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Daily Discoveries
Enjoy helping your baby discover the world around her
By Lucy Dimbylow
You are your baby’s best teacher, helping her make sense of the world around her. Read on for great ways to help her learn and have lots of fun too.
Dressing up boosts your tot’s imagination and understanding of social roles, and gets her used to dressing and undressing herself.
Providing your baby with lots of interesting stimuli is one of the most important things you can do to help her development. Encouraging her curiosity - both at home and when you are out and about ? will give a host of new experiences for her to learn from.
Your home is one big playground for your tot. Handles double as supports, your bed is a trampoline and the stairs are like Everest.
Being mobile can have a big impact on your tot’s behaviour. Many babies are more contented as a result. Others become frustrated, always wanting to achieve more than they’re able. The more your tot practises, the better she’ll get, so help her master the challenges around her. |
While many changes in your tot’s behaviour happen of their own accord, the time you spend together helps her come on in leaps and bounds. By playing with you, she’s learning how things work and how to interact with other people. In fact, the only time she’s not learning is when she’s bored.
So, to help you make the most of your time together, we asked mums for their tips for turning every day into a discovery day, whatever your baby’s age.
0-6 months
Your baby will learn first to support her head, then to reach for objects and pick them up. She’ll begin to babble – the precursor to talking. She’ll recognise familiar faces and follow a moving object with her eyes. Eventually, she’ll be able to see right across the room.
GREAT WAYS TO PLAY
“Nothing makes Alex giggle like holding him up to the mirror. I point to the different parts of our faces and do silly things like putting a teddy on my head to make him laugh.”
Sarah Fong, mum to Alex, 5 months
WHY IT WORKS
Showing your baby his reflection helps with self-discovery and introduces the idea that the two of you are separate people.
“We play lots of copying games, where I mimic the sounds Sophie makes and encourage her to imitate things I do.”
Helen Nonis, mum to Sophie, 4 months
Why it works: Practising facial movements helps your baby develop the muscles she needs to learn to speak.
6-12 months
She’s beginning to move - sitting and rolling, then crawling, pulling up and cruising (walking while holding on for support). She can pass objects from hand to hand, respond to her name, and may say a couple of recognisable words.
GREAT WAYS TO PLAY
“Jaime can’t sit up alone yet, so I prop her up with cushions.”
Lam Ee Leng, mum to Jaime, 6 months, and Kieron, 2
Why it works: It helps your baby develop the muscles to sit independently, and leaves her hands free to explore.
“Now Hafiz is cruising, I move the furniture about every few days, so he has a different ‘obstacle course’ to explore.”
Haryani Mahmood, mum to Hafiz, 11 months
WHY IT WORKS
Cruising prepares his muscles for walking independently. Giving your baby different environments to negotiate provides a new challenge.
12-18 months
At the start of her second year, your little one makes the transition from baby to toddler. She’ll learn to walk, follow simple instructions and say six to 20 words. She can feed herself with a spoon and build a tower of bricks.
GREAT WAYS TO PLAY
“I let Jemma play with cold cooked spaghetti, cornflower mixed with water, or even jelly - it’s carnage, but she loves it.”
Katrina Rodrigues, mum to Jemma, 14 months
Why it works: This introduces your tot to different textures and conveys the message that food is fun.
“Putting some music on and dancing around the room is good fun for all three of us. We get the musical instruments out and all play along.”
Chan Lay Choo, mum to Liqing, 17 months, and Huiqing, 3
WHY IT WORKS
Dancing helps your tots hone their motor skills. Playing along to music teaches them rhythm.
18-24 months
Around her second birthday, your toddler will master running, jumping, throwing and kicking. She’ll enjoy scribbling with a crayon and doing simple puzzles. She’ll form basic two-word sentences and point to parts of her body when you name them.
GREAT WAYS TO PLAY
“A sheet of paper and pack of crayons can keep my son occupied for an hour!”
Ruslina Omar, mum to Faisal, 22 months
Why it works: Arts and crafts help your little one develop his imagination, and teach him pencil control ? essential for the school years ahead.
“George loves action songs - I sing to him and he does the actions.”
Tracey Pereira, mum to George, 20 months
WHY IT WORKS
Nursery rhymes’ repetition helps language development. The actions boost motor skills.
24-36 months
Over the next year, your tot will begin to speak more clearly and in sentences. She may learn to use
a knife and fork, read a few simple words, such as her name, and count to 10 or more. Her fine and gross motor skills are advanced ? she can tackle the climbing frame by herself, and also draw a recognisable person.
GREAT WAYS TO PLAY
“Everyone needs a dressing-up box. We have a basket with cast-offs, cheap plastic jewellery and a few colourful hats and scarves.”
Jenny Wong, mum to Jessica, 2, and Oliver, 6
WHY IT WORKS
Dressing up boosts your tot’s imagination and understanding of social roles, and gets her used to dressing and undressing herself.
“Annabel’s favourite game is Snap! We play it with picture cards, but also with household objects. I fill a box with items like forks, buttons and jam jar lids, and get her to match them up.”
Kirsty Ang Maughan, mum to Annabel, 3
This teaches your tot about shapes and sizes, and gets her used to the concept of things being the same or different.
If you have any comments or practical suggestions, write to us at editor@family.sg
- Mother & Baby
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