Location: Indoors or outdoors

Promotes: Motor skills

Baby games don’t need to be a bore! You and your 10- to 12-month-old baby will have a blast with this age-appropriate spin on the time-honored tradition of catch. It's a great way to bond, and the motion of simply pushing a ball can boost his motor development as it promotes coordination and strengthens upper body muscles. Get started with these tips.

What you’ll need
Balls of different sizes, colors, and textures that your baby will be able to grab. Any soft or cloth-covered ball will do the trick.

How to play
Gather up some soft balls -- preferably of various shapes and sizes -- and roll one to your baby. Encourage him to roll or throw it back to you, helping him if he needs it. Be sure to talk about the objects and what you’re doing, telling your baby, “You just threw the green ball!” or “I am rolling the spotted ball to you.” Try to add some structure to this baby activity as your child gets older, asking him to roll or throw a specific ball.

Tricks and advice
At this age, your baby’s aim won’t be accurate. He's still working on his hand and finger motions, and will be swatting or slapping the ball at first. Expect that you’ll need to help him with these early motor development skills and that he’ll need lots of practice. The goal of the game is to help your baby gain control and coordination through the repeated actions of grasping, rolling, and throwing the ball.

Learning and growing
The repeated motion of this baby activity encourages your little one to use his body in new and different ways, giving him a sense of power and control. It’s an amazing sense of achievement when a baby realizes, “I made that ball roll!”

As your child grows, it will be fun to see how the game develops into him truly tossing -- and eventually catching -- the ball. And if he ever takes to the field or basketball court as an older kid, you’ll always remember where his ball skills began!

Your new baby was born into a different world than you were, so it makes sense that baby safety advice has changed in the last few decades, too. While your family and friends will likely dole out baby tips, it’s possible that their well-intentioned pointers could actually compromise your baby’s safety. Here are three outdated pieces of parenting advice you can feel free to ignore.

Outdated baby safety tip number 1: You will spoil your baby if you pick him up too much.
Someone may tell you to let your new baby cry it out, but it’s okay to give this piece of advice a pass. Newborns usually cry because they have a need -- whether it’s a diaper change, a feeding, or just a cuddle -- and soothing your baby helps him feel secure and loved. The truth is, babies simply cannot be spoiled. In fact, the more consistent you are at meeting his needs before he’s 6 months old, the less demanding your baby will be later on in life. So the next time you hear your baby crying, feel free to shower him with love and attention.

Outdated baby safety tip number 2: Your baby needs complete quiet to sleep.
Common wisdom once held that babies need a hushed household in order to get the rest they need. Turns out that they are actually used to hearing background noise from their time spent in the womb. So go ahead and run the vacuum during naptime if you like. The humming of the machine may help ease your baby to sleep, and you can get some cleaning done while he rests.

Outdated baby safety tip number 3: Your baby should be put on a strict feeding schedule.
It was once thought that babies should be fed every four hours after leaving the hospital. The belief was that feeding on demand -- in other words, whenever a baby was hungry -- would spoil a baby and even increase the risk of contracting an intestinal infection. Now, however, many doctors recommend against setting a feeding schedule and suggest following your baby’s lead when satisfying his hunger needs. 

Baby care advice has certainly evolved over the years. What hasn't changed is that parents want to do everything possible to keep their baby happy and healthy.

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Tempted to cancel all your dinner plans until your child turns 10? Turns out that going to a restaurant with your new baby in tow is doable and even enjoyable. All you need is a little prep work and some mommy must-haves for eating out with your baby.

Pre-dining research
Before taking your baby out for a meal, check on which restaurants cater to families and are baby-friendly. You probably wouldn’t want to dine with your little one at a restaurant that’s really formal. Look for a place nearby that is casual and lively (but not too loud) and used to having babies as their clientele.

High chair hygiene
Many restaurants keep high chairs on hand, which seems great until you stumble upon one that’s coated in grime. To avoid spending the entire meal worried about the germs your new baby could pick up, bring along plenty of baby wipes. They’re ideal for mopping baby food or spaghetti off your child’s face and hands as well as for cleaning off dirty tables and high chairs.

Extra food
Your baby won't be ordering from the menu just yet, so you'll need to bring food or feed your little one beforehand to avoid hunger meltdowns. Fed ahead of time, a younger baby might even sleep right through your meal! If you have an older tot, keep snacks like crackers on hand to pacify him while he waits for the food to arrive.

Small toys
Pack some small baby toys so you have something to entertain your baby with once sifting through sugar packets gets old. A baby book, soft animal, or squeeze toys are perfect for banging on the table without making too much noise. Your tot -- as well as your fellow patrons -- will thank you for your packing foresight.

