Sing it again! How action songs develop your baby’s motor skills
Do you ever wonder if singing the same nursery rhymes and action songs over and over to your baby serves a purpose? The good news is yes, it does – they boost your baby's development in all areas!
Your baby learns through repetition, and hearing songs again and again supports their developing skills and abilities. Singing with your baby has many benefits, including building your relationship. Sharing action songs with them is a great way to play and interact with your baby, plus they’re great for developing their fine motor skills. Songs with actions are also fantastic for fine and gross motor development, as well as visual tracking skills.
Fingers and thumbs, and holding a pen! Your baby’s grasp is developing again
Your baby is now developing a new grasp called a ‘radial digital grasp’, and this will be essential for eventual pen control. This is the first grasp that requires more accurate finger movements, as well as cooperation between the thumb and fingers.
Your baby will start picking up objects with their thumb and fingertips rather than their whole hand, allowing them to efficiently grasp and handle tools or items by moving the thumb and fingertips harmoniously.
Feeling like a bad parent?
First of all, don’t judge Quokka mothers too much – they do drop their babies so they can escape predators – but don’t have many other options. On a serious note, this meme is a good reminder not to be too hard on yourself!
More than words – helping your baby learn to talk
As your baby begins to show more interest in making sounds, it can be tempting to try to accelerate their progress to saying words. You might feel they need toys, flashcards or books that adverts tell you will help your baby to learn words more quickly. But, talking is about more than repeating words – it’s about understanding when you might use one word rather than another; when it might be time to chat (or not); when it’s your turn to speak in a conversation and how people use tone and pauses to change meaning. So, what’s your role in supporting all this amazing (and really quite complicated) development?
Your wellbeing – why 15 minutes of ‘me time’ is key
Being a parent, it can be hard to find the time to still be ‘you’. But it’s so important to set aside a bit of time for yourself during the day (no matter how short) for relaxation. This could be as simple as having 15 minutes’ quiet time to drink a cup of tea while it's still hot!
The power of a nursery rhyme for speech
Singing nursery rhymes to your baby can feel a little strange at first, especially when they don’t respond a lot. But starting early can help them understand complex parts of speech and language before they are even able to talk. Nursery rhymes can also support other areas of development, such as sensory and motor skills, as you show your baby the actions to the rhymes.
Walking is great for you – and your baby
You’ve probably heard the praises of walking being sung many times over the years now. It’s wonderful for physical health and is good for breaking up a long day.
Aside from the physical benefits, there are many reasons why going for a walk is great. Not just for you, but for your baby, too!
Do you know what safety information you’re looking for when you buy baby products?
Buying items for your baby involves so many choices, and of course safety plays a big part in your decision, but do you always know what you’re looking for when it comes to safety standards? We’ve rounded up some important things to know about how safety standards work and what to look for when you’re shopping.
Product safety standards are not all set by law – they don’t have to be met but reputable manufacturers will choose to safety check their product against them.
A book to celebrate the people we love: Who? A Celebration of Babies by Robie H. Harris, illustrated by Natascha Rosenberg
Your baby is really getting to know the people they love, and Who? A Celebration of Babies is a simple board book which is perfect for embracing this interest.
On each page the text repeats, asking “Who’s that?” and giving the answer with a bright, friendly illustration. It might be Dadda, Grandparents or even a bird, and each of the visitors is shown playing with or cuddling a baby.
Supporting your baby explorer to learn about the world
It’s amazing how quickly your baby has developed control of their body. They are constantly exploring their world and their place within it, and they’re making and strengthening connections in their brains every day.
In the very early days, your baby learned to get a hand to their mouth, but now they are holding objects and finding out what they can do with them.
