When changing your baby’s diaper, use the time to teach body parts and articles of clothing. Or simply stroke your baby’s skin and hair; studies show that babies who aren’t touched enough have smaller brains than babies whose caregivers are physically affectionate.
Massage your baby.
It’s remarkable what the power of touch can do; it can actually help your baby grow. For example, premature babies who are massaged three times a day are ready to leave the hospital days earlier than babies who don’t get massages.
Use black, white, and red.
Very young babies – until they are about four months old – see black, white, and red better than any other colors, especially when they’re a part of bold, geometric patterns. These patterns are easy for Baby to focus on, and are said to be mentally stimulating. There are many products available on the market today that incorporate such colors and patterns, ranging from mobiles to blankets.
Sing a song.
Singing enhances Baby’s learning of rhymes, rhythms and speech patterns. It’s also good for bonding. Don’t worry; your baby won’t care if you don’t sound like Celine Dion!
Dance the day away.
Like singing, dancing helps your baby to learn rhythm. Plus it’s good for physical development, a good parent-child bonding experience, and just plain fun!
Build Baby’s trust.
Be attentive to your baby’s needs. Babies who are strongly emotionally attached to their parents get more out of exploration and learning. Your responsive soothing and cuddling also helps Baby build emotional intelligence by stimulating the limbic area of the brain, which relates to feelings. Babies who feel neglected are under stress, and stress impacts brain development.
Make Baby laugh.
Laughter is the best way to instill a sense of humor in your child. Tickling and playing games like “peek-a-boo” will also help Baby learn to anticipate events. And there are few things more satisfying than watching your baby laugh.