You baby will let you know she is still hungry by wanting more after the feed is finished, or she may start chewing her fists. A baby may also begin to demand feeds more often and if she normally sleeps through the night, she may start waking up early wanting to be fed.

Breast and formula milk give babies all they require for the first six months so you don’t have to worry if your baby seems satisfied with milk alone until this age. By six months of age your baby needs the additional nourishment provided by the solids, and she also needs to learn how to eat.

Starting solid foods for babies, but how?

First solids are really just tasters to get a baby used to different textures and flavors; the main nourishment will still come from the breast or formula milk. The first food should be bland and smooth, like baby rice mixed with either cooled boiled water, or formula or breast milk.

Starting solid foods can be a little tough task. To begin with offer a small amount on the tip of a clean spoon, midway through a feed, once a day. Once your baby has accepted this, you can introduce a small amount of fruit or vegetable puree, for example, banana, potato, or carrot (with no added sugar or salt), mixed with formula or breast milk.

As soon as your baby has got used to taking solids off a spoon, you can begin to introduce new foods and other solids at a second meal. If your baby obviously doesn’t like the taste of something don’t force matters. Try another food and reintroduce the rejected food at a later stage. This is important when starting solid foods for your child. You can simply reintroduce the rejected food in a new form.

A first the baby will simply try to suck anything of the spoon. But it won’t take long to master getting the food off the spoon and into the back of the mouth. Once your baby can do this she will be able to cope with lumpier textures, so you can begin to mash rather than puree food. Your baby will also be able to enjoy a wider variety of tastes and textures.

ADVANCED FEEDING

At around eight months, after about 2 months of starting solid foods, you can introduce food combinations such as baby cereal and fruits, or egg yolk and tomato-remember to remove the seeds from the tomato and to cook the egg thoroughly. Food can be lumpier and more solid so that it encourages your baby to start chewing. Try mincing or mashing the food with fork.

At nine months and over, your baby is likely to be on three meals a day as well as milk, unsweetened diluted fruit juice, or water. Giving your child food at grown-up meal times will encourage her to learn social skills by watching others. As her appetite grows you can gradually increase the amount given at each meal. Offer finger foods such as slices of peeled apple, and banana; this will encourage her to feed herself. Always stay with your child while she is eating in case of choking. This is very crucial when starting solid foods for your baby.

Check out the videos below on the things to remember when starting solid foods for your baby:

Tasks of the age

By age 18 to 21, which is the late adolescence, conflicts between adolescents and their parents are beginning to subside. The major tasks during this period of late adolescence are choosing a career direction and developing more meaningful and lasting emotional relationships.

A few years ago, the general expectation was that older teens would be preparing to go off to college or take a job that would allow them to live independently. Adolescents who chose college then graduate school might stretch their late adolescence years well into their late twenties or early thirties.

More recently, many older teens have either chosen or felt compelled to continue living in their parents; homes. As society and the economy continue to change, the challenges of late adolescence will change, too.

Idealism and innovation

With increased knowledge and independence comes the desire to improve the world, find new methods that will supersede the old, make discoveries, create new art forms, displace tyrants, and right wrongs. A surprising number of scientific advances have been made and masterpieces of art created by individuals on the threshold of adulthood.

They were no smarter than the older people in their fields, and they were certainly less experienced. But they were critical of traditional ways, biased in favor of the new and untried, and willing to take risks. That was enough to do the trick. This is often how the world makes progress.

Finding their way in late adolescence

It sometimes takes youths 5 to 10 years to find their own positive identity. Meanwhile, they may be stalled at a halfway stage, characterized by passive resistance to and withdrawal from mainstream society (which they equate with their parents) or by excessively rebellious radicalism.

They may decline to take an ordinary job as their parents may have done; instead, they adopt unconventional dress, grooming, acquaintances, and residence. To them, these decisions seem like evidence of vigorous independence. But by themselves, these things don’t yet add up to a positive stand on life or a constructive contribution to the world. They are essentially a negative protest against their parents; conventions.

Even when the striving to be independent shows up only in the form of eccentricities of appearance, it should be recognized as an attempted step in the right direction, one that may later lead to a constructive, creative stage. As a matter-of-fact, the young people in their late adolescence who strain so visibly to be free are apt to come from families with unusually strong ties and high ideals.

Other youths, idealistic and altruistic in character, often take a sternly radical or purist view of things for a number of years—in politics, the arts, or other fields. Various tendencies of this age period operate together to draw them into these extreme positions: heightened criticalness, cynicism about hypocrisy, intolerance of compromise, courage, and a willingness to sacrifice in the response to their first awareness of the shocking injustices of the society they live in.

