When you look at a child, you are looking at a helpless human being who depends on you. At this point, he might seem only interested in sleeping, pooping, and eating. But spending time staring into your parents’ faces is considered a first toy. Playing with a newborn is important for stimulating their senses.
After being at home with your little one in your arms, there comes a time when you wonder: And now what do I do with my baby? His body feels so delicate that any toy, movement or game you know can feel crude. However, there are ways you can keep your child entertained: by teaching them about the world around them.
Why is it important to play with a newborn?
Elizabeth Alzate Grisales, in her book “Adequate Stimulation Manual”, says that in the first month, babies approach everything as a novelty; They are very dependent on their parents and their movements are reflex acts. Playing with them, as well as being a way to show them the world, You need to build trust and confidence.
The games help them study facial behavior to imitate it later and learn what sounds are alert or calming. Also, physical contact with his mother and father will make him feel safe.
Blanquez María and his collaborators explain in the book “Take Care of Me: A Guide for Moms and Dads” that the socio-emotional part is the most important in this phase. The child establishes bonds with those who take care of him, though he prefers the mother to be comforted or fed and the father to play. Games, therefore, favor contact and affective evolution.
Ideas for playing with a newborn
The games that can be played with a child depend on his development in different areas, such as sensory motor, cognitive, linguistic and socio-affective. For the first month, the movements of the legs, arms and hands are reflexed. He is able to lift his head slightly, turn it to the side and keep it in line with his back.
Cognitively, he has vague and indirect gazes and expressions, remembers objects, cries for help, waits for food, and stops crying when picked up or seeing familiar faces.
As far as linguistic development is concerned, he is capable of vocalizing as a reflex and involuntary act, cries to express hunger, drowsiness, discomfort or pain and is frightened by a sudden and loud noise.
As far as socio-affective development is concerned, their reactions respond to internal stimuli. Difference the human voice (especially that of the mother) and calms down when someone speaks to him in a soft, rhythmic voice. Able to calm down when lifted and turn head to seek sound source.
move the baby’s limbs
You have to move your arms and legs up and down. Open and close them, fold them carefully and stretch them 5-6 times.
Another exercise recommended during the bath is to move your feet and hands back, carefully rotating. Hold it with one hand, and with the other make movements in the joints, except on the knees. Take an order: Shoulder, Elbow, Wrists, Fingers, Hip, Ankles and so on from top to bottom.
Help your concentration
Stand facing the child so that he is looking at you. Move his head slightly from side to side, sing or do something fun to help him focus.
You can also put it in a dark place and put it back into the light after a few seconds. So you show that there is day and night, light and darkness.
ways to communicate
Face the child and make gestures with the mouth, eyes, nose or eyebrows. This way you will be able to know facial expressions, such as joy, sadness, anger, contempt or hunger. You can do this while singing. When he starts stuttering, respond so he knows it’s a way of communicating orally.
give affection
Take the baby to your chest, hug him, put him next to youdance with him or her so that he feels physical contact and senses affection through body language.
More ways to play with a newborn
There are other ways to play with a newborn that are suitable for promoting its development. Here are some ideas:
- Sing: choose any song and sing it often to your baby. Repetitive familiar sounds will have the ability to make you feel calm in moments of restlessness.
- Toys: Although still very small, your newborn may have toys that attract his attention or that he can follow with his eyes. For this reason cell phones and rattles They are very important in the first stage of his life.
- Read the stories: In addition to singing to him, reading him stories every night using different tones of voice will make the sound sound calm.
Playing with a newborn is showing him the world
What you can do to play with a newborn is the basics. Activities are needed to show you the world and how it works. Spend time with your child showing them around the house and the planet around them while having some fun.
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