Table of Contents

Preamble 13

Definitions 14

Mental Development 17

Why is mental development so important? 18

What exactly is a leap, anyway? 19

How does my baby's world change when he or she takes a leap in his or her mental development? 19

What is the baby's reaction to a leap? 19

What are the consequences for the baby of acquiring a new cognitive ability? 20

Is my baby going to master everything right away after taking a leap in his or her development? 21

What needs to be considered in regards to processing a leap? 21

How does the baby handle being unsuccessful when trying something new? 22

Which one of the new skills does the baby find the most interesting? 24

How do you discover your child's personality? 24

What phase follows the processing of a leap? 25

Once my baby has mastered a skill, does it change ever again? 25

When does a child take a leap in his or her development? 26

Why do all children take a leap at the same time? Every child is different, right? 26

Do I have to adjust my schedule accordingly if a new leap is about to happen? 27

Why can you clearly tell when some babies are taking leaps but not others? 27

Does a baby get sick more often during a leap? 29

Why are some leaps more difficult for the baby than others? 30

How can I help my baby get through a leap? 30

Does a smart child do everything right after a leap that he or she has the capability of doing? 31

Are there leaps while the baby is still in the womb as well as after the 10th leap? 32

Physical Development 33

Is it true that children also go through physical growth spurts? 34

Do the reflexes the baby is born with disappear during the leaps? 34

Does teething coincide with leaps? 35

Does the head circumference also change during leaps? 37

What kind of physical developments are there, and why is this not the same in all babies? 37

Which one is more important: fine motor skills or gross motor skills? 38

Does the development of gross motor skills take place at the same age in all babies? 38

Should I be worried if my baby doesn't learn something quickly in regards to gross motors kills? 42

Why do some babies crawl and walk sooner than others? 42

How should I react when my baby wants to try out gross motor skills but simply doesn't have the physical ability yet? 44

Can I help my baby with mastering physical skills? 44

Why should you leave the baby naked every now and then? 46

How do I see that it's getting to be too much for my baby? 46

Why is it so important to pay attention to the baby's neck? 46

Can babies overdo their physical training? 48

Why is my child's body is limper after a leap in development? 48

Can you say that the baby is "helping" by lifting the butt during a diaper change? 49

When is the best time to start "pulling-up games?" 49

What should you do if the baby doesn't want to lie in the stroller but would rather look around? 50

My baby always wants to sit when in the stroller. Isn't this too much for the child? 50

Why do some babies scoot backwards before really crawling forward? 51

Is it good when a baby is crawling? Is the baby missing out when he or she is not crawling? 52

Do you have to put shoes on your child when he or she is learning to walk? 52

Is there a connection between the intelligence quotient and the mastering of fine motor skills? 53

What is the process of developing the fine motor skill of "grabbing?" 53

Do babies learn how to use their hands as soon as they've discovered them? 54

Why does my baby kick or hit toys? 56

What can I do to help my baby learn how to grab? 56

Why does the baby take everything apart and throw everything on the floor? 56

Which toys are good for practicing fine motor skills? 57

Sleep 59

Is enough sleep important for the baby's mental development? 60

How do I know if my baby is getting enough sleep? 60

Does a good mattress influence a baby's sleep? 61

Why doesn't a baby sleep well during a leap? 61

Is there something I can do to make my baby sleep well during a leap? 62

How can I avoid not getting enough sleep myself and being too exhausted to be a good parent? 62

Is the danger of suffocating over once the baby is able to turn on his or her side and push up when lying on his or her stomach? 63

Why does my baby always sleep when we have company or when we're visiting? 63

Sometimes my baby briefly falls asleep when playing-is this normal? 64

Is there a difference in sleep between boys and girls? 64

Do I have to be completely quiet when I want my newborn to go to sleep? 64

Do babies dream? 65

Do babies have nightmares? 66

Should I wake my baby when it seems like he or she is having a nightmare? 66

When does the baby start having a sleep pattern? 67

During which leap is the day and night rhythm developing? 67

Why is my baby's bedtime getting pushed back more and more? 68

When will the baby start sleeping through the night? 69

At what age do sleeping problems start becoming recognizable? 69

My baby is too active to go to sleep, especially after a leap. What can I do to help my baby fall asleep? 70

Are there guidelines for sleep rituals? 71

Should the child have a stuffed animal in the bed? 71

Do babies grow physically and mentally when sleeping? 72

Why is my baby suddenly scared when I leave the room even though this was not the case before? 72

Crying 73

Why does a baby cry? 74

The most common reasons for crying are 74

How do you know why the baby is crying? 75

When is it baby colic? 78

What is a "witching hour?" 78

Does a "witching hour" mean that the baby is sad? 80

When are "witching hours" most likely to occur? 80

What's the best way to comfort my crying baby? 81

Is it possible that my reaction to my baby's crying makes the baby even more troubled? 81

At what point do I need to seek help when my baby cries a lot? 82

Why do some babies get quiet with certain music? 83

Why is physical contact so important when comforting a baby? 83

Does a newborn calm down better with bodily contact? 83

Is it normal that my baby calms down when lying on my naked body? 84

Is massaging a baby a good way to comfort? 84

When can I start massaging my baby? 87

At what age do tears appear when a baby cries? 87

Diet 89

Do I have to write down what my baby takes in every day? 90

Do I have a reason to worry if my baby suddenly eats or drinks less? 91

My baby wants to be fed all the time when taking a leap in development. Does the baby need to drink more during that time? 91

