Why Kids Talk To Themselves

Hi mom’s..wanted to share this article with you . I saw many kids ie. my cousins kids etc.. I just found that toddler was talking to himself while playing with his toys alone. I came across the same situation with atleast 2-3 kids. I wanted get some good answer about this, so i got this article and wanted to share with you.
At both ends of the age spectrum, young and old, people talk to themselves."Private speech," as psychologists call it, emerges almost as soon as kids learn to talk. Not long after, toddlers begin to chatter to themselves just before they fall asleep, animatedly describing things that happened during their day and re-enacting conversations. This form of private speech (also called "crib speech") typically occurs between 18 and 24 months and serves two purposes: It helps kids practice language skills and allows them to reflect on daytime experiences. (It also entertains their parents, who eavesdrop via the baby monitor.)
At 2 or 3, kids start using private speech to help themselves control their impulses. Tempted by something forbidden, many toddlers and pre-schoolers will verbalize the warnings they've heard from their parents. A 2-year-old, for example, might make a beeline for an unprotected electrical outlet — then stand there saying to himself, "No touching! No touching!" "A lot of parents think that it's socially unacceptable or weird if a child talks to himself," says Laura Berk, professor of psychology at Illinois State University and author of Awakening Children's Minds (Oxford University Press, 2004). "But in fact it's normal and typical, and we find that children who engage in task-relevant private speech generally perform better over time."
Self-chat really heats up when kids are dropped into a challenging new situation, such as when they enter preschool. Classrooms are often abuzz with kids talking to themselves as they work through new puzzles or remind themselves of new rules.
In the early elementary school years, kids begin to transition to self-talk that's mostly silent, but audible private speech never really disappears. It continues to pop up when children (and adults) face difficult tasks or stressful circumstances. Just try finding your lost keys without talking yourself through it.
Written By Jennifer Eyre White

Best Age To Have A Baby

Until recently, the average age for women to give birth was 27 and it's easy to understand why. This decade is still considered by many to be the most natural time to have a baby.

Pros

• Your fertility reaches its peak in your early 20s.
• You are fit and full of energy.
• You're young enough to cope physically with the demands of a new baby.
• You are more likely to be in a stable relationship with a steady income.
• Your body is ready for pregnancy. But because you're still young, it's supple and flexible enough to recover quickly too.

Cons

• Your social life will suffer. You can't go out clubbing with your mates every night.
• Work might just be taking off and it will have to take a back seat.
• You've just got used to having your own money to spend on yourself now it's going on a baby.

Handling New Born

We are always said by our elders, how to handle our little and precious new born. We are very excited seeing babies at home but we forget the things what to do before handling them. To keep them healthy, we should know all these important facts.
If you haven't spent a lot of time around new-borns, their fragility may be intimidating. These are very important things to be followed when we are having new born at home.

• Wash your hands (or use a hand sanitizer) before handling your newborn. Young babies have not built up a strong immune system yet, so they are susceptible to infection. Make sure that everyone who handles your baby also has clean hands.
• Be careful to support your baby's head and neck. Cradle the head when carrying your baby and support the head when carrying the baby upright or when you lay him or her down.
• Be careful not to shake your newborn, whether in play or in frustration. Shaking that is vigorous can cause bleeding in the brain and even death. If you need to wake your infant, don't do it by shaking — instead, tickle your baby's feet or blow gently on a cheek.
• Make sure your baby is securely fastened into the carrier, stroller, or car seat. Limit any activity that would be too rough or bouncy.
• Remember that your newborn is not ready for rough play, such as being jiggled on the knee or thrown in the air.

How To Calculate Gestational Age

Knowing how to calculate gestational age will help you know your due date

You are pretty sure you are pregnant. At least, the six pregnancy tests that you took said so.
So when is your baby due? With your obstetrician's guidance, you will learn how to calculate gestational age.
When you go for your first medical appointment, you will be asked the date of your last menstrual period. (Note to women: You are supposed to keep track of this sort of thing.)
Let us say your last period was May 1. The doctor will count back nine months to February 1 and add a week. Your due date is February 8.
Or you can add 280 days to the first day of your last period. If your last period started on (let us make it easy) January 1, add 280 days and you will discover that you are due on October 8.
Another way is to add seven days to the last menstrual period, subtract three months and add one year. If your last period was April 10, 2011, add seven days, which makes it April 17 and now subtract three months. You are due on January 17, 2012.
Of course, the doctor actually has a wheel-like apparatus that makes it easier for her to do the gestational age calculations, as if counting back three months and aging a week is difficult even for the most mathematically challenged.