A few years later, having achieved a satisfactory degree of emotional independence from their parents and having found out how to be useful in their chosen field, the individuals in their late adolescence are more tolerant of the frailties of their fellow human beings and readier to make constructive compromises. It’s not that they become complacent conservatives. Many remain progressive, some remain radical. But most become easier to live and work with.

At 15 to 17, middle adolescence have two important tasks. First, they must come to terms with their sexuality and the conflicting emotions aroused as they begin romantic encounters. Second, they must separate emotionally from their parents and find that they can function independently. As a part of this process, the dependence-independence struggles often intensity.

Children in their middle adolescence often complain that their parents don’t allow them enough freedom. It’s natural for children approaching adulthood to insist on their rights, and their parents may need to be reminded that their children are changing. But parents don’t have to take every complaint at face value.

Children in middle adolescence are eager to grow up

At the same time, children in their middle adolescence are afraid of growing up. They are unsure of their capacity to be as knowledgeable, masterful, sophisticated, and charming as they would like to be, but their pride won’t allow them to recognize this doubt.

When they unconsciously doubt their ability to carry off some challenge or adventure, they’re quick to find evidence that it is their parents who are blocking their way, not their own fears. They reproach their parents indignantly or blame them when talking with friends.

You should suspect this unconscious maneuver when your teen suddenly announces a plan for some escapade that is way beyond anything he’s done before. For example, he and some friends—boys and girls—plan to go camping for a weekend without parents.

Teens in their middle adolescence who come up with such schemes may be looking for clear rules and consistency; indeed, they may be asking to be stopped. They are also on the lookout for evidence of hypocrisy in their parents. To the extent that their parents are obviously sincere about their rules and ideals, their children feel obligated to continue to adhere to them.

But if they can uncover hypocrisy in their parents, this relieves them of the moral duty to conform and offers a welcome opportunity to reproach their parents. At the same time, it may undermine their sense of safety.

Jobs and work

Middle adolescence is when many teens first take on serious jobs, beside the occasional babysitting or yard work. In moderation, paid work can build self-esteem, responsibility, and independence. Work also allows teens to widen their social contacts and explore fields that may eventually lead to careers.

Many teens, however, spend so much time on the job that they don’t have time to socialize or do homework and are chronically overtired and cranky. It’s also important to be aware that many jobs carry significant health and safety risks. Patents may need to step in to keep work from getting out of hand.

Sexual experimentation in middle adolescence

Middle adolescence is when many teens experiment with sex or various sorts. Kissing and petting are almost universal; oral-genital sex happens frequently (many teens don’t think of this as real sex); and many experience sexual intercourse. In a large survey from 1983, 55 to 75 percent of 19-year-olds reported that they were non-virgins. Middle teens often date in groups, though some also date one on one.

Romances are often brief, with relationships taking a back seat to attraction and experimentation. This is not to say that all middle-adolescent romances are superficial or of no consequence. The emotions—both joy and misery, elation and dejection—often have an intensity rarely rivaled in later, more settled periods of life.

Realistically, parents are limited in their ability to control their middle adolescence sexual behavior. Educational programs stressing abstinence as the only choice have obvious appeal but have not been shown to reduce teen pregnancy. If teens are intent on sexual experimentation, the rules laid down by parents may not stop them; they may even make the sex seem more exciting and attractive, because it is off limits.

A more effective strategy in dealing with middle adolescence may be for parents to keep communication open, let their children know how they feel about premarital sex, limit opportunities for inappropriate sexual behavior (for ex., no unchaperoned sleepovers), and trust their teens to act responsibility.

Many parents have a hard time talking with their teens about sex. Fortunately, doctors and nurse practitioners are often well trained in having these discussions and can help parents communicate their feelings and concerns in a positive, effective manner.

Homosexuality in middle adolescence

Adolescence is a complex time for any youngster. The pressure of school activities and dating can create a powerful sense of exclusion or differentness in gay and lesbian teens, which may trouble them or make them unhappy. If you think your child is struggling with issues of sexual identity, it’s very important to let him or her feel that there is a place to turn to for help. Sadly, statistics show that a high percentage of teenage suicides and attempted suicides are related to issues of sexual identity.

Heterosexual parents may not know how to begin talking to a teenager about sexual orientation. Remember, it’s likely that your child is as afraid of the subject as you are and may feel threatened if abruptly confronted. To start with, try to make the subject of sexual orientation something that the family can casually discuss.

