The First Six Months..
In the first six months of life baby games and play
are a way for your new child to make some sense of their world. At
first they will not even know where they end and the rest of the world
begins.
Despite
their complete dependence on their parents, even at this young age
children are taking their first tiny steps towards independence.
They will learn to
control their eyes and head, hands to grasp objects, and to adjust their
posture. In this short space of time they will also start to understand
the concept of cause-and-effect.
All this needs to be learnt on their
own but by providing interactive games for your baby and the right environment we
can aid them to learn more readily.
**TIP-
Don’t get too caught up in the timing of your baby’s achievements, of
more importance is that you enjoy each stage, and the pleasure that your
baby gets from their play. Soon you will be looking back and wondering
where the time has gone!
Baby Development
Sight-
A baby’s vision is limited to a small ‘bubble’ in the first weeks of
life. Faces and bold and brightly colored objects will interest her
above all else. Baby games involving mirrors, rattles and simple
household items will help her to begin to visually track objects.
Touch- Two forms of touch are vital for babies.
* Touch between parents and baby.
*
Baby learning that he can control his movements and hold objects. This
is a key stage that is reached in the first six months of life. This
form of learning, known as ‘direct learning’ happens through trial and
error and only through a baby’s innate curiosity.
Smell & Taste-
Young babies have an acute sense of smell, being able to distinguish
their mother’s breast milk from anothers. Your baby probably recognizes
your smell before long before she can focus on your face.
Sound-
Your voice is your baby’s favorite sound. It soothes him upon entering
a room and by four months he will be making many vocal sounds based
upon your speech and its rhythms. Singing and rhymes are favorite baby
games that will continue and develop right throughout his childhood.
Social-
After just the first 4 weeks, through watching and listening to your
own actions, your baby is learning her first skills in the art of
conversation. She will learn to watch your eyes and face for cues, hear
your tone of voice, and wait for pauses in ‘conversation’. Her initial
responses of ‘cooing’ and returning your smile are the first of many
‘conversations’ you will have, well before she says her first word.
Once
your child moves beyond six months of age his focus will move from
faces and voices onto objects. Play will fill almost all of his waking
hours and most toys will be explored with hands and mouth, he will learn
to sit and crawl…more 6-12 month baby games here.
Baby Signing-
Teaching your baby / toddler sign language is fun and easy! Even half a
dozen signs will make it so much easier to understand what your child
needs, long before they are able to speak!