[blparent] How to tell when your childis smilingorlookingat something

Thu Jun 9 04:12:27 UTC 2011

So ... what on earth does that word mean?  And I thought my brother and 
sister and I were pretty smart because we came up with the word 
myrmecologist at the dinner table once.  (That's a scientist who studies 
ants, by the way.)

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: "Veronica Smith" <madison_tewe at spinn.net>
Sent: Wednesday, June 08, 2011 10:04 PM
To: "'NFBnet Blind Parents Mailing List'" <blparent at nfbnet.org>
Subject: Re: [blparent] How to tell when your childis	smilingorlookingatsomething> I agree with the talking as well.  Since Gab was about 4, she has said her
> favorite long word is antidisestablishmentarianisms. First she learned how
> to say it, then in second grade, she learned what it meant.
> Still to this day, she brags that she can spell it.
> Kids are too funny. V
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
> Behalf Of Dianna Alley
> Sent: Wednesday, June 08, 2011 8:47 PM
> To: NFBnet Blind Parents Mailing List
> Subject: Re: [blparent] How to tell when your child is smilingorlookingat
> something
>
> 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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