Supporting Relf-Reliance When Baby Puts Stones in Mouth

Dear Parent,

You are already giving your child plenty of safe self-direction both inside your home and outside. It is fine for him to learn that there is a loving adult guiding and protecting him. This fact gives him freedom to explore. He won’t do this forever, so there will be other safe activities he will self-direct soon.

You are careful to retract a stone out of his mouth only when absolutely necessary, which is wonderful. When you do that, hold the stone by his lips, saying, “You want to feel it.” Let him feel it with his mouth while you hold it. Then take it out and give him something else that is safe to put in his mouth while saying, “You can put this one in your mouth by yourself.”

Being self-directed is not the only thing your baby is learning. It is also crucial for him to learn to trust the guidance that comes from his loving mother and father. He learns, “I can run my life safely and freely because I can count on my parents to protect me from danger.”

Warmly, Naomi Aldort http://authenticparent.com/