Books in This Series Preparation for Parenting The Babyhood Transitions Preparation for the Toddler Years The Toddlerhood Transition Growing Kids God’s Way Parenting the Middle Years Reaching the Heart of Your Teen Reflections of Moral Innocence The Babyhood Transitions Parenting Your 5 to 12 Month Old From Sippy Cup to First Steps Gary & Anne Marie Ezzo The Babyhood Transitions Parenting Your 5 to 12 Month Old From Sippy Cup to First Steps (Second Edition) © 2008, 2011 Gary and Anne Marie Ezzo International Standard Book Number ISBN-13 978-1-883035-10-5 Printed in the United States of America ALL RIGHTS RESERVED No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or trans- mitted, in any form or by any means–electronic, mechanical, photocopying, record- ing, or otherwise–without prior written permission. All Scripture quotations, except where otherwise indicated, are taken from the New King James Version, Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved, and the Scofield Reference Bible, Oxford University Press, © 1909, 1917, 1937, and 1945. Growing Families International P. O. Box 54, Louisiana, MO 63353 11 12 13 14 — 06 05 04 03 Dedicated to: Rich and Julie Young Two souls conversant with love, virtue, and understanding Acknowledgements We wish to express our appreciation to many friends and ministry asso- ciates, past and present, who share our passion for the family and early parenting. In particular, we wish to thank Tim and Patricia Lentz, Scott and Theresa McLeod, David and Cynthia Iglesias, Tiana Wendelburg, Sharon Augustson and Nancy Martin. They were all instrumental in the early edi- tions of this book. Two other friends, whose giftedness was carried into this later editions include Connie Lamoureux and Yvonne Wilber. Connie’s insights on language development for infants and pretoddlers (Appendix A), continues to stand as a faithful guide to young parents. Yvonne Wilber provided the sketch artistry in our sign-language section. As it relates to our latest edition, we also wish to thank Paige Hunter and Cyndi Bird for their many ‘behind the scenes’ contributions, emails, parent- ing examples and challenging thoughts. There is of course, the wonderful editorial insights of Carla Link and Bethany Mounts. Their labor of love is highly prized and greatly appreciated along with our Queensland, Australia leadership team, headed up by Geoff and Alicia Bongers who truly share a global view of this ministry. It really does take a talent to explain the neuroscience of a baby’s brain and how parents can profoundly influence advance forms of learning in children. The many references to the developing brain of infants and tod- dlers comes from the assistance of long time friend and medical consultant, Dr. Robert Turner. As a pediatric neurologist, Dr. Turner’s gift of time and attention to the growing body of research and breakthroughs in neurosci- ence will benefit our readership for generations to come. We have a valuable resource in Dr. Alan Furness, another friend who provided recommendations for proper dental care of infants and toddlers. We also wish to extend our heartfelt thanks to Rich and Julie Young, Greg and Tara Banks and Shawn and Connie Wood for their participation in the video portion of this series. Their insights, understanding and sweet disposi- tion help create a joyful learning experience for all participants in this series. Finally, we wish to acknowledge Sarah Blunk for her assistance relating to the Mozart Effect discussed in Visit Four. What makes this acknowledge- ment special is we have known Sarah from childhood and watched her grow into adulthood as a beautiful young woman, inside and out. Table of Contents Preface ..........................................................................................................9 Visit One Summary .....................................................................................13 Begin As You Mean To Go .....................................................................15 Your Baby’s Routine Past and Present ....................................................20 Common Mid-Transitions Questions ....................................................26 Baby Food Basics ..................................................................................30 Visit Two Summary .....................................................................................37 Introducing Solid Foods Step by Step ...................................................39 Waketime Activities ..............................................................................47 Visit Three Summary ..................................................................................55 Finger Foods and Snacks ......................................................................57 Babyhood Training and More ...............................................................62 Visit Four Summary ....................................................................................75 Pretoddler Correction: What does it Look Like? ..................................77 Naps and Nighttime Sleep ....................................................................81 Questions About Pretoddler Sleep ........................................................85 Babyhood Transitions Topic Pool ..........................................................89 Appendix A — Child Language Development ...........................................101 Appendix B — What Makes Your Baby a Person .......................................103 Index ........................................................................................................109 Series Preface o t’s reality-check time! You’re at least four than a biological response initiate by a baby’s months into your tour of parenting and sucking reflex. For the five-month old, meal- I the complexity of child-training is start- time becomes a very complex and conscious ing to multiply. While your baby is growing interaction between child and parent, food physically his mind is adapting with an ever and drink, preference and need, likes and increasing awareness of new sights, sounds, dislikes, must do and won’t do! sensations and relationships, allowing him This is also the time when waketime to interact with his material universe with behaviors and responses start to fall into the greater attentiveness. Big changes are com- categories of ‘healthy’ and ‘safe’ and ‘right’ ing to his world and yours. and ‘wrong’ and will either be encouraged As a mom and dad how should you or discouraged by how Mom and Dad react. approach the various growth transitions? In fact, training to encourage right behav- Certainly not by abandoning that which ior and to discourage wrong behavior will has brought you so much initial success— become the increasing focus of Mom and your baby’s routine. Preserving the order and Dad’s attention over the next seven months. structure that brought security to your baby’s This is why feeding time, waketime, and day, peaceful sleep to your baby’s nights, and bedtime provides numerous opportunities stability to your home, should continue as to display parental wisdom, guidance and a ‘must do’ priority. However, beware that certainly patience. Welcome to The Babyhood while the principles that delivered the initial Transitions. success will not change, the application of This book accompanies the four-part those principles must adapt in light of your video presentation by the same title. To keep baby’s rapid development. the book coordinated with the teaching ses- By five months of age, babies begin to sion, we included ‘Visit Summary’ review display their capacity to intentionally inter- sheets in front of each of the four major act with the various nouns in their expand- sections. Each review corresponds with the ing world; i.e., people, places and things. specific video lesson. While the book can be This is when life for Mom and Dad moves used independent of the DVD presentation, from wonderfully simple to challenging and the learning experience is greatly enhanced complex. For example, feeding time is more when the two are used together. 10 THE BABYHOOD TRANSITIONS The book also includes a correspond- work equally with both genders. Finally, in ing metric weights and measurements table. our attempt to speak directly to our com- The Babyhood Transitions series was origi- munity of parents, we elected to use the pro- nally written to a US audience and as such, nouns you, your, and yours to address our we used Imperial measurements, includ- readers. While we realize that not everyone ing ounces, pounds, and inches. However, reading this book is a parent, the vast major- with a growing international constituency ity are, thus we toggled between ‘second’ and we understand the need to convert these ‘third’ person expressions. figures to the Metric system of weights and Finally, as was the case with Preparation measurements. The conversion chart below for Parenting, we can provide trustworthy contains the ‘approximate’ exchange for each ideas and workable solutions, but not every unit of measurement referenced in the book. possible application. As you read through The reader will also find references made each chapter, it’s vital to think in terms of to Preparation for Parenting moms and babies. principle. Understanding a ‘principle’ of par- We elected to shorten these references to enting, derived from your own beliefs and Prep Moms and Prep Babies. Third, the reader values, is a greater asset