LEARN TO READ THE SIGNS(1st part)

As your child matures from a newborn

to a more interactive baby by the age of 6 months,

he'll become a master at showing you

when something makes him content or upset.

His face lights up in a heart-melting smile

when you enter the room, or he wails

when someone takes away his favorite lovey.

And you've probably noticed that he flips

between smiling and crying faster

than you can pop a pacifier in his mouth.^__^

I read a book entitled "What's Going On in There?

How the Brain and Mind Develop in the First Five Years of Life".

According to Lise Eliot, a pediatric neuroscientist

and author of the book, a baby is so mercurial

in his emotions because his cerebral cortex,

a part of the brain which controls automatic responses,

is barely turned on yet. As the cerebral cortex

develops over the coming years,

your child will be able to better control

his behavior and moods. If it seems your baby

spends more time wailing than giggling,

that's because babies actually experience distress

earlier than happiness.

Crying and distressed facial e-pressions are there

for a reason, explains Eliot. They serve as an SOS

to motivate the caregiver to fix whatever's wrong.

But if your baby is crying, how do you know

if he's in pain, hungry, or just bored?

A sensitive mother can pick up on different kinds

of cries and facial e-pressions.

The eyebrows, the mouth, and vocalizations

are all signaling systems for the baby.

For example,in my son's case when he is in physical distress,

JIWON will cry with the corners of his mouth turned down

and his eyebrows arched in the middle.

With anger, JIWON's face becomes red,

his eyebrows turn down, his jaw clenches,

and he lets out a roar! (which i'm bloody scared of! )

Most parents recognize that a fearful, easily upset baby

isn't a happy camper, but many parents

don't recognize that anger is simply excessive distress.

If there's a loud noise or bright light,

the child will show signs of distress.

If that noise or light continues to increase,

the feeling turns to anger.

MY TIP: Do not expose your baby in a noisy environment.

When old folks talk, Please....tone down your voice box,

will ya? You guys are making it hard for the babies

to get their much needed sleep! Oldies should also learn to

respect babies' sleeping schedule.ahright?