Bibs and baby-proof dinnerware
Your child is a messy eater by design, so you’ll want to bring a bib when eating out with your baby. Wipe-off or disposable bibs make for an easy cleanup. If the bib is reusable, consider storing it in a plastic baggie after meals. It’s also smart to carry a baby spoon and bowl in case your little guy gets the urge to toss his (very breakable) restaurant china off the table.

Eating out with your baby can be enjoyable when you’re prepared. But even all the forethought in the world can’t prevent some meltdowns. So be ready to duck outside for a while or ask for your check early if your new baby decides he’d rather be eating at home. After all, once your child is slightly older, you’ll have plenty of time for relaxing family meals at a restaurant.

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When you find out you're pregnant and you’re preparing for a baby, it's hard to resist the temptation to scoop up every adorable item you come across. From baby care basics like diapers, a crib, and a car seat to super-cute baby clothes and toys, you'll want to buy it all. But really, try your very best not to -- not every baby item you see is a must-have.

Tips on Shopping for Baby Care Basics

1. Wait for the baby shower: Your friends and family may want to throw a party to celebrate the birth of your new baby. Wait until after the shower passes before making any major purchase.
    
2. Make a list of the musts: It's easy to buy nearly everything you see in stores when preparing for a baby -- it's all so cute and looks useful, too! But to save time and money, make note of the things you feel are absolute necessities to get you through the first month at home with your baby. Create lists for different categories, such as “bath time,” “nursery,” “travel,” and “feeding” and jot down products as you think of them (keep the lists handy in your purse or on your phone!). Then stick to your lists while shopping. If you’re out and about and see something that’s not on your lists, jot down the name of the product. When you get home you can compare reviews from other moms or ask friends what they think before making your final decision about whether it’s a must-have -- or a purchase that can be put off.
    
3. Buy clothes one size up: Purchase a few outfits that’ll fit your newborn, but also consider buying some that are a size (or even two sizes) larger than you’ll initially need.
    
4. Consider secondhand items: Babies tend to outgrow items really fast, which makes buying used items a great option and a way to save some money. Of course, there are certain items that you’ll want to purchase new, like baby diapers and car seats. However, other baby care basics like clothes, baby swings, and bouncers (to name a few) can definitely be bought secondhand if in good condition. With a little cleaning, you'll have something nice for your baby without breaking the bank.
    
5. Your baby doesn't need much: Contrary to popular belief, your baby really doesn't need much. Other than a few baby care basics like Pampers diapers, a crib, a car seat or stroller, and clothes, most baby items are useful but not an absolute must.   

Your priceless baby comes with some big costs, but every new mom quickly learns strategies for keeping to a budget. One simple strategy to remember: Save those receipts! If you go overboard with shopping for baby products only to realize you don’t really need the gear when you get home, you’ll be able to easily get your money back. Now that’s smart shopping!

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From the day he was born, your baby has been trying to communicate with you. That’s what all the crying, smiling, cooing, and babbling have been about. He’s saying, “I’m hungry,” “I’m sleepy,” “You make me happy,” and “I love you.” With each passing day, his communication skills improve. Sometime around your baby’s first birthday, he’ll probably come out with his first real word.

What’s more, speech development and social skills go hand in hand. Learning how to express his thoughts, wants, and needs will eventually help your child learn to connect with the people around him and become a sociable toddler. How can you support this amazing process?

•     Help your child find words. At 6 to 12 months, your baby isn’t ready to start talking yet, but when he puts forth a syllable, he’s making an attempt at words. So when he says, “ba,” help him out: “Are you looking for your ball? Do you want your bottle? Where did you put your book?” Speak slowly and enunciate clearly so he can hear the different sounds and connect them to what they mean.

•     Pay attention to your child’s nonverbal communications. Speech isn’t the only means of communication your baby will use. Between 8 and 12 months, he may start sending more and more nonverbal messages by pointing, gesturing, looking at what he wants, making faces, and even dancing. Grabbing a toy and banging it on the table may mean, “May I have your attention, please?” or “I’m so happy with my truck!” Whatever he does, take notice and respond.

•     Have conversations with your child. While you can’t expect your baby to talk back at this age, asking questions and waiting for a response teaches him the rhythm of conversation: You talk and I listen, then I talk and you listen. And don’t forget to respond when your little one cuts loose with baby babble. You may not understand his words, but it will encourage him to keep trying if you engage him.

•     Narrate your day. Tell your baby what you’re doing, ask him what he wants, and name what you’re seeing: “Let’s go find your blocks. Do you want the red one or the blue one? Oh, look! There’s your stuffed bear.” Rest assured that even though he can’t reply with words yet, he’s listening to and learning from everything you say.

•     Read to your child. Sharing books is an important way to support your baby’s early childhood development. It reinforces the power of words and helps your child move forward on the road to literacy, language, and learning.

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