By: Todd Long
Submitted: 2010-08-26 15:52:36 | Word Count: 746
Every parent wants to raise a little Einstein. Although not all infants are geniuses, you can stimulate your baby’s intelligence. Help your baby to explore the world around them in order to facilitate further brain development. You can start working to make your baby smarter before they are even born. Mothers have recognized the benefits of reading to their baby and playing music near their belly before their new child even enters the world.
Expose your child to a variety of genres of music especially classical music. If your child listens to music from the time they are a baby, they are more likely to show an interest in music when they are old enough to begin playing an instrument. Allow your baby to enjoy music by playing soothing tunes for them to listen to while they relax.
A baby’s brain neurons grow and connect while they are still just an infant. This is a critical time period for parents to stimulate a baby through play. Parents need to make the time to play and interact with their growing baby as much as possible. Talk to your baby throughout the day. You will be aiding your baby in their future language development by maintaining frequent conversations. Even though your baby is not ready to hold a conversation with you, you will want to ask them questions and relate to them what you are doing. For instance, “Mommy will change you know.” “Daddy is getting your food ready.”
Your infant will love to try to mimic funny faces you make. At first, they will not be able to copy your faces but they will enjoy studying your funny expressions. Playing peek-a-boo with your infant will also be a fun learning game. Hold your baby in front of the mirror. Make funny faces in the mirror for your baby to see.
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When your baby is four months and older, there are a variety of games you can start to play. Roll a colorful ball back and forth to your baby. Purchase some rattles for your baby. Shake the rattles for your baby and give them the opportunity to shake the rattle. Buy blocks for your baby. Play games with them building toy structures with their blocks. Let your baby play with their blocks and show you their own creations.
When your baby reaches about six or seven months old, they will be ready for some new games to make them smarter. Babies will still enjoy playing with blocks. You can give them a little basket or box to drop their blocks in and then take them back out. This is the time when your baby will start to discover that items other than toys can make great play objects. They will enjoy banging and clanging on your pans. By six or seven months old, your infant will start to realize that bath time is a lot of fun. They can begin to play with their bath toys while you safely give them a bath.
As your child nears, 10 months of age or more, they will be ready for a simple game of hide-and-seek. As your baby masters crawling and starts to learn to walk, they will enjoy toys that they can push and pull behind them. Give your baby the space they need to learn to walk in their own time while playing games and providing toys that will facilitate this milestone.
Throughout your baby’s development, you will want to read to them . Children who are read to on a regular basis have an easier time learning to read. When your baby gets older, you can hold them in your lap and point out some of the words in the book as you read. Give your baby a chance to flip through the book and look at their favorite pictures.
You can help your baby to become smarter by always reading to them, talking and playing fun and creative games. Encourage your child to use their imagination while letting them make “toys” of safe items around the house. In order to help your child’s mind develop well, you will also want to always provide your baby the proper nutrition. In the beginning they will only need formula or breast milk, but as time passes you will add baby foods and eventually toddler friendly solid foods. Feed your entire family well balanced meals for total body health
