Play with me, mom: why and how to play with the baby?

2024 Author: James Gerald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 14:00

Imagine that you happen to be on some planet X of a distant galaxy Y. Let's say that you are quite similar to the inhabitants there in your appearance. But! You do not know the language, you still do not know how to manage your limbs, and in general everything around is new and incomprehensible. Introduced? Feeling helpless? Congratulations, you managed to return to infancy for a moment!

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Well, to answer this wordless cry of a baby will help THE GAME!

In the game, he learns that his hands are grabbing, the ball is rolling, and the cube is worth … and will make a thousand more equally brilliant discoveries. By playing, the child learns … But you also need to learn to play! So you will have to sweat at first, demonstrating play techniques to the baby.

Stores are overwhelmed with toys, how to choose exactly what you need? After all, the use of toys will be if they are suitable for the child in age, interest him. Toy donors! If you are concerned about the development of a child, when choosing a toy, trust not your tastes, but the needs of the baby!

What to play with your child?

How to choose the right toys?

How to teach a kid to play independently?

How to raise an active and creative person from a helpless squeaky creature just born into the world?

Our rubric will help answer these and other questions related to children's toys and creative games …

So, a baby appeared in the house … He is completely dependent on you, parents! Dress, wash, feed, take out for a walk … A lot of trouble! Is it really possible to play something with such a crumb?

Rule number one: Until the kid is able to move independently, you will have to move in the game!

A warning for overly zealous mothers: DO NOT play all the time so that the baby does not get overexcited, DO NOT change games too often: let the baby play enough, and when he becomes uninteresting, you will immediately understand.

Does the baby need to be fed to grow? The dumbest question - of course, yes. So, a variety of sensory (related to the senses) information is "food" for the baby's mind:

Therefore, the first games with a baby are Acquaintance with the different qualities of the world.

What and how to play?

1. Hang 2-3 objects over the baby's bed, at a distance of 20-25 cm from the eyes. It is better to choose objects with a clear shape, bright and different colors. Items can be changed after a few days. Consider that for a newborn, a bright plastic cup, from the point of view of novelty, is as interesting as a super-expensive trinket. A simple examination can interest a child up to 2-3 months, later he will reach for them with his hands and try to grab.

2. The infant's eye movements are not easily correlated with the movements of the head. The baby will have to follow his eyes and turn his head if you slowly move a toy in front of him up and down and from right to left (you can attach the toy to a stick so that your hand does not distract the child), you can move the toy within 1 meter, gradually increasing the speed …

3. At about 4 weeks, you can start "feeding" your hearing. Accompany everyday scenes with conversations, singing or even whistling (if you can, of course). When the baby learns to turn the head, move the sound source and wait for it to turn its head behind it.

4. Rattles are the traditional companions of babies. Take care of their variety (color, shape, sound, weight, material). First, introduce the baby to the toy by showing and shaking it. Then you can hang it over the crib and, using the baby's handle, push it. From 3-4 months, the child will learn to reach and grip the toy, so gradually the movements of the hand will come to agreement with the eyes (hand-eye coordination). When the baby has already learned how to hold the toy in the handle, let him rattle heartily!

5. "One sense organ" - this is sometimes called the baby. Indeed, the entire body of a child, the entire surface of his skin, is a receiver of information about the world. And this receptor must also be provided with "nutrition". Touching hands (stroking, patting, tickling, etc.), clothes, underwear, toys will tell the baby that the world can be warm and cold, smooth and rough, hard and soft, prickly and fluffy.

MAIN IMPORTANT: do not restrain the baby's movements

The development of the mind up to 2 years of age is directly related to the motor achievements of the child. You can give your baby the opportunity to reach their full potential if:

- allow you to freely be active (do not tie your hands and feet with diapers), - provide a variety of sensory contacts (for eyes, ears, skin), - you will not impose the game when the kid is not in the mood.

The first 4-6 months of life the baby lives as if in a cocoon, woven from his own feelings. They are internal: hunger, cold, comfort, etc., and external: from the eyes, ears, body surface. Mom acts as a mediator between the helpless child and the world around him - she serves the needs of the baby in everything.

In the second half of life the child's emotions and interests turn to objects. The child's motor abilities grow, an active exploratory period of life begins, and the games become more independent. We'll talk more about this next time.

Continuation…

Natalya SHPIKOVA child psychologist-practitioner