Babies at play can be a tricky one to spot. When they aren’t mobile, they can still find a way to play and we need to pick up on these subtle hints. It is also incredibly easy to overstimulate this little person so it’s a fine balance.
If your child is having some tummy time and you are laid down next to the baby smiling and appreciating your little person- if they turn their head away and look elsewhere, something has caught their attention! This doesn’t mean move to the other side as they cannot see you, it is a sure sign to leave them focused on what caught their attention.
Give your child time to explore even when you think they will be bored or there is nothing there to stimulate them- they have learned so much in the womb, and now have the opportunity to figure out this world! (if babies can be absorbed in scrunching up paper, who knows what else they would find interesting). Try not to have the television on though- bright flashy screens are all absorbing and children will zone in on the screen rather than items that surround them.
When they start showing signs of wanting to move, put things around them to encourage them to want to get to these new and incredible items, they don’t need help or support to learn this, their bodies are naturally designed to work these movements out. However, do not make these impossible tasks- this is meant to be fun and giving your baby the opportunity to problem solve!
If your little one gets frustrated, then help them, make it less challenging and give them the chance to try again. We don’t want to give our smallest children challenges their little bodies just aren’t ready for.
Never leave babies unsupervised around items that can cause them harm, if the area is safe however, you can leave to make a cup of tea- lets face it, they aren’t going very far!