Are painful nipples always a result of your baby seeking comfort by sucking more frequently? 92

Does my baby's mental development profit if I eat lots of fish during pregnancy and while nursing? 93

Does bottle feeding versus breastfeeding have an impact on the baby's mental development? 94

At what leap can I start with solid food? 94

Does a healthy diet have an impact on the leaps in development? 95

Does drinking juice or water have an influence on mental development? 95

If my five-month-old baby suddenly puts everything in his or her mouth, is it a sign that I need to feed solids? 96

At what age does a baby show that he or she is hungry or full? 96

At what age does a baby start having food preferences? 97

What can I do if my child refuses food? 97

When does a child start being able to eat by him- or herself? 98

Is it important to let my child eat on his or her own? 99

When do I need to start paying special attention to healthy food? 100

Besides nutrients, what else do I have to pay attention to when it comes to eating and drinking? 100

Emotional Development 103

When does a child's emotional development start? 104

Does a newborn baby already feel something like happiness, sadness, and pleasure? 104

What are secure attachment bonds? 105

How do secure attachment bonds develop? 106

How do I respect my child's dignity? 106

How do I fulfill my child's needs in a loving way? 107

What are the primary emotional needs of every baby? 107

How do I bring my child's needs in accordance with my own? 107

How do I handle my child's unpleasant experiences? 109

Is there a connection between safe security bonds and the completion of a leap in mental development? 110

What can I do if my child gets on my nerves too much or if I'm so tired that it's difficult for me to show unconditional love? 110

What does fear of strangers and separation anxiety mean? 111

What can I do about my child's separation anxiety? 112

How can I help my baby get through the skittish phase? 112

Can I take my child to a daycare center if the child is afraid of strangers? 113

What should I do when my child is afraid of strangers and wants to only be with me, but I really have to leave for a moment? 113

Can you teach toddlers self-confidence? 114

Why is self-confidence so important? And why do you have to start with it when the child is still a toddler? 115

How do I act towards my child when there's stress at home? 116

Stress 117

Is it normal that I'm sometimes downright desperate as a parent? 118

How can I avoid being stressed when my child is about to go through a leap? 119

What can I do if it seems like everything is getting to be too much for me? 119

How do you avoid true mental distress? 120

Is it bad if my baby sees me crying? 121

How do you come to know yourself and your partner as a new couple after a baby is born? 121

How do you handle disagreements regarding the baby's care during the first few months? 122

Is it normal that my partner and I argue more often when our baby is going through a leap? 122

What do I do if my partner and I want to handle a difficult phase for our baby in different ways? 123

How do you find time for one another with all the stress of the baby? 123

When can I start letting a babysitter watch my child? 124

Does every leap have a big impact on the whole family? 127

Can I prepare my other children for our baby's leap? 127

How can I make sure that my increased attention to my baby is not at my other children's expense? 128

How do I explain to my other children that the baby is allowed to do certain things that they aren't allowed to do? 129

How do I handle it when my in-laws' opinions regarding parenting are different from mine? 129

My parents watch my baby but do things I absolutely don't want them to do. How should I make it clear to them? 130

Intelligence 131

What is intelligence? 132

Does a baby have all the forms of intelligence? 133

Why is it so important that I pay attention to my child's interests? 133

How can I determine my child's interests and skills? 134

How do I know what my child is already able to do and understand and what is still too difficult? 135

Is there a way to find out whether my child will have a high IQ later in life? 136

Can little babies be demanding? 137

How do you prevent boredom in babies? 138

How do I find out what stimulates my baby? 139

How do I find the right amount of challenge for my baby? 140

Why does my baby suddenly seem startled or frightened by something that's actually fascinating to him or her? 140

Is it unusual that a baby is completely fascinated with something and can't get any rest because of it? 141

Is it normal that my baby is occupied for hours at a time with something irrelevant? 142

Is the brain being stimulated when the baby is being talked to a lot? 143

Is a baby's brain stimulated by exposing the baby to many new experiences? 143

Does the way I treat my baby have any effect on his or her IQ later in life? 144

Does going to a daycare center have an influence on his or her IQ? 145

At what point does a baby start thinking consciously? 146

Parenting 147

At what age do you have to set boundaries? 148

Is a baby under the age of 15 months not able to learn any rules? 148

How can I keep my child from whining? 149

Sometimes, the whining just doesn't stop. What do I do then? 149

If all children whine anyway, what good does it do to enforce the rules consistently? 150

Is it possible to raise my child to where there's no whining later on? 150

How does my child always knows exactly when whining works? 151

Should a babysitter enforce the same rules the parents set? 152

When am I allowed to be more flexible with the rules? 152

What is the long-term effect of consistently enforcing the rules? 153

Is it okay to punish a baby? 153

How do I make it clear to a child that something is not allowed? 154

Sometimes, I have to laugh out loud when my child does something naughty. Is this wrong? 155

Can a toddler be aggressive? 156

Do parents have any influence on aggressive behavior? 156

My child never whines when wanting something but is extremely sweet instead. How am I supposed to say "no?" 157