PROBLEMS AND CARE TAKING OF BABIES

Babyhood period: ( 2 weeks to 2 years ) Babyhood is an age of rapid growth and development. Babies grow rapidly both physically and psychologically. Changes are rapid in appearance (height and weight) and capacities. The limbs develop in better proportion to the large head. Intellectual growth and change are parallel to physical growth and change. Babyhood is the true foundation age. At this time, many behavior patterns, attitudes and emotional expressions are established.. Ability grows to recognize and respond to people and objects in the environment. The baby is able to understand many things and communicate its needs and wants.

Behavior problems:
1. The babyhood is an age of decreasing dependency. The baby begins to do things to himself /herself. With decrease of dependency, a rebellion against being treated as baby. A protest takes protest comes in the form of angry outbursts and crying when independence is denied. 2. It is an age of high individuality which can be realized in appearance and in patterns of behavior.
3. It is a critical period in setting the pattern for personal and emotional adjustments.
4. Babyhood is the beginning of Creativity, sex role and socialization for adjustment in future life.
5. There is much difference with the behavior of adolescents and adults and often from those of older children.

Emotional problems:
1. In babyhood, the emotions are differentiated and they are aroused by a number of stimuli. There are two distinct types of emotions.
2. Emotions are more easily conditioned during babyhood than at latter stage. This is due to the reason that the intellectual abilities of babies are limited.
3. They respond easily and quickly to stimuli. Anyhow there is hesitation to respond in some cases of emotional conditions.
4. Babyhood is a hazardous period. The physical hazards are illness, accidents, disabilities and death. Psychological hazards are emotional disinterests and negative attitudes.

Social problems: Early social experiences play a dominant role in determining the baby’s future social relationships and patterns of behavior towards others. Also, making a change in the pattern of behavior that has become habitual is never easy. Nor is there any guaranty that the change will be complete.

Care taking of baby children: During babyhood period, many behaviors, good and bad, begin to appear. The parents should be careful of their babies. The behaviors formed at this age serve as the basic foundation for the future.
1. Good behaviors should be encouraged to develop and continue. As appreciation, the child may be patted with some gifts.
2. The children at this stage are generally obstinate in most of the things. They should be carefully handled to the expectations of the parents.
3. Selfishness is seen with all babies. It is purely temporary, and so the parents should not try to spoil the rod.
4. Good habits must be taught and trained accordingly to their taste and temperament.
5. Anger, fear and weeping for nothing are seen at times. These things should not be allowed to continue.
6. Since the baby’s life is centered on home, it is here that the foundations for later behavior and attitudes should be laid.
7. During the first year of the babyhood, babies are in a state of equilibrium which makes them friendly, easy to handle and pleasant to be with. Around the middle of second year, the equilibrium is tilted making the baby fussy, non cooperative, and difficult to handle.

However, equilibrium is restored so that the babies begin to exhibit again pleasant and social behavior, so no fear or worries needed.