5 Questions First-Time Parents Ask About How Young Is Too Young?
Kids are not as resilient as people make them out to be. Some things are pushed on them too early, and some things are not pushed soon enough. How can a parent know when their child is ready for something?
Parents can know their child is ready to learn or experience something by keeping their child's developmental age and abilities in mind and noticing signs of readiness. For example, your child may be ready to spend the night at Grandma's house once he can sleep through the night without a feeding.
Every child is different, but learning what to look for and ways to ease into new skills or eras of development is helpful as a first-time parent!
1.When Can My Baby Start Solid Foods?
Your baby can begin exploring solid foods around 6 months old. Ideally, you won't start your baby on solids before 4 months old because his gut will likely not be ready for it yet.
Moreover, your baby needs to be able to sit up on his own and purposefully grab food and bring it to his mouth. That tongue-thrust reflex to push things out of his mouth also must pass before he can eat food safely.
2. How Young Is Too Young for Sleep Training?
Sleep training is helping your baby learn to fall asleep independently, which can range from gentle routines to more structured methods.
The Sleep Foundation recommends putting off sleep training until your little one is 4 to 6 months old. This allows time for your baby to develop her circadian rhythm enough to prefer sleeping longer stretches at night, and she may not need feedings every 2 to 3 hours anymore (though every baby is different!).
Some babies may do better with sleep training around 9 months old simply because they probably won't wake up for nighttime feedings. Regardless, you should definitely not try to sleep train your newborn, as she hasn't adjusted her circadian rhythm or feeding needs for nighttime yet.
3. When Should I Start Introducing Screen Time to My Child?
Ideally, you will not introduce screen time to your child until about two years old—and even then, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends limiting that time to less than an hour a day of quality programming with a parent .
Between 0 and 3 years old, your child creates a million new neural connections every second. At such a staggering development rate, your little one should create quality connections by exploring the physical world and interacting with loved ones.
The cost of too much time watching cartoons and screens during rapid brain development is possibly lower cognitive abilities and expected academic performance later in life.
In essence, the first three years of exploration, learning, connection, and growth lay the foundation for life. Don’t waste it!
4. How Young Is Too Young for Legos?
You may have noticed that Legos and other small toys have a strange gravitational pull on your little one. Babies and toddlers explore things with their senses, including their mouths, so small toys like Legos are unsuitable for children under four.
However, there are Lego sets and toy sets designed to be larger and smoother for safe baby and toddler play. So, your wee one doesn't have to miss out on building and stacking; he just needs to play with an age-appropriate version
5. When Can I Start Potty Training?
Some little ones are able to stay dry all day around two years old, but that's pretty early. By three years old, however, most kids are dry all day, with an occasional accident from being super upset, excited, or absorbed.
Though bladder awareness and control don't come until your child is closer to three years old, you can start sitting her on the toilet around 18 to 24 months old when she does some of the following consistently:
Tells you when her diaper is wet or dirty
Knows when she is peeing
Shows a "tell" that she needs to pee (fidgeting, hiding, stoic face, etc.)
Tells you she needs to pee
Goes for more than an hour between pees
However, don’t make it stressful, and stay consistent. You cannot make your child use the toilet, and creating a power struggle will incentivize pushing back or tantrums.