Ways can you support your baby’s development in the first year

Your baby’s neurological development starts almost as soon as they are born. It is never too early to engage your baby in activities that will support their growth. Some of the activities that are encouraged in the first year are:

• Maintaining verbal communication

It is recommended that you start talking to your baby even before they are born. Your baby can hear you from the womb. Once your baby is born, maintaining verbal communication will help in grasping the language sooner. Even though they will not be able to reply to you in words, they will be listening subconsciously. This will give them a boost in their language and communication skills. 

• Maintaining physical bond

As soon as your baby is born, the doctor gives you time for skin-to-skin contact. The physical bond with your baby will help them develop trust and closeness. In the initial months and years after the baby is born, you are recommended to give them a lot of cuddles and to hold them close to you. This will also help them in differentiating between good touch and bad touch. 

• Security and Trust

In the first year of the baby’s development, they need to be held and taken care of. This will give them a sense of security and trust. You need to feed them when they are hungry, hold them when they fall down, and give them a ton of affection and love. When a baby feels secure in the first few months of their life, they are more likely to develop into emotionally stable and healthy individuals.

• Toys for baby development

When your baby learns to hold and grasp things around the four-month mark, you can use toys to engage their senses. Even before that they are interested in colors and patterns. Once your baby learns how to catch objects, give them soft toys with patterns and puzzles to stimulate their brain. This is wonderful for their motor skill development. 

• Interactive Games 

Even without the use of toys, your baby is interested in the wonderful and colorful world outside your womb. If you haven’t yet tried it, peekaboo is one such game that babies seem to never have enough of. 

• Don’t allow for screen time

Growing up without looking at some form of the electronic device once in a while has become almost impossible at this stage. But during the first year, you should try your very best to keep your baby out of looking at the screen or videos. Spend as much time as you can with your baby by yourself. Read them books and stories while answering their queries.

References:

• 10 Ways to Promote Baby Development: https://www.everydayhealth.com/hs/your-developing-baby/ways-to-promote-baby-development/
• Making the Most of Your Baby’s First Year: https://www.brighthorizons.com/resources/Article/Making-the-Most-of-Your-Babys-First-Year
• Baby Development: Your 1-Year-Old: https://www.webmd.com/parenting/baby/baby-development-1-year-old