How your baby's growing:
Your baby now understands simple instructions, although you may still be ignored when you say "no." (To help the word carry a little more weight, use it sparingly, for setting important limits.)
Even though your baby may not always remember tomorrow what you've said today, it's not too soon to set certain boundaries and start teaching some important distinctions, like right from wrong and safe from unsafe.
Your life: Balancing work and family
Your persona has changed since having a baby, and you may be wondering how much you should integrate your parent self with your workplace self. The answer depends largely on the culture and style of your particular workplace. Look around and observe how other moms and dads handle this matter, and let their example guide you. Do supervisors display family photos? Do many parents take advantage of options like flex time?
You may need to take time off or limit the hours you work because of your baby. In weighing which priority — baby or job — takes precedence in a given situation, it's best to take into account the flexibility of your workplace, total time off available, and your childcare arrangement. When your baby is sick, you may prefer to be with her yourself and let your spouse or sitter handle well-child checkups, for example. Or you may decide you want to be there for all doctor visits, scheduling them for your lunch hour or after work in order to minimize time away from your job.
Then, instead of focusing on the time you can't be at work, think about how to more efficiently use the time you do spend there. Consider keeping regular to-do lists, coming in early instead of staying late, and eliminating as much personal activity at work as possible. Some people are able to work through lunch in order to leave earlier, for example. Keep track of your progress and communicate with your boss about it on a regular basis so she can see firsthand that you're balancing your parenthood with dedication to your job.
3 questions about: Temperament
What exactly is temperament?
Your baby's temperament is how she thinks about and reacts to her environment. This includes sleeping and eating patterns, sociability, agreeability, how she responds to soothing, and other factors. Some babies are mellow. Others are sensitive and slow to warm to new situations. Still others have robust, high-energy temperaments. Experts now think temperament is largely inborn rather than a product of external factors and influences.
Can I predict my baby's personality by observing her temperament?
To some extent, yes. You began to form a picture of your baby's temperament when she was as young as 3 or 4 months old. At 10 months, your baby's personality is becoming more defined — you can start to more accurately imagine what she'll be like as she gets older by observing her actions and disposition in different situations. Look at overall patterns, not any one particular behavior: Your baby may act a certain way (or change her behavior) because of a temporary factor or a developmental stage she's going through, so don't be too quick to jump to conclusions about her personality.
Is there anything I can do about my baby's temperament?
If there's something about your baby's temperament that has you worried or that you hope to help her with (such as shy behavior), it's important to be understanding and not judgmental. Don't label your baby, criticize her, or otherwise make her think she's flawed or "bad," whether in private or in front of other people. Instead, sympathize, and encourage her when she behaves in a way that seems healthier. Recognize that you can't really change your baby's natural tendencies, although you can encourage certain behavior and help her to learn and grow in a way that supports her temperament.
source: babycenter
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