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Parents want to give their babies the best chance in life. They want to nurture their babies' developing mind. They either buy or are given DVDs, CDs, or toys that are meant to make their babies smarter, to "stimulate" them. But what really matters?
At It's You And Me Baby we found that there is a great book based on infant brain research that can help you figure out the question "But what really matters?". We think it will suprise you. We have outlined a few of the key points in Jill Stamm"s book Bright from the Start. However, we found it to be so useful that we recommend you get a copy of it. You can find it on Amazon.
Here are some of the key points. What babies need is as easy as A, B, C.
| Attention. Not just giving your baby attention but increasing a child's attention span. Babies are often very alert, a quality they are born with, but being able to focus their attention is a behavior that develops over time. Ways you can help your child develop the ability to pay attention are as follows: 1. Spend face-to-face time together. Studies show that babies prefer to look at faces. Babies' interest in faces may be the foundation of later development of social skills. Sing, talk, play peek-a-boo. Encourage your baby's natural interest in mirroring you. Even newborns can imitate facial expressions. Try it by opening your mouth or sticking out your tongue while you are face-to-face with your infant. If you hold that expression your baby will most likely do it back to you. 2. Label objects. Point to and label objects as you go through your day. 3. Read. It's never to early to start reading. Choose books with graphics that have sharp contrasts. For example, young infants like books with faces. Older infants may prefer books with bold, simple, clear text and images (like Maisy) as opposed to complex drawings (like Beatrix Potter's Peter Rabbit). Point as you read. Point to and label pictures. If the child just wants to turn the pages or put the book in his or her mouth--let him. Let it be fun. Don't worry if your child doesn't let you read every word. That day will come as long as you've made looking at books fun. 4. Point out sounds you hear. For example, you can say "do you hear that sound? What do you think it is? Is it an airplane?" 5. Limit screen (computer and TV) exposure. Despite all the videos and DVDs out there promoting brain development, there is no study that has found that watching TV is actually good for your baby. Sometimes you need to entertain your child for afew minutes while you take a quick shower. Letting him or her watch a child-friendly program hasn't been found to be harmful but it hasn't been proven to be beneficial either--like some of those videos or DVDs may lead you to think. Everything in moderation. 6. Include down time in your day. Let there be time when you don't do anything. Watch for signs that your baby needs a break--looks away, starts to fuss or rubs his or her eyes. |
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Bonding. Babies are born to connect. Scientists are now starting to understand why warm, reponsive early care helps infants thrive. It turns out that bonding or attachment is one of the most important factors in development. If a child feels secure that his physical and emotional needs will be met then he can use his energy to work on other areas of brain development. In BrightFrom the Start, Jill Stamm writes "What sounds simply warm and fuzzy creates demonstrable changes in the brain and nervous system. Emotion affects attention...and attention, in turn, affects learning. How secure a baby feels therefore influences all the development that follows." Bonding is not one event. It is the ongoing experience of attachment that forms between parent and child. You don't need to do anything extraordinary in order to have healthy attachment. In general, the things that foster bonding and attachment come naturally to parents such as smiling, talking to your baby, holding, soothing, and responding to his or her needs. Babywearing is a nice way to have baby close. You can't spoil a baby by holding him too much, especially newborns. Other things you can do to develop a bond with your baby are as follows: 1. Infant massage. There are a number of studies that have documented the benefits of infant massage. It's easy to learn and there are plenty of videos/DVDs on the market to teach you. 2. Respond quickly and predictably to infant's cries. 3. Establish consistent routines for such activites as feeding, sleeping and bathing. 4. Slow activity down periodically (less rushing, calm atmosphere). 5. Try to find child care that provides low child:caregiver ratio. Ask about caregiver turnover.
Communication. In a short period of time, the first months and years of a child's life, he masters the sounds, words, and meanings of his native language, including using proper grammar and syntax. The process that takes place is called neuronal commitment. The brain picks up on the patterns in the language and tunes in to them. Language development actually begins before a baby is born as he hears the cadences, tones and pitches of his mother's voice. Cooing and conversing with your baby is imperative. Talk to your baby as you go through your day. Describe the things you are doing. Studies have shown that the more words spoken in a household the higher the children's IQs. Talk. Talk. Talk. Sing simple songs. Read or sing rhyming songs Deliberately point out and label objects. Label simple attributes of objects. Read. Read. Read enthusiastically! |
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