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| Education & Learning
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Have Fun As Your Child Learns
Make everyday items learning tools for your little ones
ON THE MOVE
Whether she’s rolling or crawling, cruising or walking, being mobile is an exciting development for your tot. But what does she learn from her new perspective on the world?
Learning to move opens the door to a whole new era of discovery for your tot. And once she finds her way around, she won’t stop! Now she needn’t wait for you to bring the world to her - she can go off and discover it herself.
There will be no limits to her desire to explore and experiment. 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.
Being mobile stimulates her physical skills and boosts her social and intellectual development. She can follow you about, absorbing what you do to copy later.
Learning to sit leaves her hands free to play. “Sonya’s hand-eye coordination really improved once she could sit at six months,” says mum Cheng Lee Hwee.
The world looks very different for your baby once she’s upright. It’s important to give her freedom to explore, so make the house a safe place to move around.
FUN FOR FREE
Who needs expensive, shop-bought toys? Here are our 10 favourite playthings that don’t cost a cent!
• A plastic bottle filled with rice.
• An old computer keyboard - fun for a baby to bash or for a toddler to pretend to type on.
• A bunch of keys.
• Tins from the kitchen cupboard arranged into an impromptu shop.
• Magazines for your baby to tear and toddler to cut up.
• A scrunchy, rinsed-out crisp packet.
• Two dining chairs draped with a sheet to make a cosy tent.
• Remote controls ? without batteries!
• Shells, feathers and pebbles.
• Kitchen pots and chopsticks for baby to bang on.
HOME-GROWN FUN
Your home is one big playground for your tot. Getting down to her level will help you share her perspective. Take the sofa, for example. You don’t think twice about flopping on to it, but clambering up takes monumental brain and muscle power for your baby. She’ll try again and again until, one day, she masters it.
There are similar challenges all over the house. Handles double as supports, your bed is a trampoline and the stairs are like Everest. “The first time Mikey went upstairs by himself, he was so proud I thought he’d pop,” says Kim Gan Tennison, mum to 13-month-old Michael.
Don’t be cross if your tot goes off-limits ? she doesn’t understand why she mustn’t touch the oven or chew your CDs. Be rigorous in your safety-proofing and move anything precious out of reach.
Being mobile can also 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.
Your baby’s newfound independence is exciting for her, but separation anxiety can kick in. Being able to move without your help is a reminder that you’re two separate people. It’s a testing phase, but plenty of attention will reassure her.
Finally, your baby learns with all her senses, so being outside is a great way to fire her curiosity. Let her walk outdoors. Yes, it’s slow, but it’s good exercise for her body and mind. Happy exploring!
If you have any comments or practical suggestions, write to us at editor@family.sg
- Mother & Baby
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