What you need to know about Baby Stimulation

George Halvorson, former head of US health care company, Kaiser Permanente, recently wrote “The biggest single public health deficit and failure…today is the fact that almost no parents of newborn children have been told or taught that they can improve their child’s learning abilities significantly by exercising their baby’s brain in the first three years of life.”

Sound intimidating? Not sure where to start? Well don’t be. Understanding what, when and how to stimulate your baby is simple. We’ve answered your questions here.

So, what is baby stimulation?

When children play and explore, they are creating important pathways in the brain that set the foundation for all future learning. It’s like creating new roads for thoughts to travel on. Every time your baby experiences something new, a new road is created. Every time they repeat that experience, the road is reinforced.

Play is absolutely vital to your baby’s development and it is a life-long process that enhances development for children of all ages. Any activity that arouses or encourages your baby’s senses (sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell) is stimulation.

By playing with your child in a purposeful way, you are helping to create those pathways in the brain and jumpstarting your baby’s intellectual and physical learning.

Why should I stimulate my baby?

Babies are born wired to develop skills but they must be nurtured to do it properly. Play is one of the most important ways that your baby learns about his world. It is the way your baby learns new skills and it starts the day he is born.

When should I start stimulating my baby?

Right now!

Research shows that the first 1000 days of your baby’s life (the first 3 years) are the most important time to influence all areas of your baby’s development. It is now widely known that early experiences, particularly during the first 3 years, set the stage for ongoing development.

Even when your baby is playing silently in her cot or on your lap, she is learning important information that she will carry with her and use later. And as she grows and develops, she begins to learn more and more complex ideas through play.

How do I stimulate by baby?

This is the best part!

Stimulating your baby is so easy and fun to do! Playing together, chatting, reading, singing and pointing out new and exciting tastes, smells, textures and sounds are all stimulating.

Your baby’s brain is like a sponge and he is keen to learn about the world around him and is soaking up all the information and experiences he gets.

Through various types of play, your child will learn to discover, create, and problem solve in a safe, caring environment. As children grow and mature, their play skills also change, allowing for the development of new skills that are more varied and complex.

At any stage of development however, parents play a vital role in helping to facilitate the growth of skills that are important for later learning experiences.

Try to provide your little one with opportunities to engage in focused activities in all the various skill areas. These include:

• gross motor
• fine motor
• speech & language
• social & emotional
• thinking & reasoning
• sensory

You don’t need to, but following a program like Nubabi, will help to ensure that you are able to introduce a full range of new experiences to your little one at exactly the right time. All of your baby’s developmental needs will be covered in convenient, managable weekly installments. Plus, you will never be at a loss for great play ideas again!

Before you get started, remember these 5 things:

1. You are your baby’s first teacher. The best way for your baby to learn is for you to interact, hold and play with them.
2. It doesn’t need to be for hours at a time: Even 5 minutes of uninterrupted play time with your child can yield huge developmental benefits, not to mention fantastic bonding opportunities.
3. It doesn’t always have to be you: You are not expected to be there all the time. That’s just not possible now days for any busy mom. Get the family, babysitters and nannies involved. The Nubabi activities are easy to follow and fun for all to do.
4. Find the right moment: Playing with a tired, hungry or irritable child is no fun for either one of you. Find the right moment when your little one is calm and attentive.
5. You may get bored but they won’t!: Repetition is important for learning. Every repeat experience strengthens pathways in the brain. Strong skills are developed through repeated activity and practice.

And that’s it!. It’s as simple as child’s play and the benefits are endless. So get down to eye level with your precious little one, you’ll both be so glad that you did!

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