need help teaching my son

Shanna - posted on 04/01/2011

Clapping i used to do it with diaper changing and tag team him. When he's being changed is llike a time that they usually stand still .so describe what you are doing to him in a sins song way I have unbutooned his onesies clap clap clap His name can clap too clap clap clap i have to undo this side of the diaper clap clap clap his name can clap too clap clap clap. In the tub in one of those bath chair clap splash clap slash so he can repeat the noise

Shelby - posted on 04/01/2011

thank you, to all of you!.!.! i really appreciate all of you taking the time to post!.! all of your advice was very helpful!.! : )

Kimi - posted on 03/31/2011

To teach him to wave or say hello and goodbye you can make it a game like peek a boo. While he is playing eating or whatever, peek from around the corner and say "hello" while giving a little wave then wave again and say "good bye" and hide. You can do it over and over again and I'm sure he will think it's pretty funny after the third or fourth time.
I don't know about the clapping. Maybe he just doesn't understand the value of a good clap yet. I'm sure he will catch on when he sees it done in a way that pleases him.

Katie - posted on 03/31/2011

He clearly just isn't interested right now in learning those types of things. It will come with time and repetition. Till the, back off help him investigate the world around him. Go outside, dig in the mud, let him play with bath toys, read to him. Enjoy him. I know our society is big on kids hitting mile stones earlier than others, but that is over rated!

Courtney - posted on 03/31/2011

try waving hi when you see him and bye when your leaving out the house or room. Play nursery songs that he can participate in like 'if you ready and you know it clap your hands" I know for my son it was all about repetition, doing everyday a couple times a day. Good luck

Ginny - posted on 03/31/2011

Yay!!!!!!

Patrice - posted on 03/30/2011

yay!!! (CLAP CLAP CLAP!!!)

Shelby - posted on 03/30/2011

well today i was watching a movie ((leap year : ] )) && my son was in his highchair eating cheerio's, a good part came && i got really excited && clapped && said yay && i noticed he was trying to do it && then he did : ) one of his hands were closed though because he had cheerio's in it but the other one was fully opened && he was clapping them together!.!.! thank you all so much for the great advice && help!.!

Jessica - posted on 03/30/2011

Oh and I am in your same boat!!! First time parent and I always look for ways to help my son learn things! And they do learn so much even if they don't seem like they are paying attention. And little boys don't like to sit still lol at least my little boy doesn't haha! I love it though!!!

Jessica - posted on 03/30/2011

I have found that doing things with him and over exaggerating them helps to show them how it is done. I do this with my lil' man when I want him to learn something, but he didn't really start waving a lot until he was about 14 or 15 months old so you don't really have too much to worry about :). But I would just wave a lot at him and make sure to say hi and bye when you do it and he will catch on :). You sound like you are a wonderful mother!!!! Keep up the good work!!!!!

Kylie - posted on 03/30/2011

when you say hello, and good bye wave at him, and or sing songs that include these actions, trying to get him to sit still and teach him is only going to stress both of you out, he's not developmentally ready to sit and learn.

Mandy - posted on 03/30/2011

i had that problem with my first son, little boys are always on the go never want to sit still, with girls they are attentive ect. i asked my sons teacher when he turned 3 ( he started preschool ) if this is normal and she said yes. I always had a problem with getting him to sit on my lap during story time, his teacher told me that even tho he isn't sitting with you keep reading out loud and eventually he will be interested, i really shouldn't say teacher, it's a program called parents as teachers, where they work with kids from birth until preschool, with learning activites ect. but now he is almost 4 and he loves to sit and read, he even reads to us before bed ( sort of lol )

Matilda - posted on 03/30/2011

Dont hurry him Shelby he will pick up more as he is growing actually, be patient with him.

ASHLEY - posted on 03/30/2011

Whenever you leave somewhere help him wave his hand and say bye bye everytime and he will catch on fast. When he does something funny or dad gets home or whatever else you can think of clap and say yay!. My son does it on his own now its so cute. Basically they learn anything they see you do so exaggerate the things you want him to pick up, good luck!

Rachel - posted on 03/30/2011

Yes, I agree also. I took your question as you asking ways to help your son learn :)

Michelle - posted on 03/30/2011

hell learn when hes ready, every child is different. i know my 7month old can only say no, what sounds like mama which she only says when she cring, she points and lunges for what she wants, but i found out that just 30 min. with a child just 3 months older than her she learned new sounds, new pitches, and how to share her toys. my daughter has no intrest in crawling she wants to walk but has no balance yet at all. you can also try to play patty cake 2xs a day. here is a website i use its www.babycenter.com

Kelly - posted on 03/29/2011

My son Joshua was slow as-well. Even at 2 he didn't want to say very much, instead he would point to things. Josh didn't even know his basic colors or count to 5. I had to find an interest, something he loved. Lucky for me he is a fruit cake on trains. So i used Thomas and friends to teach him colors numbers and their names. I wouldn't panic yet he is still very young and will start talking in his own time. Read heaps of books to him and use something he really likes.( Trains, Cars, or animals )

Ginny - posted on 03/29/2011

Oh and about the things you asked on how to teach him...just keep doing it. After I sing a song, i clap my hands and say "yay!" or whenever he does something that you say good job for or yay clap your hands. You can also sing if you're happy and you know it. First time I sang it to my daughter I looked like a crazy woman doing it all by myself lol. Now she had picked up on it and I'm not alone anymore lol. When he is walking away, you can say things like, "are you going bye bye?" and when he either comes back or you walk to him say "hi/hello" and wave. Or when he is playing and looks over at you just wave and say hi. It's teaching him without trying to sit him down and teach him. Keep up the good work!

