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Forget the
“Super-Baby”
Syndrome:
You
Entertain
Baby Best
Six simple ways to support your
baby’s healthy development
As new parents, you want the best
for your baby, and you’re willing to
do whatever it takes to ensure his
well-being. Therefore, you’ll buy
all sorts of fancy gizmos, and pour
through mountains of information
about all of the products and
resources that claim they can turn
your infant into a “super-baby” who
will be intellectually advanced,
happier, or “improved” in some
miraculous way. However, all of the
gadgets and gizmos in the world
can’t give your baby what he or she
needs most – which is YOU!
In actuality, infant development
experts have discovered that your
behavior – how you interact and
respond to your baby – is the key to
stimulating your infant’s emotional
and intellectual growth. During his
first years, your baby’s brain will
develop billions of pathways.
Everything that your infant sees,
hears, or touches during his
earliest years of life will
strengthen these pathways. As the
pathways mature in your baby’s
brain, they will enable your baby to
think, learn and eventually talk.
To stimulate growth, infants don’t
require expensive toys; they learn
by doing. In addition to loving,
nurturing care, what they most need
are new things to try. Therefore, if
you want to provide nourishment for
your infant’s mind, offer
experiences that stimulate your
baby’s senses, as well as encourage
his interaction with his
surroundings. For example, holding,
cuddling, playing, talking and other
similar kinds of nurturing
activities all stimulate brain
development. And they are all free!
Here are six simple ways you can
support your baby’s healthy
development:
Language
Talk to your baby to help him
develop language skills. Long before
babies begin to form words, they are
learning language and creating
“conversations.” Encourage your
baby’s vocabulary to grow by
repeating the sounds he makes back
to him. Play a face-to-face game as
you interact. Enunciate each word
clearly so he can see how your mouth
moves. Imitate your baby’s sounds
and gestures, and add to them. When
he makes a certain sound, tell him
actual words that start with that
sound. Then, pause for a moment and
give him a chance to respond.
Touch
Touch is one of your baby’s most
effective methods for exploring and
learning about the world around her.
Your baby’s hands are her first
tools, and she will be fascinated by
what they can do. Not only will she
use her hands to explore new and
interesting objects, she will use
them to become aware of the
boundaries of her own body. Let your
baby touch and handle a variety of
textured and smooth objects, as long
as they are nontoxic and safe. Try
materials that are gentle to the
touch, such as velvet, fur, silk, or
terry cloth. Wooden building blocks,
plastic balls, rubber squeak toys,
cloth books, or crumpled paper can
also provide another set of
interesting textures.
Scents
Introduce scents to your baby since
pleasant aromas will enhance his
sensory awareness. Try lotions,
perfumes or after shave—any mild
pleasing scents. Use everyday
activities to explore the discovery
of scents. For example, while you
are cooking, let him smell the
cinnamon, then the vanilla, or cut
up pieces of fragrant fruit or fresh
herbs and hold them under his nose.
When you are outdoors, introduce him
to the scents of nature. Let him
feel the soft petals and smell the
fragrance of fresh blossoms or cut
grass.
Play!
Floor games offer a wide variety of
play options, as well as the
opportunity for your baby to perfect
her new motor skills. Since babies
are fascinated by objects that move,
use brightly colored balls for
bouncing and rolling fun. As your
baby gains better physical control,
try placing one or two colorful toys
just out of her reach. Give her a
few minutes, and see if she wiggles
or scoots forward while trying to
reach the toys.
Rhyme Time!
Recite nursery rhymes. Rhymes and
poems that demonstrate an
up-and-down rhythm and tone
emphasize the musical
characteristics of language. Rhymes
will help your infant link certain
words with certain actions. In
combination with gestures, rhymes
will also aid in improving your
child's memory and anticipation
skills. As your child grows older,
these familiar nursery rhymes will
also help in the beginning phases of
reading. So, build a repertoire of
songs and rhymes, and sing, say, or
play them frequently.
Get Silly!
Silly face games are great fun for
you and your baby. Different facial
expressions and sounds help develop
your baby’s vision and hearing. Sing
a song and use exaggerated facial
movements and gestures. Smile wide,
act surprised, blink your eyes, or
wiggle your nose. Make different
sounds—pop air through your cheeks,
yawn, or sneeze. You can even make
peek-a-boo toys out of cardboard
toilet paper tubes and paper towel
cylinders. The more animated you act
the more delighted your baby will
be.
Always celebrate and praise each
little step your baby achieves as he
develops. By recognizing his
behavior, he will learn that his
actions matter. Acknowledge his
attempts as well as his
accomplishments, since both are
equally important. As you
consistently validate his
achievements, you will also help him
to establish a positive self-image,
which is critical to the development
of his personality. If you give your
baby the opportunity to develop this
positive awareness of himself right
from the earliest stages of his
life, his feelings of success will
further his incentive to achieve.
©2003 Susan Ann Stelfox
Susan Stelfox, mother of one, is the
author of Baby Be Loved: Growing and
Learning Together During the First
24 Weeks. To learn more about infant
bonding and play visit http://www.BabyBeLoved.com.
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