Now that your baby is here, it’s common to want to set your child up for success, even as an infant. Babies change rapidly as they develop from an infant to a toddler and learn the basic skills that will carry them through a lifetime. Keep in mind that babies develop at different speeds, and that shouldn’t bring you concern. Talk to your doctor about major concerns you may have. And yet as parents, it’s possible to engage your infant to help encourage learning. If you’re wondering about how to achieve developmental milestones for a baby even faster, consider the following 5 tips to help your little one blossom before becoming a toddler.
Read to Your Baby
Reading is an important part of any child’s development and at PALS, we are advocates of instilling that love into your child from a young age. Reading is known to have numerous benefits for babies. The more you read, the more your infant will hear you use emotions and sounds that will contribute to his or her development down the road. Your baby will start to mimic sounds and learn words. It also provides one-on-one time with your baby’s favorite person or persons (that’s you!), which instills feelings of closeness and happiness. Cuddling while reading together is something you and your child can do for years to come.
Introduce Textures
Before babies can speak, they use the other senses to figure out the world around them. One of those senses is touch, and to help encourage major developmental milestones for a baby, you can give your child different things to touch. One of the great things about textures is how they help infants learn fine motor skills. As your baby starts to squeeze, pet, grip, or poke, he or she is learning hand-eye coordination and new sensations. Allow your baby to get messy with different types of foods. Get creative with Play-doh, mud, or sand. Let baby feel things that are rough, silky, smooth, or soft, and let him or her explore them while you explain what they feel like. You’ll find a baby responds quickly to this type of play.
Start Exploring
Parents often hate it when babies put things in their mouths. But did you know this is a sign of curiosity, too? That’s right, babies love to learn, and one of the ways they do this is by using those senses like taste, sight, and smell. Get out and start exploring to help your baby continue to develop that sense of curiosity. Taking walks together and pointing out leaves, flowers, and bugs are a great way to bond with your baby as well as help her begin to identify things in the outdoors. Let your baby touch grass and feathers (make sure you’re keeping them out of little mouths, though!) and check out windows and mirrors to let your baby see her reflection. It won’t be long before she’s saying words back to you and showing excitement for the things she sees.
Play Catch
Your baby may not be a little slugger quite yet, but there’s no reason you can’t start playing catch right away. A simple game of catch, where you roll different sizes and textures of balls to your baby, can quickly ensure you’re meeting those important developmental milestones for a baby. Playing catch is great for increasing hand-eye coordination and building important upper body muscles. Remember: your baby will need lots of practice to master this skill, so be patient. And most importantly, have fun!
Make Music Together
Music is a brain booster for people of all ages, but especially for a baby. It’s been shown to boost cognitive and social development. It can help regulate emotions. And it can stimulate fine motor development as little hands learn to play instruments. When you make music with your baby, you’re encouraging one-on-one playtime that stimulates your baby’s creativity and thinking skills. It’s great on so many levels! If you’re worried because you don’t think you’re musical, don’t let it stop you. We promise your baby loves the sound of your voice and anything he gets to do with you. And we believe you, baby, and music are a winning combination.
Check Out a PALS Location
Finally, if you’re looking for the best option for achieving developmental milestones for a baby, get in touch with PALS. PALS Praise & Leadership Schools provides many advantages to parents looking for an outstanding infant program. We provide an innovative curriculum for infants in our care. They are free to explore a safe and engaging environment alongside our skilled staff. Each day, we encourage and entice your infant with activities that set them up for their future. Books are read and explored so they can learn to engross themselves in the worlds of make believe. We also provide infant massages, as well as play with toys and noise, to connect your infant to their mind body connection.
Furthermore, PALS offers two great locations, both which offer the same high standards of care for your preschooler. To learn more, or to schedule a tour of one of our two facilities, contact us at our North Peoria campus (2327 W Willow Knolls Rd, Peoria, IL 61614) at 309-228-2505. Or call our Downtown Peoria campus (700 NE Greenleaf, Peoria, IL 61603) at 309-740-4463. We invite you to see how PALS will encourage your baby to grow.
