Hello everyone.
I just had a baby two months ago. He is my first child nad I want to do everything I possibly can to make sure he is developing properly. I would appreciate any advice that you can give me.
So far we have been foing the Infant Stimulation Flashcards and he loves them. every time I show them to him his eyes get really big and he starts to smile. I also read to him and play classical music.
What else should I be doing?
Thak you all in advance.
Hi new_mommy,
Welcome! Not only a new mom learns; me a mom of a 3 yo still learning here. Will share with you some of the things I knew.
Actually besides of classical music you can always play other types of music for your child, maybe a child lullaby or nursery rhymes and do exposed your child to different types of languages through music.
Besides would like to share the SM here, you can always get a softplush toy and move it in different direction, this is to train your bb’s eye.
Pls do lots of talking with your bb and pls dont use bb language…we assume bb understands us. You can also start on bb signing…like ASL teaching ABC
You caneven do some body or hand massage for your bb to relax and calm. Hug your bb and tell her/he how much your love her/him and tell “you can do it”, “you are special”, you are loved" and “mommy is always here for you” These positive affirmations helps.
Welcome!
Make sure you check out the Survival Kit:
http://www.brillbaby.com/teach-baby/survival-kit.php
Also download the free ebooks on teaching reading and math at www.brillkids.com .
New Mommy,
Like MMom, I think sign language is a good idea. I’ve noticed that the youngest reading babies use sign language. I didn’t do it with my children because I didn’t know anything about very early education until 7 months ago when my youngest was 23 months old. Also if I could go back and do it over again, I would have gotten swim lessons for my kids as early as possible (before 6 months old). Also I wish I had started talking to my baby and explaining the world earlier. I wish I wasn’t so linear in teaching my elder child. With my son, first I taught him to talk, then to identify color and shapes, then numbers, then alphabet, then alphabet sounds, and finally reading and math. Now I realize that children can learn new material simultaneously or even out of order. For example, you can teach a baby to read the word pink and to identify it’s color simultaneously even before the baby can talk. Always challenge any urge to teach in the traditional linear order, because babies don’t know any better. They will learn multiple steps at the same time. My daughter could read the word “pig” before she was able to identify a pig picture. She had pig and cow confused, but always read the word “pig” correctly. More significantly, my daughter is learning to read although she doesn’t know all of her letters nor letter sounds. Occassionally I meet another advanced 2.5 yr old who knows their letters; and I get worried. Then I take a deep breath. My daughter is working on skills that some children learn in kindergarten - reading simple sentences. If she hasn’t figured out her letters by herself by age 3 then she can learn it in preschool. For now I would rather work on smooth reading from left to right and the first 100 words of The Fry List. Anyway, so don’t get hung up on following the traditional teaching order, think more expansive.
Good Luck, Lori
this is my favorite paper on natural parenting
http://www.epjournal.net/filestore/ep05102183.pdf
with best wishes