Daddy Newbie Adventures in Fatherhood
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Well, Spring Training is upon us, and I’m look forward to taking my son to a game when the “games that count” start. Also, I’m looking forward to him being old enough to play catch with, as well.
And, there lies the question, when is it too young to start playing ball or things like that with your child? If you start too soon, he or she may become afraid of the ball if playing catch, as his or her motor control is not developed enough yet.
What has worked for me is being at my son’s level by kneeling in front of him about a foot away and softly tossing him the ball–slowly moving back when he begins catching the ball more then dropping it. We also play catch with a soft, mushy ball, which is easy for him to catch and throw. If it hits him, it doesn’t hurt. I started doing that with him at around 18 months.
Now each child is different, and if your child can do this before or after 18 months: awesome for your child. But, please don’t make it a contest with your buddies (and that discussion is for another blog). A really good way to judge what to expect of your child and their development (I found pretty useful) is on a website called: Child Development Institute Parenting Today.
The table offers a good guideline on what to expect (and no it isn’t a catch all, for every child, but it is a helpful heads up on what you should be looking for). I have found this website to contain quite a few helpful hints and tricks to help with my son, and I recommend giving it a look. And, I admit my way of thinking or doing isn’t always right…
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