Newborn Babies Get Bored Too!

By Frans Plooij on January 4, 2011

With every wonder week, or leap, that babies make, they are able to perceive things they couldn't perceive before. And, once they have made one of these leaps, they want nothing more than to explore their new capabilities.  That is why, with every new stage in mental development, new games, toys and situations are so attractive.  And, it is why I describe the best games and things to do with your baby with every leap in my book, The Wonder Weeks.

The first leap is 5 weeks after the due date. When you know what's going on up there in that new brain and you know what is going to please your baby and which games to play, you will definitely give her what she is asking for.  

But, that doesn't mean that a just-born-baby can't get bored - even before she makes her first leap. Au contraire! Your tiny infant is not yet able to amuse herself.  As you probably noticed, she's pretty lively. And, tempermental babies, in particular, make no secret about wanting some action as soon as they are awake.

Here are some ways to get your just-born-baby entertained:

Explore the House with Her.

Give her the opportunity to see, hear and touch whatever she finds interesting (safely, of course).  Explain the items you come across while exploring. No matter what it is, she will enjoy listening to your voice. Pretty soon, she will start recognizing objects herself.

Have a Quiet "Chat."

Your baby enjoys the sound of your voice,  But, if you also have a radio playing in the background, she will have difficulty in concentrating on your voice only.  Although young babies are able to make a distinction between different voices when they hear them all the time, they cannot distinguish one from another when they hear them simultaneously.

New Objects to Explore

Place interesting objects in convenient places for your baby to look at when she is awake.  At this stage, she won't be able to search for them herself. So, for her, it's 'out of sight, out of mind.'

Experiment with Music

Try to discover her favorite music and play it with her. She may find it soothing.

In all activities, let your baby's responses guide you!

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What The BLEEP Do Babies Know?!

By Frans Plooij on January 12, 2011

Have you ever seen the movie, What the Bleep Do We Know? If not... do so! The way they explain the basics of quantum physics is quite similar to the way I explain how babies' brains change dramatically every so often and why they can't perceive certain things before each change in The Wonder Weeks.

In What the Bleep Do We Know, they explain to us that the Native Americans couldn't perceive Columbus' boats at the horizon. Why? Not because they had problems with their vision, but because boats at the horizon were so very different from anything they had ever seen before.

With babies, it is a little like this, too. If their brains are not yet wired to perceive something that we adults can see, then that something isn't there as far as the babies are concerned. Of course, there are huge differences between the Native Americans not perceiving the boats and the babies being unable to perceive certain things, yet, but the basic idea is the same.

After years of studies, we found out that babies go through 10 mental developmental leaps in their first 20 months of life, and after each leap, they perceive the world around them in a totally different way. That frightens them and that is why they get so fussy for some time! The bad news is that such periods are very difficult for both parents and babies and they are characterized by the three C's: Clingy, Cranky and Crying.

And now the good news: We know exactly when these periods start, what babies are able to perceive and learn after each leap and why babies can suddenly do and understand ten times more than before each leap.

The 10 new types or levels of perception that are given to your baby at predictable ages are arranged hierarchically. Each new higher level of perception is superposed onto the lower levels of perception that are present already. If your baby has reached only the fifth level of perception, that level is on top. Also, what are peak experiences for your baby are things we adults take for granted. With every Wonder Week, every leap enables your baby to perceive the world more in the way we adults do; every leap brings your baby one step closer. So, the younger your baby is, the more difficult it is for us as parents to descend to our babies' way of looking at the world. But, it is crucial that we try. If you succeed, you can understand and better able to deal with things such as:

Sleeping problemsCranky, Crying and Clingy phasesSeparation anxietyTemper tantrums

And so on.

The best solution to all these problems is to know and be aware of how your baby perceives the world. Basically, to Know What the Bleep Babies Know...

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Foods to Avoid Giving to Babies

Foods to Avoid Giving to Babies

Babies love to try new foods. Babies are curious little creatures, and love to explore new tastes and textures as they learn about their new world. If your little one is making the change from baby food to table food, there are a few rules you need to follow as you introduce new foods. While most foods can be safely given to babies under one year, there are certain foods that you should avoid until your baby is older.Hidden Toxins and Allergens
Honey should never be included in the diet of children under one year, as it can contain spores of Clostridium botulinum that causes a type of botulism to which infants are susceptible. Likewise, avoid corn syrup, as according to MayoClinic.com, it may contain the same type of spores. As a child grows, her intestinal tract develops and will eventually be able to prevent these spores from multiplying and she will be able to eat these foods safely.In addition, a study conducted by Duke University Medical Center shows that allergic reactions to peanuts and peanut butter have doubled since the year 2000 and are being reported in children as young as 14 months. Duke recommends that parents refrain from giving babies any food containing peanuts until after the child reaches the age of two, as he will then be capable of vocalizing the discomfort experienced with an allergic reaction.
Hard to Digest Foods
The protein in cow's milk cannot be digested properly by an infant, hence your pediatrician's warning to keep your baby on breast milk or formula until he is one year old. Cow's milk also lacks the proper nutrients and contains the wrong amount of minerals that a growing baby needs. Likewise, citrus juice is hard for a baby to digest and may result in a heavy diaper rash.
Hard Choking Hazards
Hard candies, popcorn, nuts, grapes and cherry tomatoes can lodge in a baby's throat and cause her to choke; round fruit should always be quartered before offering it to your baby. Likewise, any hard food that doesn't immediately break down in the mouth, such as hot dogs, celery, carrots, meats and candies, should be cut into pea-sized pieces before you offer them to a baby.
Soft Choking Hazards
Many moms think if a food is soft it must be safe, but that's not always the case. Marshmallows and soft candies can get stuck in a baby's throat, as can peanut butter and other thick soft foods. Raisins and other small sticky fruits can clump together and create a choking hazard and should be offered one at a time.

Foods that can be Unsafe for Your Baby MayoClinic.com: Solid Foods Duke University Medical Center: Peanut Allergies Showing Up At Much Earlier Ages Resources Colorado State University: Introducing Solid Foods to Infants MedlinePlus: Age appropriate Diet for Children About the Author Robin Hewitt :
Robin Hewitt began freelance writing full time in 2008. She has coauthored five books and in the book "The Joyous Gift of Grandparenting" addresses the nutritional and fitness needs of both grandchildren and grandparents.
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