborns can communicate
Why do newborns cry?
They need something: hunger, attention, pain
Relieve tension
RESPOND promptly and consistently!
Does not mean to respond to every whimper
Parents need to understand the importance of responding ASAP
Does NOT spoil babies
Fulfills the “trust” needs that babies have

4. NEW BABY, NEW ADJUSTMENTS
Parenting Adjustments
Learning baby care skills
Handling AROUND THE CLOCK BABY NEEDS…Newborns wake up every 2-4 hours…
Resist trying to put a newborn on a schedule. At least until their “biological clock” is set…
Catch a nap when the baby is sleeping
Try to get additional adult help
Soothing a crying baby
Colic-inconsolable crying that cannot be comforted or soothed.
Do not feel responsible for the crying
Try some soothers
Get relief
Understand baby’s adjustments
Focus on the joys of having a baby

5. ADJUSTMENTS Continued
Family-Life adjustments
Handling household tasks
Balancing career and family life
Meeting financial needs
Childcare costs vs. income
Almost $10,ooo/year childcare ALONE
(READ COST OF CHILDCARE)
Helping Sibling adjust
Keeping the couples relationship strong
MAKING SELF PRIORITY

6. CONTINUED
WHEN STRESS IS TOO SEVERE: some parenting stress becomes too intense or too long-term to manage. Parents most at risk include those who
Have negative views of the spouse or the marriage
Are most unrealistic about the changes the new baby brought
Have severe post partum depression (mothers)
Feel as though they might hurt their baby or themselves
Have multiple babies or babies with fragile health
SEEK IMMEDIATE help if stress is prolonged.

7. ACTIVITY
Choose a Infant care topic and Demonstrate or Present to the class
Diapering
Feeding
Sponge Bathing
Tub Bathing
Dressing
Weaning
Sleeping
Playing
Travel