INFANT - PSED
Characteristics of PSED in Infants
Chapter 4.7
The first year is marked by:
Awareness of Self
Infants:
– Find it amusing to look at themselves in the mirror
– Explore their own body: play with hands, reach for their toes
– Giggles and laughs on being tickled
– Uses eye contact, gestures, facial expressions, and voice to draw attention of the parents or the caregivers
Awareness of Others
Infants:
– Notice the physical characteristics of others
– Reach out to touch your nose, strokes your skin, feels your hair
– Responds when interacted: hand/leg movements; face brightens; coos
– Recognizes and is most responsive to parents/caregivers
– Follows gaze and smiles at eye contact.
Taking Interest in other children/siblings
Infants:
– Keenly watches and tracks their behavior
– Expresses the joy of their company through gestures and/or babbles: sticking out tongue, opening mouth, making out sounds.
– Reach out for their belongings
– love playing peek-a-boo. It paves their path to taking turns during play.
Managing Feelings & Behavior
Infants:
– Seek for cuddles and being held is their way of generating emotional and physical security.
– Parents/caregiver’s face and/or voice instills a sense of comfort & reassurance
– Calm from turbulent emotions on being rocked, snug, or hearing your voice
– Gradually is able to display a range of physical emotions – pleasure, startled, excitement and more..
– Reacts to others’ emotions: responds to smiles, weeps on hearing other baby cry,
Developmental Continuum: Helping promote your child’s competencies:
Infants flourish under your attention. They are on constant look-out for your presence via touch, glances and soothing voices.
- Show the baby that you are Listening: Follow your baby’s lead by repeating sound, mirroring movements.
- Undivided Attention: Plan on one-on-one time with your little ones when they are in an alert and responsive state and are willing to engage
- Display Pleasure: Sing rhymes songs with actions or whilst stroking or pointing to the babies’ hands, feet, nose, cheeks etc. Babies will repeat actions that get a positive response from you.
- Stay Close: In times of social gatherings always make it a point to be available and make them feel loved and safe.
- Respect & Act over their cues: Turning away is the baby’s signal for less stimulation, they hold out their hands in anticipation to be snuggled and so on.