Jasmine has a chosen range of stimulating toys and enjoys the varying experiences of movement, light, texture and sound that they offer. She is able to find toys she has seen being partially hidden and is fascinated by her reflection in a floor-standing mirror, looking behind it to find 'the baby'.
Exploring her treasure basket keeps Jasmine occupied for a long time. With great concentration she takes each object out in turn, handling it and sensing it with her mouth. Having been helped to listen to a large shell, Jasmine now does this herself, and has been seen transferring this action to other hollow objects such as stacking beakers.
Jasmine chews well at meal times. When offered food on a spoon she grasps it and tries to help, but still prefers to eat her meals with her fingers.
She enjoys people's attention and loves being chased as she crawls and playing games of peep-bo.
Questions
1 What is the pincer grasp Jasmine has established?
2 What is the term given to an infant's understanding that an object exists even when it cannot be seen?
3 Jasmine does not yet wave or clap. At what age would you expect this to be established?
Answers to part nine questions: (17 January)
1 Once weaning is well established and a baby is having three 'meals' a day (usually at around five to six months), cooled boiled water can be offered at the midday meal. Milk continues to be an important part of other meals throughout infancy.
2 As a baby becomes more mobile, it would be appropriate to implement safety measures including socket covers, fire guards and safety gates, and to put unsuitable items such as small objects and animal foods out of reach.
3 A treasure basket is a collection of objects that are made from natural materials. They need to be objects that can be easily handled by an infant and are safe for them to explore, stimulating each of their senses. Nothing in a treasure basket should be made of plastic or any other man-made material. Suitable objects include natural sponges, an orange, a wooden clothes peg and a firm fir cone (take care there are no loose seeds the baby could swallow).
By Sandy Green, an early years consultant and freelance trainer. She is also Jasmine's grandmother
