playtime

We learn so much while we are pregnant and reading all those baby care books about the basics and about what not to do.  There are endless chapters on feeding, changing, bathing, sleep habits, baby proofing, etc, etc, etc. What we end up not learning about is having fun with our babies and doing things from the beginning that make them (and us) happy.  Perhaps these chapters are left out because the experts think it will come as second nature to us (and part of it does), or perhaps we are just meant to figure it out as we go.  Many parents face those first days and weeks with their babies wonder “Ok, what next?”, you’ve fed, changed and burped the baby but it isn’t sleep time, so what do we do now.

Happy babies come from parents who spend time with them, engage them, foster warm, loving, fun environments for them to explore.  The things you do when you aren’t feeding, changing, bathing, burping or trying to get the baby to sleep are the things that will make you both smile, laugh and love.

Here are a few tips on things you can do with your baby once you’ve settled in at home:

  • Get to know each other.  Watch as your baby, play with your baby, talk to you baby.  Let your baby listen in as you and your partner talk.  Keep the baby around as you go about your chores.  All of these things can help you get acquainted with one another.
  • Talk, sing, be silly, laugh and dance.  Your baby loves the sound of your voice.  Talking to her helps with language development and lets her know you are there with her.  Babies love singing, dancing and silliness it is very entertaining to them.  If you want to hear that first giggle dance around and making silly faces, it is bound to work.
  • Read to your baby.  As I mentioned above, babies love the sound of your voice, and reading to them is a great way to help them learn new things through the words you say and the pictures they see on the page.  Use books with bright colors and different textures and let your child feel the book as you read it.  Make reading part of your routine.
  • Give her room to explore.  It can be tempting to just hold your baby all the time or keep them in a bouncy seat or a swing because you feel like they are safer that way.  Babies love to explore their environment and learn so much from this exploration.  So, set up a space where he can get down on the floor and roll around, crawl, and play with toys.  Get down there with your baby and watch has she gets acquainted with her world and enjoys some free play.
  • Get out and about.  Being home with a newborn can feel a bit isolating.  Don’t be afraid to get out of the house with your baby.  Go for a walk, have lunch with friends, do a little shopping.  Your baby will love watching all the new things going on around him and you’ll feel refreshed after a trip out of the house.
  • Spend time with bigger kids if you can.  Maybe a playgroup with kids of all different ages or if you have friends with older kids invite them over for some play time.  Babies love watching bigger kids play.  They get such a kick out of it and will be learning so much through their observations.

Having a new baby around is so much fun.  Remember to spend time getting to know each other and exploring the world together.  Just as you are your baby’s biggest fan, they are your biggest fan.  They will love spending time with you reading, singing, playing, laughing, so have fun.

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