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You have waited for this moment for the longest time, and finally, you have your bundle of joy in your arms. As a parent of a newborn, your baby does pretty much everything you want to do now; that is, eat, sleep, and repeat. This is when your child feels as fragile as a flower, and you must protect them from nearly everything. While your child mostly gazes at objects when awake, interacting with them might feel weird, mainly because you don’t know if they will like it or not. But guess what, they love it. Interacting with a newborn is not the same as being with a toddler; it needs a more subtle approach. Even though your child needs your touch, make sure you don’t try games you would play with a toddler. Here are some ways to play and interact with your infant that will help them in their overall development. Read on to know them all.
1. Hand Your Infant Toys
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Once your baby learns to grab things, you can hand them toys appropriate for their age. Something that rattles, is lightweight and safe for the baby. This is also a stage when your baby will put everything in their mouth, so you have to make sure each thing you hand over to your baby is absolutely clean.
2. Play Tummy Time
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Tummy time is crucial for your baby to practice holding up their head and help them see things from different viewpoints. This also develops their shoulder strength and allows them to learn to roll. In addition, practicing it daily will ensure your child does not suffer from gastric problems and stomach aches. Make sure you support their head with the help of a soft pillow and always be present while they are on their tummy. Once they are comfortable in this position, help them view different directions by moving their favorite toy from one end to another and see if they follow it with their gaze.
3.Talk To Your Toddler
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Yes, it will be a one-way conversation, but that doesn’t mean you should stop doing it. As it turns out, infants are great listeners. You can engage them in conversations about how you prepared the nursery, how excited you were about having them, or how they will play together when the little one is old enough to play with their siblings.
4. Play Peek-A-Boo
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Don’t underestimate the peek-a-boo game when you have a little one. This is one of the first games you can play with your baby, and at the age of 3-4 months, they start returning to your action with giggles and smiles. Even when you cover your face in front of your baby, once you open your palms, your baby will look surprised. This enhances their object permanence skill.
5. Read Books And Recite Rhymes To Them
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Even when your baby babbles, they hear and understand you. They are better at perceiving body language, but the more you speak to them, the more they are silently on a mission to learn the words. But we know the struggle when it comes to baby talk. You will run out of words in the one-way conversation where your baby acknowledges your presence by spitting bubbles out of their mouth! So the solution is to get some age-appropriate story books and rhymes. When they are too small to lift their head, you can sing the rhymes to them and perform them with actions. Then, as they learn to sit, you can hand them an age-appropriate colorful book and read out the story by pointing to the characters in the book.
6. Indulge In Their Play
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Newborns might feel like a doll who sleeps, eats, and repeats, but they are learning even when staring blankly at your face. So don’t think talking to your baby or playing with them at this age is a waste of time. Instead, make sure you do various facial features, make funny faces, and gently exercise their arms and legs in plays. The more you spend time playing with them, the faster the learning begins.
From the time you bring your baby home till they are old enough to crawl is the most precious time you will have with your baby. This is when you are craving to cuddle your little one when they are right in your arms. However, some parents mistake their lack of reaction as unresponsive and stop interacting with them. Even though the kids are small and sometimes seem to ignore you, the brain cells are developing at a tremendous rate, and something they catch up on then will reflect years later. Therefore, it is essential how you play with your baby, talk to your baby and let them feel comfortable around you. So, what activity did you like most with your little one? Let us know in the comments section!
