[blparent] How to tell when your child is smilingorlookingat something

Thu Jun 9 02:46:59 UTC 2011

I agree with the talking.  I have done that since Zianna came into the 
world.  I always tell her what I am doing.  That is why she has learned the 
word email at two.  I thought it was cute.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jo Elizabeth Pinto" <jopinto at msn.com>
To: "NFBnet Blind Parents Mailing List" <blparent at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Wednesday, June 08, 2011 8:20 PM
Subject: Re: [blparent] How to tell when your child is smilingorlookingat 
something


> Hi.  I don't think there's too much to worry about.  I find myself wishing 
> that I could see my daughter, too, but as your baby gets older, he'll 
> definitely start interacting more with sounds and wiggles, and you'll know 
> what's going on.  And once he starts to talk, believe me, there will be 
> times you'll wish for quieter reactions!  The days of little to no verbal 
> activity are short, and before long your baby will be moving and grabbing 
> for what he likes and pushing or throwing away what he doesn't want.
>
> I would suggest concentrating on how your baby moves when you hold him. 
> You'll be able to tell a lot just from the movements--a happy wiggle 
> versus an exasperated one, and the happy wiggles are awesome.  Also, it's 
> never too early to start talking to your baby.  Name objects, tell him 
> what you're doing, even if he doesn't understand.  He'll get used to he 
> words, and soon, at least soon in the grand scheme of things, he'll start 
> to know what they mean.
>
> Jo Elizabeth
>
> "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself--nameless, unreasoning, 
> unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into 
> advance."--Franklin D. Roosevelt
>
> --------------------------------------------------
> From: "jill" <jillbilly4 at comcast.net>
> Sent: Wednesday, June 08, 2011 3:59 PM
> To: "'NFBnet Blind Parents Mailing List'" <blparent at nfbnet.org>
> Subject: Re: [blparent] How to tell when your child is smiling 
> orlookingatsomething> I very much agree with your statements.  I went 
> through a hard time right
>> after my little Olivia was born last July 21.  I wanted to see her face 
>> so
>> bad.  I was able to see the faces of my boys, but my rp is such now that 
>> I
>> can't see anything but light and shadows.  I think a lot of it was baby
>> blues, but I learned to be happy that my little girl was happy and 
>> healthy.
>> I too get visual descriptions from my husband and boys and that is really
>> nice.  I sort of picture the expressions in my mind and enjoy them that 
>> way.
>> I suppose there are always things that we as blind people would like to 
>> see,
>> but we learn to enjoy things from a different perspective.
>> ----Original Message-----
>> From: blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
>> Behalf Of Chad Allen
>> Sent: Wednesday, June 08, 2011 2:14 PM
>> To: rovadia82 at gmail.com; 'NFBnet Blind Parents Mailing List'
>> Subject: Re: [blparent] How to tell when your child is smiling or 
>> lookingat
>> something
>>
>> Hi,
>>
>> Not at all silly.
>>
>> I ask all the same questions too. I get a lot of feedback from sighted 
>> folks
>> which I like but there are other signals I get from my son, Harrison.
>>
>> First, of course, cries. He's very good at telling me when he does not 
>> like
>> something. That could be a myriad of things like hunger, tired, diaper
>> change, etc.
>>
>> but what about the more subtle things like smiling? I find that I can get
>> Harrison to make a sound pretty easily when he is happy. I get a coo or a
>> giggle or just a high pitched yea at times that tells me he is enjoying
>> something. Then, I investigate. Sometimes it's a toy or something I'm 
>> doing.
>> other times we play by making silly sounds or faces and sometimes we 
>> wrestle
>> baby style where I just let him crawl all over me.
>>
>> We bounce and I get happy and not so happy sounds out of him at times
>> depending on his mood. Sometimes if I hear nothing for awhile, it means 
>> he
>> fell asleep. One time he fell asleep in his jumper sitting up which was
>> great fun. But even his breathing can give me a clue to his mood or 
>> interest
>> too.
>>
>> Since I can't see him, I need to get creative in experiencing other 
>> things
>> with him. It bums me out that I can't see his peaceful sleep like others 
>> or
>> some of his silly faces but there are so many other wonderful elements to
>> our interactions that few understand so I consider that to be the trade 
>> off.
>>
>>
>> I think the most important part is to enjoy every bit and not to dwell 
>> too
>> much on the struggles. We do so much together and if I can't see 
>> something
>> he does, it's OK because we are buds. I know he won't care when he's 
>> older
>> because we will be friends and I'll play games and be a part of his life 
>> in
>> a unique way. Love is what matters most.
>>
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
>> Behalf Of Ronit Ovadia Mazzoni
>> Sent: Wednesday, June 08, 2011 10:40 AM
>> To: 'NFBnet Blind Parents Mailing List'
>> Subject: [blparent] How to tell when your child is smiling or looking at
>> something
>>
>> Hi everyone,
>> I have kind of a silly question but I hope someone can help. My two month
>> old is definitely interested in being interactive some of the time during
>> the day and when I am alone with him, I find it hard to know when he is
>> smiling or looking at something. I have rattles and toys and I make faces 
>> at
>> him but he's not really making a whole lot of sounds to let me know he is
>> happy or interested. When my sighted husband is around or my mom is 
>> around,
>> they tell me when he is smiling or when he is looking at me or a toy, but 
>> I
>> find it frustrating that when I am alone, I don't feel like I know how to
>> effectively interact with him. Any tips on this, or is this something 
>> silly
>> to be worried about?
>> Thanks.
>> Ronit
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>
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