Realistically speaking it is not much you can do with your baby in their first days and months besides feeding, changing, and sleeping.
It is a real challenge to keep your baby entertained in their newborn phase, especially if it is your first baby, and you are not experienced with newborns.
We know babies in their first month can’t focus their eyes, communicate, or sit up without your help. Also, babies have limited exposure to the world around them, but we can advantage for you. This means that anything new you show them there is potential that they will find it interesting. You can even incorporate play into simple things like your daily tasks. What babies want is your attention and presence, nothing complicated.
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So, when is it appropriate to begin playtime with your little one?
The connection with your baby starts from the first touch you share. They look at your face, sense your smell, hear your voice, and feel the warmth of your body. In the first months, there is nothing much you can do with the baby besides sleeping, eating, and pooping. Still, you will be able to notice that they react to familiar voices and faces.
You might know this, but babies can hold their head up and look around when placed on their stomach when they are 2 months old. When the third month comes, they will be able to smile and produce some sounds, which is their way of communicating with the parents.
Babies can’t talk, but you will be able to notice if your baby has a good time or not. Yes, babies spend most of the day sleeping, but the time they don’t sleep, they will seek your attention and love. Now, this is the time for you to shine and come up with some simple but fun ways to engage with your little one. This not only will make him/her happy, but it will also make the bond you have much stronger.
Some of the ideas you can use for playtime with your newborn:
1. Practice face time
Pediatricians will recommend you to practice tummy time for your infant, but sometimes they will not like it. This is because the infant has still not developed muscle coordination and control, which is necessary for lifting the head.
In this case, you can try placing your baby onto your chest area and start singing or talking to them. Your voice will encourage the baby to lift its head, and you can reward them with your smile. Babies prefer this over tummy time. Here they have physical contact with the parent, and the closeness is soothing for them, just as much it is for you.
Still, over time you will need to encourage them to do tummy time, as it is an important daily activity. A research discovered that the positions in which the infant spends most of the time affect its ability to interact with the surroundings, and that affects their development.
2. You can have fun while you fold the clothes.
When you have a baby home dealing with tons of laundry is inevitable. The time you use to fold all those clothes, you can also use them for spending time with your little bundle of joy.
Put your baby close to you while you fold the clothes. The colors of the clothes, the movements you make can stimulate the baby’s senses. You can also incorporate the good old peekaboo game while folding.
3. Do the stretch, pedal, and tickle exercise.
Lay your baby on the bed and gently move their arms while you hold their hands. Move them up and down and on both sides. Then grab their legs and gently pedal them. This also helps when the baby is gassy. You can also tickle the feet, the tummy, and their head.
This is a good time to introduce some toys. The toy should have some contrasting colors. Hold the toy close enough so that the baby can focus on it and also can reach for the toy.
4. Dancing with the baby
It is no secret that babies love motion, it is soothing for them. You make this activity fun for both you and the baby by playing some tunes. You can do this anywhere in the house. Also, you can do other things alongside. Chances that your baby won’t enjoy this little trick are low.
5. Reading out loud
Indeed, a baby cannot demand a certain story that you should read, but that is not the point. The point is for them to hear your voice. If you practice this before going to bed, it might be helpful to get them to sleep faster.
You can read literary anything you want, just as long as you do it out loud. This practice is important for the baby’s brain development, and also, later, it can increase their vocabulary.
6. Singing songs
It doesn’t really matter what kind of a song you choose, just go ahead and sing out loud. Don’t worry, your baby will not judge your singing abilities.
You can use this trick when you want to take a shower, but your baby is fussy. Bring him/her with you in the bathroom and keep him/her entertained with your singing while you are taking a quick shower.
Remember to take a break
You should not feel obligated to entertain your kid every single second, they are awake. Just like us, grownups, infants also need alone time. It is a way to process the fun times and quiet times.
If your baby happens to be happy and not fussy when he/she wakes up, then it is OK to leave them in their crib or some other place you have for them and let them do their thing while you take well-deserved rest.
We can conclude that babies love the time they spend with their parents. They may not be able to speak in their first months, but their smiles and giggles will show you how much they appreciate you. Even the simplest games you share with them are a huge deal for their development.
Remember that you don’t need fancy and expensive toys to make them happy. Your attention and presence are enough.
