|
|
|
| Free E-magazine |
| Subscribe to our Free E-Magazine on Pregnancy. |
| Learn More |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Home > Baby Care > Playing with Your Baby
| |
| | Playing with Your Baby
| |
| |
 For your baby, playing is an important medium to learn about himself and the world around him. As he rattles a rattle, chews her teething ring, and squeezes his soft toys, he realizes he can make things happen. When you sing to him, as you play with him, he gets to know how to use his five senses efficiently. He becomes aware of his surroundings. This will enable him eventually adapt herself as a social human being.
The more you converse with your baby, touch him or cuddle him the more receptive he will become. As he grows older he will also reciprocate your feelings. You teach your baby various things by caring for him, feeding singing and caressing him. He learns his lessons playfully, and becomes more aware of his surroundings. Games such as peek-a-boo, and playing with appropriate toys will improve his motor response.
Baby Exercise
Exercising with your baby serves two purposes. Firstly to educate parents about their infants` growth and development and to teach parents some appropriate and fun ways to play with their babies. These simple exercises will not only help you to play with your baby but also you will be aware of his capabilities and limitations.
Your baby will develop normally with or without exercises, since growth and development normally occur in an or-derly and predictable fashion. These exercises will augment the baby`s development by giving him the chance to use the muscles, he is already learning to control.
The exercises discussed in this section are designed for babies one week to three months old. A young baby (one to six weeks) may have tightly flexed legs and arms. Gentle patting or moving of the hands arms, or legs will relax his muscles and make movement easier. You should manipulate his limbs in a slow, gentle and rhythmic manner. Continue these exercises for a few sessions. After some time, he will look forward to those movements.
Exercise or play with your baby when she is in the quiet alert state that is wide awake, calm and attentive. A fussy baby or a hungry baby will not respond to the exercises, and you will be frustrated. Un-less otherwise noted, do the following exercises on the floor. You may progress to other exercises as your baby grows older.
The Grasp
Aim: To draw out the grasp reflex.
Exercise: Put your thumbs in your baby`s palms. He will try to hold them. If his fingers are fisted tightly, pat and bounce them in yours to get them open. Gently pull her hands toward you; she will pull back on your fingers. Do not be over enthusiastic so as to pull her head and shoulders up.
Arm Cross
Aim: To relax chest and upper back muscles.
Exercise: Place your thumbs in your baby`s palms. Allow him to grasp your thumb, open his arms wide to the side. Next, bring the arms together and cross his arms over his chest. The movements should be rhythmic, to the tune of a song, repeat slowly and gently.
Arm Raising
Aim: To facilitate flexibility of the shoulders
Exercise: Hold your baby`s forearms or hands. Lift them up over his head, and then lower them to his sides. These movements should be repeated slowly and gently in a rhythmic fashion. Alternate arms-while one goes up, the other goes down.
Leg Bending
Aim: To increase the flexibility of hips; may help baby pass gas.
Exercise: Rest the baby on his back, holding the lower legs gently bend his knees up toward his abdomen and chest. Gently lower his legs until they are straight.
Repeat several times in a rhythmic fashion. Bend one leg and straighten the other alternately.
Inchworm
Aim: To bring about extension of legs and back
Exercise: Place your baby on his tummy. Bend his knees under him, while holding his feet with your thumbs against the soles. The pressure you apply on her soles by your thumbs will cause her to straighten her legs and move for-ward like an inchworm.
Baby Bounce
Aim: To prepare the baby for playing.
Exercise: Rest your baby on his back or tummy on a foam rubber pad, bed, preferably on your lap. Slowly and gently rock the baby on your lap, so the baby rocks up and down. The motion should be gentle, rhythmic and to and fro. This will relax your baby. You may also try patting your baby rhythmically on her chest, back, arms and legs.
| |
| |
|
