Talking and playing with your baby may help with her brain development, but are you overdoing it? DR RICHARD C. WOOLFSON points out the warning signs.
Age by stage 0-1 year
Talking and playing with your baby may help with her brain development, but are you overdoing it? DR RICHARD C. WOOLFSON points out the warning signs.
Your baby has an innate need for stimulation, right from the moment she is born. Everything fascinates her during this first year – whether it’s the rattle she grabs hold of, the blanket she grips firmly, or your smiling face that she sees. She uses the senses of vision, taste, touch, hearing and smell to learn new things about the exciting world around her.
Part of your role is to ensure that her need for learning is constantly satisfied. Yet, you have to be careful not to overdo it. Here are some warning signs that your little one may be over-stimulated: She’s irritable You might feel grumpy when you are surrounded by too much noise and bright lights; just as your young baby will. She doesn’t like to be bombarded with stimulation at every waking moment.
She’s tired You find that your little one doesn’t reach out for the latest toy you brought home for her. Instead, she just stares at it passively without excitement. That could be a sign she’s had more than enough stimulation for the time being.
She’s unsettled She is restless until you plan an activity for her. That’s because she gradually learns that you will do everything for her and she doesn’t have to think for herself.
She’s can’t sleep She needs to be relaxed and calm to fall asleep. Over-stimulation keeps her too active as bedtime approaches, and she has difficulty switching off.
She has mood swings One minute she giggles happily as you play with her, the next minute her laughter turns to tears – that happens because it’s too much for her. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that more is better.
The best way to know that you’ve achieved a healthy balance of stimulation is to observe your child. If she looks happy and reacts positively when you play with her, you can be sure you’ve got her stimulation just right. Here are some other suggestions: Don’t force yourself to play If you have had a long, hard day with your little one and feel too tired to play with her anymore, stop. Almost certainly, she is as tired as you are and would prefer a rest, too.
Allow time for free play Your baby should explore by herself, without your involvement or direction. Make sure she has free-play opportunities every day.
Observe the way she plays with toys If you notice that she tends to play with the same toy daily and that her play is repetitive and lacking adventure, it’s time to get more involved in order to extend her play skills.
Join in without dominating Remember that there is a difference between playing with your baby and taking over altogether. Offer new suggestions and activities, but let her take the lead. Keep it fun Both you and Baby should enjoy your involvement with each other.
Otherwise, consider the possibility that you are providing too much for her. Remove the source of stimulation once you realise that she has become overexcited – perhaps you played too vigorously with her or the music was too stimulating for her. That will calm her.
There is a difference between playing with your baby and taking over altogether. Offer new suggestions and activities, but let her take the lead.