Ginny - posted on 03/29/2011

At 11 months my daughter seemed to slow down on learning things and wanted no part either..was so busy getting better at walking and was having so much fun moving around in a new way. She is now 13 months and all of a sudden she is doing and saying about a ton of new things. I find my daughter likes to pay attention more when she is sitting in her high chair eating. Also, when my daughter didn't seem to be paying attention, i would still sing the Abc's, count, or just talk to her while she played and Named things, pointed out colors while she explored and played. You'd be surprised how much is soaking in even when you think they are not paying attention. I think in the next few months he will definitely surprise you..it's amazing how different they are in just two months.



Do you do any crafts with him? You can sit him in his high chair and let him explore with different things/textures. My daughter loves to finger paint because she loves the way the paint feels all over her hands lol. That's also a great way to learn and have fun. I just talk talk talk while she paints or colors, even though she doesn't always seem to pay attention. Just follow his lead, if he seems to have had enough, give him a little break. Don't want him to think learning is a bad thing. You sound like an amazing mom and are doing an amazing job! If you have any other questions about this stuff, I'd be happy to try and help. Prior to my daughter I was a day care/preschool teacher for 12-18 month old and then lead teacher for 18-24 month olds. You'd be surprised on how many things he is learning that arent just language and literacy. But like I said, in the next few months I think he will completely change. Just keep doing things even if he's not paying attention. Repitition is the key :-)

Aimee - posted on 03/29/2011

when u talk to him do the sign hi and bye with your hands if u want him clap your hands and do these over and over again and he should start doin it back if not get pics and put them around the house and when he gets 1 say what it is and what it does start with 2 pics at a time and when he has got 1 add another 1 but dont leave the 1 he know out or he may forget what it does or says good luck hope this helps

Firebird - posted on 03/28/2011

Kids learn through example. Monkey see, monkey do. If he sees you doing these things he'll start doing them when he's ready to.

Patrice - posted on 03/28/2011

with my son I take his hands and do the motions. then he grabs my hands to do the motions. We do itsy bitsy spider and get instruments and mimic eachother. I think you are doing a good job helping him learn. He'll reward you soon enough as he processes it. u can try putting diff things on his hands ie gloves to offer different stimulation.

Shelby - posted on 03/28/2011

yea thats true, another person who posted on this said that they will learn when they are ready, which i agree i just really want to know if there are n.e ways that i can help him learn lol.

Rachel - posted on 03/28/2011

LOL some kids are just too busy to teach them when they are playing :)

Shelby - posted on 03/28/2011

i have tried playing patty cake w. him && he is NOT having that lol. but i will try to do it while he is eating lol. i always tried it while he was playing w. his toys. lol

Rachel - posted on 03/28/2011

Just wave bye bye to him and play patty cake and he will pick them up in no time. I have a hyper baby also so I know what it's like, try waving and claping when he is in the bath or eating in his highchair, that way he can't run off ;) Good luck!

Patrice - posted on 03/28/2011

I say celebrate the things he is doing and keep at it with the motion stuff. Usually if a child is excelling at one thing ie walking, talking etc it'll take time for the other, hand gestures, just a diff part of the brain developing. My son excelled in the gestures and a lil talking and took his time walking etc. I watch another lil boy who did the opposite, crawling at 6 months walking at 9, He didn't pick up on hand gestures til well after 12 months, His mom thought it was weird when my son started doing it at the same time. Practice makes "perfect" right?? have fun!

Shelby - posted on 03/28/2011

okay, i am sorry for mistaking your reply as snobby. i completely believe in letting kids learn as they go && i agree w. you completely about how they are ahead at some things && not others, i was just worried that maybe i was not doing enough w. my child. i am a first time mom so this is all new to me. i just wanted to know how exactly do i help my son learn these new things. i am just being a concerned parent, maybe a little to concerned lol.

Medic - posted on 03/28/2011

It was not ment to be snobby but the push to keep babies ahead of other babies is rediculous. Every baby at some point in time will be ahead of his peers at something and at the same time will be behind them at another. All babies will learn at their own pace so why push it. Let kids and babies enjoy being little, the rest of their lives they will be pushed to be better than everyone else or ahead of the curve. The more babies and children see their parents and family members do something the more they will follow suit. If he is not paying attention oh well they don't at that age, much less sit still. Both of my kids would do something one day and then not do it again for months and my son is in a magnet school for accellerated students and he is 4.5 and my daughter is only 14 months she will only do what she feels like when she feels like. My son tells me he is not a show monkey and will not perform when told and it really does make perfect sense.

Shelby - posted on 03/28/2011

your post kinda seems a little snobby, i was perfectly calm i was just looking for advice on ways to help him learn. i am sorry if you weren't meaning that to come off as a snobby reply but if it was, that was kinda rude.
the reason why my post seems a little panicky is because my son is usually way a head of other babies his age && all of a sudden he is not doing the same things as babies his age. i was just a little concerned && i thought i wasnt doing enough w. my child to teach him these things. so i am looking for ways that will help him learn these things.

Medic - posted on 03/28/2011

He is only 11 months old!! Calm down he will learn these things when he is good and ready. Just do the things you want him to do when appropriate.