Introduce books, videos, and music into the family collections that are created by openly gay, lesbian, or bisexual artists or that deal with those themes. (Actually, it’s wise to talk openly about these issues starting from the elementary or middle school years). It’s important to be aware of and critical of homophobia. It’s no help to a gay or lesbian teenager to hear his or her family members tell insulting jokes or tolerate prejudiced comments made by friends or relatives.

For some adolescents who in their middle adolescence, their sexual orientation becomes clear to them quickly, and they embrace it as a strong identity. Other teenagers may go through a phase of experimentation before settling on an identity they feel most comfortable with. Teenagers shouldn’t be pressured into assuming a gay or lesbian identity before they are ready.

If a teenager expresses a sense of alienation, isolation, or deep confusion about his or her sexual orientation, parents should arrange for professional counseling—not to change their teen’s orientation but to help the boy or girl deal with any shame or anxiety that might undermine his or her self-esteem.

The greatest gift a parent can give a child is a sense of pride and dignity. For a gay or lesbian teen, having access to positive role models and the ability to deal with sexual diversity frankly and honestly will go a long way toward building self-esteem.

If you’re raising a gay or lesbian adolescent who is in his or her middle adolescence, you may want to seek support for yourself as well. Organizations such as Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, which has chapters across the country, provide information and advice and hold events.

Most cities and large towns have gay and lesbian switchboards or hot lines that can provide useful information, and gay and lesbian community centers have outreach programs for gay and lesbian youths and their parents. These facilities are listed in the classified telephone directory under “Gay and Lesbians” or “Social and Human Services.”

She will instead hold them and scribble to make beautiful pictures. The 16 month old baby learns to play simple games and may spend most of her time in it. She would love to play games like naming parts of the body, peek-a-boo etc as this is interesting for her at this age.

The 16 month old baby is also developing her memory skills. Earlier, the child had poor memory where she could not remember the instructions given. Now the child will be able to recollect and remember things which even an adult might not remember on that instance.

16 month old

The 16 month old has definitely learned what the object is used for; however, they are still unaware about the depth of the stairs or maintaining balance while running. The baby might trip over the stairs or may even trip on his own feet while running. This stage will give a lot of trouble to child in form of grazes, cuts and bumps. Hence, it is advisable to keep the first aid box handy.

Life is just not changing for the parents but also the 16 month old baby. The child is excited and enthusiastic about the changes and challenges around him. He will respond to them with more excitement or sometime may even try to pass the phase by screaming and crying.

Do not stop the baby as this might be a terrible phase for him. The parents have to be more patient with the 16 month old baby and have to make sure their presence is felt by the child. The child may need to be with you for comfort or may be just for motivation. The parents have to help the child with what he needs and let the baby get over it himself.

Parents have to take special care of the 16 month old baby’s teeth. These teeth have to last until the child has permanent teeth. The teeth which come in this age will stay for a longer period. The baby will still not be able to brush his teeth himself and the parents have to make sure they are maintained to make sure they last longer.

The 16 month old baby chooses a lot from the books, pictures, magazines, video CD’s etc. The parents can either show the child a lot of cartoon stories or picture books that will help him pick up on few things that he might learn by self. The baby will also try to impress the parents by lifting heavy objects or something he cannot do.

The baby is very adamant about trying to get appreciation and the parents can encourage the child by appreciating and applauding so that the child learns to try and succeed with his own motivation.

The 15 month old baby is growing quickly. The baby is walking now and also does a little bit of talking. She will also start using fork and spoon to eat. The growth happens physically and mentally.

The baby will now be able to point fingers at the body parts when asked and will start pointing fingers to tell the parents what she wants. The baby will also learn to place the objects back in place where she picked it from. She will learn to place the objects in containers and remove them out.

The parents will now be able to understand the behavior of the 15 month old baby. The baby now starts responding to people and places as per her likes and dislikes. The 15 month old baby either mixes up with people easily which shows the adaptive nature of the child or the baby might just want to be alone and play alone.

She may also shy away from people, showing that she is not comfortable with lot of people around. The parents can learn the temperament of the 15 month old baby this way and understand what she needs. During this period the baby will be dependent on the mother for comfort and she will also try to develop herself.

The food pattern changes for the 15 month old baby. The baby might be eating everything that is served or may become a choosy eater. If the baby is choosy about what she eats, then the parents might have to worry a bit as the child will not be eating enough food required to maintain a balance diet. The parents can consult the doctor and get a list of balanced diet for the child and serve it as per the child’s requirement.

Traveling is something the 15 month old baby does not prefer at any cost. Hence, the parents have to make sure they carry all the necessary food and toys so that the child does not get disturbed.

