PARENTING two-gether BIRTH TO 1 2 MONTHS C REV 7/11 PARENTING two-gether BIRTH TO 1 2 MONTHS Contents adapted by the Office of the Attorney General from ”Doin’ the Dad Thing” published by: HEALTHY FAMILIES SAN ANGELO 200 S. Magdalen, San Angelo, Texas 76903 325-658-2771 • www.hfsatx.com i Table of Contents INTRODUCTION: Congratulations! CHAPTER 1 Newborn – the first three months Sleeping – Dressing – Grooming ........................................................................ 3 Diapering .................................................................................................................... 6 Crying ........................................................................................................................... 8 Cry Chart ..................................................................................................................... 10 Feeding ........................................................................................................................ 12 Never Shake A Baby ................................................................................................. 13 Your Child’s Health and Safety ............................................................................ 14 Keeping Your Baby Safe ......................................................................................... 16 Mommy Blues ............................................................................................................ 18 Bonding........................................................................................................................ 19 Helping Your Baby’s Body Grow .......................................................................... 21 Helping That Brain Grow........................................................................................ 22 Learning the Language ........................................................................................... 24 Helping Your Baby Learn About Life................................................................... 26 CHAPTER 2 Months four through six Helping Your Baby Grow ........................................................................................ 28 Helping Your Baby’s Brain Grow ......................................................................... 30 iii Helping Your Baby Learn the Language............................................................ 32 Helping Your Baby Learn About Life................................................................... 33 A Whole Night’s Sleep ............................................................................................. 34 CHAPTER 3 Months seven through nine Helping That Body Grow ......................................................................................... 36 Helping That Brain Grow........................................................................................ 37 Learning the Language ........................................................................................... 39 Helping Your Baby Learn About Life................................................................... 41 Baby Proofing ............................................................................................................ 42 CHAPTER 4 Months ten through twelve Helping That Body Grow ......................................................................................... 44 Helping That Brain Grow........................................................................................ 45 Learning the Language ........................................................................................... 47 Helping Your Baby Learn About Life................................................................... 48 What Scares Your Baby? ........................................................................................ 50 How Much Food? ....................................................................................................... 51 Handling the “No-No’s” ........................................................................................... 52 First Birthday Bash! ................................................................................................ 53 CHAPTER 5 Welcome to fatherhood! Why Dads Are Important ........................................................................................ 54 Dads Make A Difference ......................................................................................... 55 iv Just the Facts Jack .................................................................................................. 56 Supporting Your Baby’s Mom .............................................................................. 57 Parenting Two-gether ............................................................................................. 58 Make Dadhood Legal ............................................................................................... 61 Living Like A Dad ....................................................................................................... 62 Thinking Like A Dad ................................................................................................. 64 CHAPTER 6 Baby Steps – helpful tips, ideas and activities for Mom, Dad and Baby Working With Family ................................................................................................ 66 What About Big Brother or Big Sister? ............................................................. 67 All About Cribs........................................................................................................... 69 Car Seat Safety ......................................................................................................... 70 Baby Wipes – Save the Big Bucks!...................................................................... 71 Help on the Web ........................................................................................................ 72 “House-o-Sound” ....................................................................................................... 74 “Shake, Rattle and Roll” ......................................................................................... 75 “Skyscraper” .............................................................................................................. 76 CHAPTER 7 Couple Talk A Message for Single Parents ............................................................................. 77 Introduction ............................................................................................................... 78 Lesson One: Marriage and Families ................................................................... 82 Lesson Two: How to Fight Right ........................................................................... 91 Lesson Three: Learning to Listen ........................................................................ 95 v Lesson Four: Expressing Yourself ....................................................................... 98 Lesson Five: Managing Expectations .................................................................101 Lesson Six: The Balancing Act ..............................................................................104 Lesson Seven: Commitment ..................................................................................106 Lesson Eight: Four Couples Considering Marriage ......................................111 COUPLE TALK ACTIVITY CARDS How to Fight Right ....................................................................................................123 Learning to Listen ....................................................................................................125 Expressing Yourself .................................................................................................127 Managing Expectations ..........................................................................................129 The Balancing Act .....................................................................................................131 Best Friends ...............................................................................................................133 vi CONGRATULATIONS! YOU HAVE JUST BEGUN A WONDERFUL AND EXCITING JOURNEY CALLED PARENTHOOD. Being a new parent, your mind is probably filled with thoughts and feelings . some excited; some a little worried. You might be saying to yourself: “I want him to be the happiest baby in the world.” “I want only the best for my baby.” “There are so many new responsibilities!” “How can I teach her everything?” “He’s so bright-eyed! He must be the smartest baby ever born!” “What about us? Should we think about getting married?” This booklet will help you with some of your questions and worries. You‘ll learn about the benefits of establishing legal fatherhood and why it’s important to be involved in your child’s life. You will find ideas for building a strong, loving connection to your child; steps you can take to strengthen your relationship with the other parent and information on establishing legal paternity; and the value of involved fathers. 1 Don’t worry if you feel clueless right now. We’ll be offering lots of useful thoughts and ideas. You’ll find handy “PARENT TIPS” that give helpful hints about parenthood. They look like this: Parent TIP This is where you’ll find ideas that will make your job as a parent easier. Every now and then we’re going to run into a technical word that may be unfamiliar to you. No problem. Just look for “What does this mean?” What