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Your baby: 7 months

Sleep struggles
To sleep train or not to sleep train? If your baby has yet to sleep through the night, chances are you’re struggling with this question. At this stage in your baby's development, it's safe to sleep train him, but whether or not you do is completely up to you. The fact is that while sleep training works for some babies, it fails woefully for others. And don't be shocked to find sleep training a stressful process. If you've been responding to your baby's cries since day one, you may find it excruciating to let him cry it out — even for a short while.
 
Read up on what’s normal in terms of baby sleep patterns and find more ideas and opinions in our baby sleep section. Take some time to consider what your beliefs are about nighttime comforting, and what you think will work best for you and your baby. If you’re looking for advice from other parents in the same situation, visit our message boards.
 
Good Question: Should I teach my baby sign language?
Learning some basic signs — like “more” and “milk” — may help your baby communicate with you and ease the frustration of not being understood while he learns to talk.
 
Tips from the trenches
“I had this feeling that you have to do it all on your own, and if people offer to help, you say, ‘No, I’m OK.’ Looking back, how silly was that?” – Anna, mom of one
 
Baffling behaviours
While we delight in many of our baby’s behaviours, there are others — such as gagging, squealing and head banging — that can leave parents perplexed and even panicky. Here’s a look at some baffling baby behaviour and strategies for handling it.
 
It’s a wonderful life
It’s exhausting. It’s stressful. It’s confusing. The life of a new parent can be described with a bunch of downer adjectives for sure. But despite all the hard work, it can be pretty incredible, can’t it? Fun. Exciting. At times, even magical. Read up on the positive, amazing and flat-out fantastic side-effects of motherhood.
 
Three smart moves to make right now
Do you have life insurance? An updated will? An RESP started for your child? No parent wants to think of a future in which they aren’t around to care for their kids, but financial planning can bring you great peace of mind. Here are three important things you can, and should, get started on today, and advice on fine-tuning your plans as your children grow and change.
 
Fun in the tub
Splish splash! Bath time is prime time for playing. Once your baby can sit, he can have fun playing with floating bath toys, pouring cups and sponges. For a fascinating toy, punch some holes in the bottom of a plastic container, so your baby can make "rain." Or you do it for him, so he can reach out and feel the water sprinkle his hand. Discover more everyday ways to enjoy water.
And if your child is a real "water baby," you might try a parent-and-tot swim program — many babies love them. Get more tips on finding an organized program that you and your baby can enjoy together.

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