In this video, we meet Frances and Wikeepa and their 11-month-old baby, Waireti. Hear how being a father has changed Wikeepa. Erika, a Well Child Tamariki Ora nurse talks about how you can help your baby to learn and develop. Frances talks about how they look after Waireti's teeth. See how Frances and Wikeepa keep Waireti safe at home and in bed.
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Title: Your Child: Six Months to One Year. Episode 08 of 15.
Title: Frances & Wikeepa’s Whānau
[Shots of Frances and Wikeepa playing with their baby.]
Title: Waireti, 11 months old
Wikeepa (voice-over): It's hard to think about our life before baby. We used to do a lot of stuff, but it pales in comparison to being a father. I think it's changed me for the better.
[Interview with Frances and Wikeepa.]
Wikeepa: Kia ora. My name is Wikeepa. My family is from the Bay of Plenty – my father from Opotiki and mother from Te Kaha.
Frances: Kia ora. Ko Frances ahau. Nō Aitutaki. Nō Ngāti Maniapoto ahau.
[Shots of Frances and Wikeepa’s baby playing.]
Frances (voice-over): She's a happy, happy child.
Wikeepa (voice-over): She's pretty chill baby.
[Interview with Frances and Wikeepa.]
Frances: She's our first, maybe our only child.
[Shots of Wikeepa playing with his baby.]
Wikeepa (voice-over): She knew me back when she was six months, but now she really clings to me. It's cool to have that connection with her.
[Interview with Erika.]
Title: Erika Ware, Well Child Tamariki Ora Nurse
Erika: Kia ora. I'm Erika and I'm a Tamariki Ora (Well Child) Nurse, and one of the main things that we talk about with whānau with regards to their baby at this stage is development. Getting down on the floor with them, playing with them, singing to them, reading – all those things are really important for developing speech, developing their movement, getting around.
[Wikeepa plays with his baby.]
Wikeepa (voice-over): The kinds of things that her and I do – mainly play. Play on the ground, play with her toys, roll around on the carpet. Her and I have good fun.
[Frances prepares vegetables.]
Wikeepa (voice-over): Health-wise – a lot of natural food if we can. It's easy to eat sugar, lollies, fruit juice and drinks – that kind of thing. So we’re trying to move away from that and give her some better habits.
[Frances feeds mashed vegetables to her baby.]
Erika (voice-over): Some of the key things – quite major developmental milestones – happen from six months. Starting solids is a big thing. Adjusting to that and getting around everywhere on the floor – safety is another thing we must always keep in mind at this age.
[Wikeepa places a safety gate to prevent the baby from climbing the stairs.]
Wikeepa (voice-over): I think, safety wise, being mindful of the environment. We have stairs here. We have gates that I've cut out of wood. She's pretty quick. She can run up and down the stairs if you don't watch. We generally try and keep our eyes on her.
[Interview with Frances and Wikeepa.]
Frances: Her teeth came at 10 months, which were her bottom teeth. Now her top set is coming. Wikeepa's mum is a dental nurse, and she's always talked about how important it is to have dental hygiene. So we brush her teeth in the morning and at night.
[Interview with Erika.]
Erika: To keep our babies’ teeth healthy – hygiene has a really important role here. We can clean baby's teeth with a soft toothbrush as soon as the teeth come through, with a teeny little bit of family fluoride toothpaste.
[Frances places her baby in a baby bed.]
Wikeepa (voice-over): Sleep time – we've got a mattress we put down, because as soon as we get home, she's usually asleep. So just somewhere close that we can put her down, and then we'll take her upstairs into her cot when she's ready to go down.
[Shots of Frances and Wikeepa sharing baby responsibilities.]
Frances (voice-over): I think both of us would agree we're time poor, in the sense that we work and we share responsibilities. I think for us it's in our planning. We choose not to do things because we've got baby now, but we still live our life. I think you can still enjoy the balance of doing what you used to do. You just have to make it work.
[Interview with Frances and Wikeepa.]
Wikeepa (voice-over): Most people say being a parent is hard work. I think it's true if you're not prepared, if you don't plan ahead. You have to be quite on to it – strategic, in fact. I just think we're lucky with the baby that we got. She eats well, sleeps well. She’s not allergic to anything. She gets along with people. She's happy to play. She’s really smiley. It's probably bad advice, but make sure you get a baby like ours!
Title: Our thanks to the families and health workers who appeared in this video for the Ministry of Health.
From 6 to 12 months
"It's hard to think about our life before baby. We used to do a lot of stuff, but it pales in comparison to being a father. I think it's changed me for the better."
In the video, we hear from Erika, a Well Child Tamariki Ora nurse. She explains ...
"One of the main things that we talk about with whānau with regards to their baby at this stage is development. Getting down on the floor with them, playing with them, singing to them, reading – all those things are really important for developing speech, developing their movement, getting around."
"Some of the key things – quite major developmental milestones – happen from six months. Starting solids is a big thing. Adjusting to that and getting around everywhere on the floor – safety is another thing we must always keep in mind at this age."
Safe sleep
Tips when putting pēpi to sleep
- face up
- lay pēpi flat on their back
- face clear
- gentle handling of pēpi
See KidsHealth for more information about safe sleep for your baby.
Sleep needs
Pēpi need sleep to grow and develop. Sleep needs vary and change as they grow. Knowing what to expect at each stage helps you understand your baby's sleep needs as they grow.
See the KidsHealth page on normal sleep from 3 to 12 months of age.
Starting solids
Around 6 months, your baby starts to need the extra vitamins and minerals (especially iron and zinc) that are in solid foods. Pēpi have usually grown and developed enough to start eating solid food by around 6 months.
See the KidsHealth section on starting solids for more information.
Teeth
Your child will have most of their baby teeth by the age of 2. Healthy baby teeth usually mean healthy adult teeth too, so it's important you look after your child's first teeth.
See the KidsHealth page on caring for your child's teeth to learn more.
Development
Tamariki are natural learners and between birth and 5 years, tamariki grow and learn at the fastest rate of their lifetime. There are many ways of learning - tamariki learn by watching, by listening and especially by doing.
See the KidsHealth section on learning and development for more information.
Attachment
Attachment is the deep bond which develops between a child and their primary caregiver in the first few years of life. Secure attachments have positive outcomes for pēpi and tamariki (children) throughout their lives.
See the KidsHealth page to learn more about the importance of attachment in babies.
Smoke-free environment
Make sure your baby's environment is smoke-free. Cigarette smoke is very harmful for your baby.
If you want to give up smoking:
- call the free Quitline Me Mutu on 0800 778 778 or text 4006
- check out the website Quitline
- ask a health professional
When your baby cries
All pēpi (babies) cry. Responding to their crying will make baby feel secure and safe.
See KidsHealth for tips on what you can do when your baby cries.
Look after yourself
To look after your baby well, you need to look after yourself too – eat well, get enough sleep, be active and ask for help when you need it. You may feel down after having a baby – known as the ‘baby blues’. If the blues don’t go away, you may be developing postnatal depression. Ask for help.
See the Te Whatu Ora | Health New Zealand website for information about postnatal depression.
When to see a health professional
Pēpi and young tamariki (children) get sick often – it's a normal part of childhood. Get help quickly if your child shows any danger signs.
See KidsHealth for advice about when to seek help if your child is sick.
Call PlunketLine for parenting advice.
PlunketLine is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, on 0800 933 922 for advice and support for you, your baby and your whānau. Calls are free from cell phones. You do not need to be registered with Plunket to use this service.
