Imaginative Play

The first sign of imaginative and pretend play emerge around 12-18 months. Imaginative and pretend play stimulate the cognitive development for creative thinking and creates opportunities for exploration. At this early form of imaginative and pretend play, toddlers will emerge into solitary play until he reaches 2-years old.

This is a little facts about imaginative and pretend play. How about a 10-months old? My Maximus has already potraying his first sign of imaginative and pretend play. He started it in his late 9-months and becoming more obvious in his 10-months. How does he do it? It started with his interest in cars and ability to make the sound of the car "vroom..." Then, he enjoys playing with the remote control (for TV, fan, DVD player and air-cond). Soon, everything turn out to be an imaginative play for him. He turns the remote-control up-side-down and starts to play like how he plays his toy car. He pushes it around and makes the sound of it... the vroom sound. He discovers that the remote-control is fun to use as a car especially when it moves with the rubbery texture with the buttons downwards.

Next, the sign of him emerging into his imaginative and pretend play was to use the remote-control as a telephone. But he only use the black colour remote-control to be his phone. The reason is that mummy's mobile phone is black. Other than a remote-control, he took my mobile phone pouch (black too) to be his phone. Guess he watches us doing it so often that he begins to imitate our action through his imagination. I hope to capture some photos to support my observation and also to keep it a memory.

Since Maximus is in my womb, I knew he will turn out to be a creative person... it's the pre-natal education and exposure. I was doing a lot of creative work with children for a full 30 weeks of my pregnancy when I started working in a preschool.

I thank God for this wonderful gift upon Maximus. All in all, it's HE who giveth all... Praise Jesus.

A 10-months old Book's Lover

Maximus was given the exposure on books since he was 3-months. It begun with the cloth book about Lady Bug. Since then, he was cooing as interacting to it. Now, at 10-months Maximus has a good attention-span in reading a book. He enjoys looking and interacting with it. Yet, he understands and able to point out the pictures associated with the words when being asked. It started when he was 8-months when he pointed at the picture of the teddy bear when I asked him "Where is bear-bear?". His vocabs has expanded so much that he can basically understand common instructions such as "Give mummy the book.".

I have to admit that he is a book's lover. He loves his books more than any other toys except for his toy car. He can spend time looking and interacting with it. Being a mummy, I am of course happy but I don't want him to turn out to be a "book-nerd"! Daddy doesn't like reading... so it must be from my side, or his 3rd ah-kor (aunty) who is a bookworm. He enjoys going to the book store compare to the toy store. He has a longer attention span with his books compare to playing with his other toys (of course not his toy-car). He is indeed a bookworm then! His language development covers most of the things he sees from his books other than exploring the outside environment. And of course I spent more on books (got tax rebate) each time I want to get him something.

Mostly, Maximus doesn't abuse or mistreat those books... the only book that he tore was the sensorial book with flap. He tore out the grasshopper that can turn around and the flap for the peek-a-boo game. Other than that, he can handle a book very well even reading it the right way! What a progress for a 10-months.

Boys and their heavy vehicles

I think this is very natural and common... Boys and their vehicles (especially car). Even to a 10-months old, my little Maximus is already enjoying his toy car and everything with wheels. He started showing his interest in cars since in his late 6-months old. He will play with his toy car for hours and independently.

Then, at his 9-months he began to imitate the sound of cars "vroom....vroom...vroom" each time when he plays his toy car. And now, the latest development at 10-months Maximus enjoys looking at pictures of cars and other vehicles (with 4 wheels). He is able to associate it with cars and will intereact with it by making his usual sound "vroom...vroom". He enjoys looking at books and especially related to vehicles.

Recently in Borders, he got hold of the heavy vehicles book - Trucks, Touch and Learn. I am impressed with his attention span. He is so independent and behaving like a toddler instead.

Check out the video.

Climbing up the stairs

Being a curious and active explorer, a 10-months baby will start to move around and about. This is the same for my lil Maximus. He is so fast crawling around and prefer to be free from his walker. He will crawl at every corner of the room, and look out for new things to explore. Maximus is very persistent in knowing his wants and if he refused he will insist not to have it at all. For instant; being in the walker. If he refused to be put into his walker he will throw himself backward, refused to bend his knees to sit and started to wail.

