New Thinking on Infant Development
By Anita Sethi, Ph.d.
The following information sheds new light on some recent research with infant development; it gives details about each of the following topic areas below. Go to http://www.parenting.com/article/new-research-infant-development?page=0,0 to read the article!
Emotional Growth
Old thinking: It’s important to talk to your baby in the first few months.
New thinking: It’s not just what you say now, but how you say it.
Complex Thoughts:
Old thinking: Children don’t start to have complex thoughts until the preschool years.
New thinking: High-level comprehension may begin as early as 3 months.
Gender Differences
Old thinking: Boys and girls are similar at birth; their differences emerge as they grow.
New thinking: Although social forces play a role, boys and girls seem to be hardwired differently.
Object Permanence
Old thinking: The awareness that something exists even when it’s out of sight shows up at 8 months.
New thinking: Babies can comprehend object permanence much earlier.
Recognition
Old thinking: Young babies are only able to recognize the voices of close family members.
New thinking: At 3 months, your baby can start to match a wide range of voices with faces
Memory and Recall
Old thinking: If your baby doesn’t perform a trick (like clapping), he’s forgotten how to do it.
New thinking: Babies know more than they reveal.
Skill Building
Old thinking: Mastering a skill takes a long time.
New thinking: It can take a really long time.
