Healthy babies follow a pretty predictable timeline advancing through the stages of development. Most books will tell you exactly what your baby will be doing and when. Still, there is a fairly contentious debate surrounding a parent's role in that development. Some schools of thought insist parents must actively stimulate a child's cognitive development, while others support a hands-off approach. Essentially, they're both right. Common sense should always be the rule, but there are a few things to watch for in your baby that will help you understand when to act and when to let things happen.
Step 1
Use age-appropriate stimuli. It's exciting to imagine that your child could be multi-lingual by age 6 if only you play foreign language tapes for him while he's sleeping, but remember that playing conversational French phrases when he's tired just isn't interesting to him. Plush toys relate tactile information to a baby about his environment. Bright and varied colors help him learn how to recognize differences between two similar items.
Step 2
Develop a routine and stick to it. A routine is your curriculum. It teaches that there is order in the world and in your baby's interaction with it. It also provides essential one-on-one time, be it during feeding, bathing or just cuddling.
Step 3
Observe your baby's behavior and respond to her interests. A responsive approach can aid development more effectively than a stimulative approach, according to Marc and Helen Bornstein, authors of "Caregivers' Responsiveness and Cognitive Development in Infants and Toddlers." If she prefers blue toys this month, stock the play space with blue toys, but be ready to adapt when you see her interest fade or change.
Step 4
Listen to your baby and respond to his sounds. In the first few months, your baby's actions are reflexive. He doesn't think about them. From about months 1 through 4, his actions become circular. He does things that bring him pleasure or that result in desired outcomes. When you respond to his sounds, you are encouraging him to interact with the world because your voice gives him pleasure.
Step 5
Praise your baby's accomplishments. According to Jean Piaget, the 20th century's preeminent researcher in developmental psychology, infants use two main adaptive strategies as they advance through the stages of development: assimilation and accommodation. Assimilation involves adapting something already learned to a slightly new construct, such as sucking on a larger baby bottle by using techniques learned with a smaller bottle. Accommodation might be taking that knowledge and applying it to something else, such as a pacifier. These steps in learning are layered and will continue throughout life. Watch for these moments and be ready with the praise when you see your baby assimilating or accommodating.
Tips and Warnings
- Focus your interaction at times when your baby is alert and calm. Watch for signs of fatigue or stress.
References
- Mental Help: Infancy Cognitive Development
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Child Development: Positive Parenting
- Educational Psychology Interactive: Piaget's Theory of Cognitive Development
- University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
- "Caregivers' Responsiveness and Cognitive Development in Infants and Toddlers: Theory and Research"; Marc and Helen Bornstein; 1995
