How To Help You Baby Learn
Babies learn by watching and touching things. They are exploring their
world. Encourage exploration. Promote your baby’s curiosity and
exploration by holding things within his reach and helping him touch
them.
Exploring on his own is important for your baby. But don’t limit it to
that. Help him seek new experiences, like reaching for your hand and
touching your fingers. Babies also like to feel things that are soft,
fuzzy or smooth.
Be your baby’s teacher. Your baby learns about life by watching you
and what you do.
Babies learn when you do simple, everyday things. This is as simple as
looking in your baby’s eyes and making funny faces. Or let him touch
your face and hair.
Get excited with your baby about all the things he does and the
sounds he makes. You and your baby will enjoy this. Make a big deal
out of little things, like when your baby makes a little sound while
you’re talking to him. Let him know he is a great talker. Help him to
learn to "talk" back and forth. When he coos at you, gently coo back.
Wait and see if he "answers" you with another coo. If he does so, you
should answer him. Do this with giggles, coos and other baby sounds.
Do activities over and over again with your baby. Learning goes on
each time your baby practices a skill. Let him try new things over and
over again. This is as simple as helping him to pat his hands together.
Protect your baby from disapproval. Don’t tease or punish him. Never
permit others to tease, punish or shake him. Punishment does not
work with babies. Punishment can be very harmful to babies. It can
cause the wrong lessons to be learned.
Communicate. Use sounds, songs, gestures and words with your baby.
When you do this, you help him learn about language and its many
uses.
Take good care of your baby. Watch him closely. Make sure your home
is a safe place for him to explore. Try to keep an orderly, healthy
routine. Your child will begin to know that some behavior is OK at
some times but not at other times. He will also begin to know that
there are reasons for this.