In this period, the 15 month old baby needs to sleep for atleast 14 hours during the day. The baby should sleep for minimum 11 and half hours and rest of the 2 and half hours should be covered during the daytime. It is important that the parents make sure the child gets enough sleep to keep him active during the time he is awake.

The 15 month old baby should be given the D-Tap vaccine for immunization. There are few other vaccines as well that needs to be given. Parents can consult the doctor to get a list or a schedule for the vaccines to be given to the child.

He will now be able to coordinate with the adult while playing games. The baby can now stand all alone and has learned to walk front and back. Most of the 14 month old babies are drinking using cup and few babies have also started taking interest in helping their parents in the house.

14 month old

The 14 month old baby is now exploring the world with the help of toys and games he plays. He discovers the world by playing and with his curiosity increasing he might wander around the whole place trying to play around with everything he sees.

The parents have to make sure they cover all the plugs, extensions and keep enough space for the baby to make sure he is not harmed. Parents can may be use a specific drawer or cabinet filled with items which are not harmful for the child so that he can play with them and they can keep changing the items for the baby to see something new all the time.

The 14 month old baby is now experimenting with his food. He will try to improve his skills on using spoon to feed himself and hence, the parents can find the child in messy situation all the time. The parents have to be patient as the child will not be able to master the art like adults in this age.

While improving himself on manners the 14 month old baby is also learning the textures of food. He will try to throw the food around the place just to see the behavior of the food.

He would throw an apple to see what sound it makes and try to understand the texture of grapes. Variety of healthy food can be placed in front of the 14 month old baby for him to make his choices and eat the food he wants.

The 14 month old baby will now start looking towards his comfort and security. He will have few of his favorite things, like the favorite toy, blanket etc and will look to it when he does not see the parent around.

He would consider his favorite item as his comfort and security to make sure he does not feel insecure and left out. Doctors advise the parents to encourage such attachments so that the child will also learn to be independent.

In this age, the 14 month old baby should have enough sleep. The parents can make sure the baby takes a nap in the afternoon. As he tends to play a lot, he may skip on sleep. Parents can take of the child’s sleep by ensuring he sleeps in the afternoon.

The 13 month old baby might take support as well, but it is important he takes the moves by self and not being dependent or waiting for someone to pick her up or push her to move forward. The steps she might take may be unsteady and the parents can encourage the child to walk more.

The 13 month old baby achieves a lot during this period. She will be more curious and anxious about everything around her. She will try to explore the world by trying to peek into every single thing. She will move in places where she thinks she wants to find something. The baby will be more curious to know what is in the drawers and what is lying below the table. It’s interesting to watch the baby stand on toes to reach for something which is higher than her hands can reach.

Grasping skills also develop in the 13 month old baby. The baby will now be able to hold blocks and also understand if she has to place it somewhere or drop it in any container. Some babies also learn to scribble; this shows the development of the grasping skills. The parents will also notice the baby using spoon; however they are not successful yet.

The parents will notice a change in the eating pattern of the 13 month old baby. During the first year, the baby tends to eat more and puts on more weight. The parents will also notice an increase of 10 inches in height during the first year. During this period, the baby is slow on growing and eats very less food. This is mainly because the baby starts loosing the baby fat. The 13 month old will eat food she likes and may avoid the food she dislikes and this way the appetite decreases.

This is the right time for the parents to choose the language and words for the 13 month old baby. The baby has already learned few words and has learned to express her thoughts by actions and by few selective words.

During this time, the baby will learn the language spoken at home and if the parents speak in two languages together the baby will be confused. If the mother speaks one language and the father another, baby will learn the same and communicate in the same language like the parents.

The parents have to get immunization vaccines for the child. When the baby is 13 month old, she has to be given immunization vaccines for measles, mumps, rubella etc. The parents can consult the doctor for the list of vaccines.

Parents can now be ready with their camera to shoot the little things the 12 month old does. The baby will now take her first steps on her own without any support. Some babies might take some more time before they can start walking by self. However, most of the babies take their first steps in this age.

The 12 month old baby will learn to feed herself. She will start helping herself using the spoon and bowl. The baby also develops the grasping skills and will learn to pick objects using the forefinger and thumb. This can be improved in the baby by helping her with different activities involving toys.

12 month old

The 12 month old baby still finds crawling easier and would prefer to crawl than to walk. The baby discovers her strength and stamina and believes she can help herself with many more activities.

As per psychologists, the 12 month old baby has a developed brain which can relate the past to present. She will start differentiating the objects based on the color, shape and appearance. She will start giving preferences to the objects she likes.

