Just like their eyes, your baby’s brain is constantly darting about, picking up new things as it goes. Their thirst for basic knowledge once out of the womb is extreme. Their brains first develop before they’re born, but that development shouldn’t ever stop. The trick is to keep their little minds active and busy in between nap time.
Here are a few things to think about relating to mental stimulation for babies.
Getting the Right Foundation
Our brains deal with problem-solving, vision and hearing in different ways. The millions of neurons in the brain move messages around using chemicals. When patterns are repeated, this creates neural pathways that don’t go ever go away. This is one reason why repeated behavior once given up comes roaring back when repeating the action, just once, many years later. For babies, positive associations from a newborn to a toddler and older help to create an understanding of how the world works and ways to deal with it.
Nurturing Experiences
Babies need positive experiences to build a solid foundation. Every cuddle, kiss or warmth given to the baby helps them feel safer. Similarly, when playing fun little games, they learn how to enjoy themselves. They also begin to understand when they’ve had enough, they’re getting tired or want to stop. Both parents and baby must learn the signs of tiredness and stop the fun activity before it becomes no fun at all.
The ongoing nurturing through comforting when they cry or feel sick helps them to feel safer. When they’re safe, they are open to learning and growing. Introducing new activities to help them identify different things and continue their learning experiences helps them to make new brain connections in their synapses. Once this happens, they’re better able to make related connections from what they see and hear. It’s all a loving, learning experience for them. This is why their eyes dart left and right, and up and down so frequently. They’re thirsty for knowledge.
Vary the Activities
Mixing up their activities helps to encourage their development. You do not want to fall into the rut of doing the same things with them every day. This must be done carefully because there is real value in creating useful routines for them to identify and trust, such as a sleep routine. However, for their active learning, try different games and not always the same ones. Play peek-a-boo with a baby who is a few months old earlier, but a different game later in the day. Mix up their experiences as much as possible to keep their brain learning different things by making new connections.
Also, make sure that what they’re wearing is comfortable for them. You don’t want something distracting them from learning about life. Check out Momcrib.com to find information about the best pacifiers, clothing and other useful baby items to keep them happy and comfortable. When they’re not wriggling around uncomfortably and crying because their comforter doesn’t suit them, or their clothing feels scratchy, they’re better able to learn new things and get smarter, faster.
Brought to you by our friend, Carol.