Enjoyment of Babies is A Great Stage of Life

Articles about babies often seem to focus on the struggles encountered with infants. We read how they fuss a lot, don’t sleep well, cry for unknown reasons, change our social lives, and create all kinds of new stressors and frustrations mother and fathers were not prepared for.
While there’s a lot for parents to learn about babyhood, in 2015 let’s take an uplifting new perspective using Parental Intelligence and learn how to enjoy our babies to the utmost by recognizing how they bring us so many rewards of love and joy that easily outweigh the struggles.

Favorite Tips on Enjoying Infants:
Our Bundles of Curiosity and Love

Each new month of a newborn brings new adventures for parents. Here are 8 suggestions about how to become keen observers of your infants and how to respond to them reaping great parental enjoyment.

1. Notice how your baby responds particularly to your maternal and paternal voices. For mothers, they’ve learned your specific voice in utero and it makes it the most special comforting sound to their little ears. In a room of people, notice how your baby’s face turns to your voice in particular. You are her special one. For fathers, babies soon learn your voice is special, too, if you spend a lot of time talking and singing to your infant. Enjoy it.

2. Respond to your baby with “motherese.” This is the sing-song rhythm that babies love. In just a few months you will hear a cooing sound in response that fills your heart. Coo back and before you know it you’re having a conversation!
3. Make changing your baby’s diaper a fun event where you get to know him better and better several times a day. While your infant is on his back, his eyes are on yours ready to hear all your sweet sounds and smiles. Changing diapers becomes a game to get to know your baby.

4. Nursing your baby with your breast or bottle is the time to enjoy the precious eye contact that connects you with your baby in the most enjoyable bond a mother can feel. When mothers nurse, daddies can sit nearby sharing in the warmth.

5. Eye-to-eye gazing is a form of communication that tethers you closely to your infant. Notice how she looks this way and that. Follow her gaze with your own and she will feel your remarkable connection.

6. Observe your baby’s moving fingers and toes. They are talking to you. As you fondle them, you are making conversation. Body movements are a kind of sign language that babies want you to respond to with pleasure. When the baby wiggles, wiggle back. He’ll know you are talking to him.

7. Babies love colors and movements. Stimulate them with mobiles and interesting objects and talk to them as they react. This conversation lets them know how much you enjoy them. They feel like loveable babies which begins that early positive sense of self.

8. As your baby begins to crawl and move away and back to you. Chase him around slowly and quickly following his pace. He knows you are in touch with him and enjoying his new discoveries.

9. Once your baby is toddling, he may wander out of sight. If he doesn’t quickly return, go find him and let him know you are always there. Your baby is learning that even when you are not in sight, you are a reliable, dependable, predictable person who can be found. This is a landmark for him and for you. Your attachment is secure because you are now not only seen but remembered when you are not visible.

Parental Intelligence means understanding a baby’s communications as you create a close, loving bond.

Enjoy your baby as he or she enjoys you!

Laurie Hollman, Ph.D.’s book, Unlocking Parental Intelligence: Finding Meaning in Your Child’s Behavior, will be released in October, 2015. Keep a look out for it.