Every parent has gone through the phase of wondering and exalting at the little milestones crossed by their children. It seems a wonder how that little one learnt to smile, grab for his/her bottle or favorite toy, learnt to turn on his or her side, crawl and do so many things that he/she had never done before. Children do curious things to attract the attention of their parents and it’s always a pleasure and more often a surprise that how they come up with all new ways of making you look their way and be amazed. Child development experts emphasize that these new activities are not so sudden as they seem and a child works toward them, slowly and steadily. Here are some of the solutions to most common baby brainteasers and baby mysteries:

* All babies develop unique style of crawling. It’s a wonder to see how different their crawls can be from each other. Some children crawl on their tummies, others crawl on their backs. Some babies use their hands and knees but drag their legs on the floor while still others may never crawl and start walking directly. Actually, there is no one right way of crawling. All babies use the method that they find more convenient according to their weight and height. Children with long legs may drag their legs while heavier babies may take it longer to learn crawling than their leaner friends. Body shape of a baby determines and influences his or her crawling style the most.
* Babies tend to resist sleep to the point that they cry and wail and kick a lot. They try to fight it out and stay awake though they are feeling very tired and exhausted. Younger babies are afraid to move from one state of consciousness to other because they still do not understand to be a safe and normal process of life. Infants tend to feel overtired in a blink unlike adults who gradually feel more and more tired and drowsy and this sudden change in their body, the body ache that comes with this tiredness and losing consciousness seems to make them as afraid of sleep just like we, adults, are afraid of being unconscious or die. Thus, they need soothing from adults to make them feel safe and sound.
* Just when you think that babies would love to play with someone their age or smaller than them and admire a sleeping baby, they may just try to mingle with older children, who would like to run about or may not be old enough to handle the baby yet. Actually, kids love to play with children of all ages but they are naturally drawn towards more cheerful and playful ones. A sleeping baby who does not answer to their gurgles or chuckles or babies who are sleepy, very quiet or crying may not feel like a good friend to your baby as opposed to older children or more active children who are talking and running around and seem to be having fun.
* Parents often wonder why do their babies have to tire themselves so much that they get cranky while sleeping. Why they can’t just stop playing and sleep before tiring? The reason is that babies still do not have the sense to understand their limits. They also need a lot of practice to do everything. Repeatedly trying to stand or crawl not only strengthens their muscles but also help them to test their limits and build new pathways in their brain. Persistently trying to do one thing or the other helps them to build up good motor skills, understand how to use their body to make exact movements that they want and also know how much more they can bear.
* Sudden contrasts may confuse a baby. Contrasts in flooring such as from carpet to wooden, sudden change of colors in bed sheets, sudden change in texture may put the baby on his defense. He may be careful in crossing the border or line between the contrasts and may explore the change by being very cautious in trusting his little body to the ‘other’ area. He may put one hand first, then the other and so on, until he is assured of safety on the other side of the fence. They may also need prodding from their parents to move ahead and play. It is a sign that babies are maturing and are able to discriminate the differences, especially those that are closer to their eyes. It also tells about their basic instincts that warn them to be cautious at sudden differences in scenario and be on their alert. They explore slowly and move ahead only when they are sure that they will be safe and that’s a good thing to learn.