Our baby girl is now 6 weeks old and she is becoming more alert and awake for longer periods of time! With our eldest, I remember messaging my friend around this time and asking “What do I do now? How can I entertain him?”. Up until that time we had been in the sleep, feed, poop, repeat schedule and now needed things to do with our newborn baby!!
It isn’t a coincidence that the first thing on 50 Things to do Before You’re 5 is ‘Get to Know You’. Here are some things that I learnt with our eldest and some new things I am trying this time round with our baby girl! It helped me bond with my baby and helped me to find out what my baby liked and disliked.
But please remember every baby is unique and develop in their own way and time. Don’t feel like you should be doing all of these things everyday with your baby! Some days are really hard and just making sure your baby is fed and clean is a big enough achievement!! I for one try my best and if I can only fit singing a song into our day whilst changing a nappy that is something to me! And finally, babies get tired very quickly and I have found that small bursts of activity work the best for us. Sometimes they want to engage and sometimes they don’t … follow their lead!
And remember to capture these precious moments and upload them to the 50 Things app in the memories section. If you share them to social media and tag #50thingswakefield, your baby can become a 50 Things kid too!!
You may notice your baby making short bursts of sound such as oww, ahh and ehh (well that’s what is sounds like to me!!). Encourage your baby by talking back to them, repeating their sounds and also chatting to them. I like to say “I love your story, it’s very interesting! Are you going to tell me some more?”
I forgot how much I like singing! There are so many nursery rhymes out there and the repetitive nature of them is perfect for little ones to start listening to language! My favourites are ‘Row Row Row Your Boat’ and ‘Wind the Bobbin Up’. I love the way that as babies grow they recognise the songs. Maybe use an instrument such as a rattle (just pop some rice into a small bottle with a lid) to The Grand Old Duke of York and move the rattle to the different positions of ‘Up’, ‘Down’ and ‘Half Way’
Local business The Mummy Circle has recorded 50 songs that are available for free on You Tube – click here to listen
Your midwife may have mentioned having skin to skin when your baby is born which is a beautiful way to first meet your baby! You can continue this at home by baby wearing which is carrying them in a sling or baby carrier! It is so practical and as well as giving you your hands back, if you have a baby that wants cuddles the whole time, as they are so close I find that I talk and interact with my little one more! It’s also really easy to give their head a quick kiss!! Local business Cuddle Up Slings run a sling library for you to get advice about baby wearing and hire a range of slings!
Source shopee.com
Sight is the only sense that isn’t fully developed when a baby is born. Newborns can see in black and white until approximately 3 months old so black and white flash cards are great at developing their vision without over-stimulating them! There are lots of black and white toys available from Baby Sensory retailers but there are lots of flash cards available to download for free from the internet, you just need a printer. Click here for flash cards
With both my little ones I have taken part in baby massage classes. Baby massage is a great way for both the parent and baby to relax and enjoy some special time together and to teach you some new ways to interact and play with your baby! It is perfect for practising at home especially if your little one really needs to pass wind and is in pain! During lockdown, some providers have taken classes online so you don’t need to miss out on this special activity! Take a look at our virtual classes in Wakefield here
You can find out more information on baby massage and view a video on the NCT website – click here
50 Things To Do Before You’re 5, helps children from 0-5 become school ready. It has been developed with families to produce a fun resource that offers a wide range of experiences that builds skills & language and supports brain development in young children! 50 Things is a brilliant way to try something new or get outdoors!
Download the FREE app now:
Apple store https://apple.co/2BLNwJh
Google play store https://bit.ly/3gCVsLw
