I just wanted to comment on something that was discussed in the article. The author points out that walking is imperative to environmental exploration and the subsequent perceptual / cognitive development and although I agree walking provides a new level of independence, I disagree that our babies perceptual, cognitive, and self direction skills should be made to wait for their legs to get with the program! If we wait to provide environmental exploration opportunities until baby is even 12 months old, it will be too late to ensure this desire is part of baby's nature. (What if you were allowed to hang out in a swing, or carrier and everything was brought to you? Would you then appreciate being told to get up and go take care of things for yourself?)
Hopefully my book will be available soon, I go in depth of how to set up environments that allow independent exploration regardless of physical skill level. Here is a brief list of ideas...
1. get rid of a play pen / pack and play - get baby on floor during awake time. Find a room or area that is just his - get rid of furniture and obstacles and place all the things baby loves most around the perimeter. Whether he rolls, creeps or crawls, the message is clear - you want it? go get it! Plus, once baby has some mobility and self direction to explore, placing him in a confined space like a playpen or crib undermines it.
2. Do not use swings, carriers, etc to keep baby occupied - it reinforces the idea that they are to sit and wait for things to happen
3. TURN OFF THE TV - a baby can remain stationary in one place for hours and the TV continues working (among other negative effects.) Turn it off.
4. Family game night? get everyone on the floor - reading time for older children? Build "forts" with blankets and get on the floor- older kids will LOVE reading time - the forts will become a "hang out" and baby is included on many levels - obvious benefits of being read to, self direction to see what's going on, familial inclusion, fun, gross motor and fine motor, perceptual, cognitive, etc., etc. Use babies innate desire to be part of the action to your benefit. If everyone is in the fort reading out loud, baby will be wriggling like crazy to get in there!
These are just the tip of the iceberg. You can think of hundreds of ways to allow (not provide) baby to explore. By the time baby starts walking, he will just use that skill to take his explorations to a new level...and then Good Luck with that!
great ideas! I am so with you about keeping that tv OFF!
ReplyDeleteI love this post... It reaffirms to me that trusting our baby's innate desire to make sense of the world and get along in it is beneficial to their development. My littlest one (coming up for ten months) is lucky to have a mother who hankers after the simple things in life and two laidback learners as siblings.
ReplyDeleteFree play, learning your own way and making your own fun are key ingredients in our house. Larry is lucky to have a big sister who reads to him and a big brother who builds dens around him. They jiggle him, sing and sign with him, hang out near to him. He has a stimulating environment.
He gets to roll where he pleases (once the lego's been tidied away!) and I have no doubt that, when he is ready, with a little guidance along the way, he will crawl, stand and walk...
We removed the TV from our house many moons ago (though Larry's brother and sister have access to iplayer at the weekend), but listen to things throughout the day.
Having read a little bit about epigenetics, birthing a baby with one extra chromosome did not phase me. Genes are only part of the picture and, actually, the environment is key. All children are living in the physical environments that we provide (through adequate rest, nutrition, fresh air, exercise etc...), as well as the emotional climate, moment to moment. Our children benefit from our trust in them.
I would love to hear more about your book. It sounds like a much needed resource.
Warmest wishes,
Angela Dawson x