At this moment, his favourite corners are: near the staircase, the door, the telephone cables and near cupboards. Each time when he is near the staircases he will try climbing up the steps. 1...2...3... and he will stop because it's too high for him. Haha... I am not sure if he has height phobia just like his daddy! Then he will slowly slide down. Of course being parents, we have to always keep watch when he is near the staircase.

Check out the video

1...2...3... steps and back down! With daddy holding onto him.

Settling himself to sleep Part 2

There was the part 1 of this blog title. Then now it's the 2nd part especially when now my lil Maximus is going to be 1-year old. There are so many things to get him ready as he steps into his toddler's stage and one of it is to settle himself to sleep independently. Since when Maximus turned 6-months old, I was wanting to get him to be independent in his sleeps. But not successful because he had already associate sleeping with breastfeeding!

But I can't be doing it anymore especially when the number of teeth he has increased! It's painful! So I have decided to cut down the number of breastfeeding during the odd-hours when he suddenly awaken. I tried to pat-a-pat him, reassure him to get back to sleep, and get him into his comfortable position. He whines and tosses around to look for his comfortable position. I started this early this week and during the first attemp he did settle back to sleep when i pat-a-pat him gently on his butt. Yes, I thought that he has learned and get the message.

But, I was counting my chicks too early... the second day, he whined and started to climb out from his cot! Oh... hinting to me that he wants to be carried while pulling my pyjamas. Sigh... get his daddy (Jin) to cuddle him to avoid him wanting to be breastfed. Unfortunately from whining it turns to crying so we have to give in. Ops... failed!

Till today, we are still trying to let him to settle himself back to sleep especially when he jerked up from it. The cutest event was he did settle to sleep independently this dawn but in our bed tucked in between the both of us. Owh... sleeping in his comfort between mummy and daddy.

Well, I have to continue to train him so that he will learn how to settle himself to sleep. Soon, when he turns one, we will move him into the single bed from his cot! At the moment, we have so save up first since we have gotten the car-seat instead.

I hope in this 2 months of lesson, Maximus will learn fast and get to settle himself to sleep independently soon. *fingers-crossing

Maximus with a new-born baby

It's the pre-natal education that shape my lil Maximus to be so socialable and aware of other children. Maximus has a good social-development which he enjoys the company of other children and looking forward to interact with them. At home, he can't bear to play alone although he can be independent. He enjoys playing with his cousins and gets every excited when having them around.

Last Saturday, Jin's cousin wife

just delivered a baby boy. We went to visit them. We thought that Maximus wasn't able to understand what's a baby and won't show any interest. But we were wrong! Maximus was so excited and wanted to touch the baby when he was at close proximity with the baby. Of course Jin has to keep watch and be at control because we were afraid that Maximus might just get too rough with the lil baby.

Maximus's expression and response amazed us too. He pointed at the baby and went "ohhh... uhh... ahhh boo..." as he wants to express himself in words. Well, of course we responded saying that "Yes, that's a baby! Maximus is the kor-kor to the baby now." It's a great experience for Maximus and this will enhance his future development in his social-emotional area.

Musical Ride - Movement Vs Without

The Musical rides are always an attraction to children from different ages. Normally the musical ride comes with the shape of a car, train or boat! The very normal musical ride is the merry-go-round! These musical rides has been a children enjoyable ride and usually we can get it from funfairs. But now, it's becoming such a norm! There are musical rides everywhere and they only cost from RM 1 or RM 2 for a ride!
We gave Maximus the experience on the musical ride during our visit to Malacca. It was in Pahlawan Mall and there are so many types of musical rides at the center of the shops in the mall. These rides not only attract children but adult too... those adults were seen resting in the rides. And some even leave their elder children on the ride (without movement) while they go for s quick shop. Maximus got to ride on the Safari Car ride with animals around him. But it seemed that he enjoys the ride without the movement comparing to when it was moving. He was more focus on the buttons and the stering wheel after the musical ride stopped. When he was riding during it moved, he looked rater shock and sat very still. Maybe it's his first experience and he has not yet learn to apprecitate or enjoy such movement on a ride. At this age the only fun-ride is a car ride and also the rocking for the cradle.
This ride is rather attractive and cool too... some elder children were playing role-play on it! But Maximus was just having his own fun and exploring it.
Enjoy the video-clips

The musical ride with movement


The musical ride after the end of the movement