The 12 month old baby will be more active than any other age as she will be exploring all the objects that come her way. She will try to examine and probe the objects she finds. She will also be able to remember the events and instructions for a longer period and will also learn to solve problems using the trial and error method.

The 12 month old will now blabber sentences. They will try to make sense out of the words they construct and this might sound an alien language. The baby will be able to respond to simple questions. The 12 month old also understands and judges her answer by the expression parents give before the baby replies.

It is the right time to teach the 12 month old some discipline and manners. This can be done by helping the child with simple instructions. The baby will also learn to connect with the objects with the help of names and colors.

The 12 month old baby will also have issues with her sleeping. The baby is too much into playing during this time and this may stand as a hurdle in her sleep. The parents have to spend some extra time on making sure the child gets proper sleep.

Another reason the baby might sleep is because of teething. Parents can consult the doctor to overcome the teething problem. The baby might have issues with the food and this is one of the negativities in this age. The baby refuses to eat same food each day and she may also insist and demand on self feeding.

Earlier, the parents had to take care of every single thing and now the child helps the mother. The 11 month old baby will help the mother by holding her arm and leg out while getting dressed. The baby will also be able to hold the cup or bottle with both the hands without any problems. However, the baby has to be still fed with hand.

11 month old

To grab attention, the 11 month old baby might start dropping objects for others to pick it up and start talking to her. The baby’s brain develops and they will be able to use more clear words and during this time, the parents can encourage the child by responding to the words used by the child. The memory of the child can be increased by helping the child play games like peek-a-boo and pat-ta-cake.

The 11 month old will now love to learn through pictures. The parents should get more books with pictures and read it to the child. This way the child will learn gestures. The baby will try to understand more with the help of pictures and try to clear her doubts by looking at the pictures again and again. She will also have favorite book that she wants to have a look at.

The 11 month old baby now starts securing herself. She will start engaging herself with her siblings. She might not play with them, but she will be playing around the same place where the siblings are. She will have a favorite blanket, toy etc and that will make her feel that she has security.

It is now time to set limits for the 11 month old baby. The baby has to be give strict instructions on what is harmful and what the child needs to avoid. The child might sometimes forget the instruction, but being a little more stern with the child will make her cautious. The parents can be stern by giving her strict looks and by saying no again and again. It might not be easy for the parent; however, this is the correct age to start setting boundaries for the child.

The 11 month old baby can now be given foods like lactogen and nestle. Lactogen is more preferred by most of the parents. It is also advised that the parents should consult the doctors for the diet chart to help the baby with the appropriate nutrients needed by the child.

The 11 month old baby takes two naps in this age. He sleeps for 2 to two and half hours during the day and takes a nap of 12 hours during the night. The baby sleeps throughout the night without any feed. It is advisable that the baby should be fed once during the night to have longer hours of sleep.

The baby is confident when he sits and will start walking with the help of furniture and other things available for support. It’s interesting to watch the baby crawl up the stairs and also bend and pick the objects in standing position.

The 10 month old baby has now mastered the pincer grasp. He will now be able to pick the objects from the floor without taking support of the wrist. The baby is still in a position to swallow anything he sees and hence, it is important for the parents to keep a check on what is in the baby’s hand. There is a possibility that the child might choke swallowing something harmful.

10 month old

The personality of the 10 month old baby now shows up. He starts expressing his likes and dislikes. He will now start giving smiles to people he likes and may shy away from people he wants to stay away from. He will also learn to imitate and make sounds and gestures to grab the attention. The baby’s mind is developing and has signs of improvement as the child behaves more independently.

During this period it is important for the parents to help the baby fight his fears. The 10 month old baby will start developing fear and this may happen when the child does not understand something or something disturbs him. It may be a simple thing like a door bell to even learning to eat. It is important for the parents to reassure the child and help him fight the fears.

In this stage, the baby will learn new words and understand the phrases. The parent should keep talking to the 10 month old baby and use the correct words when the child tries to talk. As the parents start correcting the baby with correct words adults use, the baby will learn it quickly.

The baby will understand the gestures. When the 10 month old starts talking, he will use gibberish sentences and the parents should acknowledge what the baby is saying and should try to keep the conversation going. It might be silly sometimes, but that is the most interesting part where it will help the child improves on the language skills.

The 10 month old baby is now choosy about their foods. They will not be interested in the liquid food anymore and would like to have chunkier food. The baby might either stop eating their favorite food either because they are not interested in exploring their world or they might not be happy about being put in high chair to have their food.

The 10 month old baby will now start differentiating things and make them his favorite. He would have his favorite blanket, favorite toy, favorite food, favorite game etc. He will also learn to come close to his siblings.