A Guide to Supporting Your Baby’s Development
The first year of your baby’s life is exciting, as all the firsts are ahead for your family, such as your child’s first crawl, sitting up, tooth, word, laugh, and step. With your help, your little one can improve their fine and gross motor skills in no time at all. Read this guide to supporting your baby’s development.
Talk to Your Little One
Parents can develop a baby’s language as soon as they enter the world. During the first six months of their life, you should hold your baby close as you talk to them, and they might try to talk back. Try imitating your little one’s sounds, as it will help them learn the importance of listening and communication.
Always chat to your little one in a positive, upbeat tone and use exaggerated expressions to encourage them to watch and listen. Also, sing to your little one to teach them new words and familiarize them with language’s rhythm, and talk to your child during feeding, bath time, changing, and play.
Between six and twelve months, start pointing and naming objects, such as “Look at the red car” or “Hold the balloon.” It will introduce your fast-growing baby to many new words. If possible, try to phase out the dummy, or restrict it to bedtime if it’s necessary, as it will provide your little one with more freedom to talk.
Plenty of Supervised Tummy Time
Be sure to provide your baby with plenty of supervised tummy time. This is an effective way to strengthen your little one’s neck, arm muscles, and shoulders, which will support sitting up, crawling, and independent walking. It’s the first step in supporting your baby’s gross motor skills, as they’ll learn to move and control their body.
Never leave your baby alone face down; they need to be supervised at all times. Tummy time should be done on the floor under a parent’s or another adult’s watchful eye. Soft Play Mats will help to make tummy time comfortable, meaning that your little one is more likely to spend time in this position playing with toys, looking at books, or staring at their reflection in a baby-friendly mirror.
Read to Your Baby
Reading to your baby supports their emotional, social, and language development. A colorful picture and rhythmic language will grab your baby’s attention and encourage them to point, touch, and talk. It’s a powerful way to help your child talk, as they’ll learn new words, copy sounds, and connect language to the pictures.
During your child’s first year, read baby books that have clear pictures of familiar objects and use simple, repetitive language. Of course, you must continue to talk and sing to your child to promote their development.
Provide Various Toys
Infant toys can support your baby’s development in many ways, as they’ll trigger their senses, encourage interaction, and stimulate concentration and memory. During play, your little one will learn about new textures, sounds, shapes, and colors, which will help them to understand more about the world.
Once your child reaches six months, they’ll develop the motor skills to grasp, grab, and play with various toys. Encourage learning and interaction by providing toys that make sounds, play music, pop up, or light up, as they’ll improve your baby’s attention span and cognitive development. Also, introduce toys that move or roll to encourage your little one to crawl or walk after them.
Stimulate Your Little One’s Senses
Help your baby hit developmental milestones at a quicker rate by stimulating their senses. For example, expose your baby to new sights, sounds, and smells, which can trigger their curiosity, increase their attention span, and develop their nervous system.
Grab your son or daughter’s hand and rub it over smooth, rough, soft, warm, or cold surfaces to expose them to new textures. Be sure to label the environment to support their language development.
Play Games Involving Your Hands
Try to play many games involving your hands, as they’ll capture and hold your baby’s attention.
Great hands-based activities include:
- Peekaboo
- Pat-a-Cake
- This little piggy
- Finger puppets
The above options are fun, active, and educational, as they’ll improve your child’s cognitive development, language skills, and interactions.
Encourage Your Baby to Move
As a new parent, you’re likely eager to help your baby hit various milestones. While it’s important to remember that every child is different, there are things you can do to help your baby move.
For example, you could take your baby swimming to help them move their body, improve their balance, and control their muscles. Also, encourage your little one to crawl or walk by routinely taking them outdoors, as the stimulating environment might make your son or daughter eager to explore their surroundings.
Avoid Jumpers and Baby Walkers
Baby walkers and jumpers might sound ideal for supporting your child’s motor skills, but they could delay walking and prevent them from exploring their surroundings from an early age.
As cute as it might be to watch your child bounce up and down or move with a walker, it’s better to encourage them to move their bodies in other ways, such as crawling after balls or shuffling around a sofa.
Get Messy
As your baby grows, don’t be afraid to get a little messy. Embark on supervised play with various liquids and solids to provide more sensory experiences that engage their brain. For example, your child will love to play with sand, water, and slime, though you must make sure that they do so under your watchful eye. Be sure to label messy materials and describe how they feel, too.
The first year of your child’s life will go fast, and you can make every second count to help them chat, walk, and play. Keep the above actions in mind to support your baby’s cognitive development and fine and gross motor skills. However, if your child isn’t meeting the recommended milestones for their age, or you’re worried about their development, don’t hesitate to talk to your baby’s doctor to discuss your concerns.
