Into the Mouthes of Babes

Initially, babies only accept the nipple into their mouths. Whether it is a breast or a bottle, does not make a whole lot of difference to them; they are being fed and their basest need is being met. As they get older and see the world differently through rolling and sitting, the mouth becomes an integral part of their laboratory. Experiments of all kinds can be conducted by your mouth. Of course, when you are nine months old, logic defies your choices and that is where mom and dad enter.

Early on, you may be able to tell whether your babe is particularly “oral” or not. Though all babies love to suck, not all are desperate too in order to solve all their problems. Some are content with sucking to eat and perhaps to fall asleep. Others verbalize quite clearly in the form of ear-splitting shrieks that they will have something to suck on at all times or you will hear about it. As your munchkin starts to become mobile, he will notice all manner of things on the floor. The list is endless but things like crumbs, buttons, pen caps and those bitty plastic things that hold price tags on are things that you may find on your floor if you have no older children. If older children live in the home, the list is longer and includes magnetized balls smaller than peas, rubber dolly shoes with which you can floss your teeth and Lego pieces for which you’ll need a microscope. Vacuum cleaners are excellent tools, but there is always one left and the baby will find it. If you notice your precious one picking something off the floor, calmly approach them, hold out your hand, smile and say, “THANK YOU!” If you do this from the beginning they will seek out the positive reinforcement and generally will not attempt to hide the piece of hamster food they’ve just discovered. It works wonders however, with particularly oral babies, their temptation will be great and you must be vigilant.

Babies absorb a surprising amount of information long before they start verbalizing. They pick up on the tone of your voice, your facial expressions and the nuances of human emotion. Obviously, they don’t understand the meaning of it all but they are building a map to guide them. If we freak out when they get unusually quiet and focused while practicing their pincher motion on a bacteria-laden choking hazard, think what will happen down the road. Hone your “I am a Super Nonchalant Mama” skills now before they ask where they came from.

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