You need not be an expert in childcare to give your baby a great start in life. Research has shown that love and affection, quality attention, and good basic care are all babies really need and want. To help your baby reach her full potential, consider these simple steps.
Express your love
Every child needs love, and as they grow, emotional support and care. This will provide a secure foundation from which to explore the world. Science has demonstrated that love, affection, and attention in the first years of a child’s life have a measurable impact on her mental, emotional, and physical growth. So, enjoy expressing your love as much as you can. Give hugs, talk, touch, smile, encourage, play with and listen to your little child whenever you can.
Talk to your child
Children that are extensively spoken to as babies develop more advanced language skills than children without much verbal stimulation. You can begin doing so during your pregnancy – it’s a great way to start the bonding process. Once your baby is born, talk to her as you carry, bathe, diaper, and feed her. A child responds better if she knows you are speaking directly to her, so try to look at her while you talk. Do not worry about being profound, just describe what you’re doing.
Read aloud to your child
Reading aloud is one important thing you can do to assist your child in building her vocabulary, improve her language skills, and stimulate her imagination. It also gives you an opportunity to cuddle and bond with her. Make an effort to read to your child from day one – it is never too soon to start.
Stimulate all her senses
Give your child adequate exposure to learning about people, places, and things. New interaction is a good platform. Children who grow up in an interactive environment, have larger and more active brains than those who grow up with average sensory stimulation. Provide toys and other objects for your child; choose things with different shapes, colors, sounds, and weights. Expose her to music and sing the lyrics to your favorite lullabies. Give your child room in a safe environment to roam; to crawl, cruise, fall and eventually walk. This will help her to develop strong muscles, good balance, and coordination,
Encourage new challenges
Try not to frustrate your child with toys and activities that are way beyond her abilities, but allow for a little struggling: it helps in learning new skills. When your baby has a task that she has to figure out, watch and assist her with it. If she’s attempting to open a small box, for example, resist the urge to help her. Allow her try first. Give her time and if she continues to struggle, show her how to open it, but give her a closed box so she can try it again on her own.
Take care of yourself
Make time to take care of yourself; happy parents make for happy babies. Get some exercise, eat healthy foods, and squeeze in quick naps to be sure you have enough rest. If you’re feeling drained, share responsibilities with your partner and seek support. Find people who can offer you help and support and never forget to treat yourself well once in a while.
Find good childcare
For any busy parent considering a quality childcare provider can be a great help and add an extra dimension to your child’s life. Look for someone who can do the things you would do in the way that you would do them and with love and care for your baby when you need to be elsewhere. The person should be experienced, with a genuine love for children and the energy to help your child thrive.
There are so many things in today’s world that we can do for our children but aside from caring for their basic needs it really is the communication of love and quality time with your child that will provide them with the security and self-confidence to thrive in life.
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