WFH, am I stimulating my baby enough?

Childcare costs have become prohibitive, daycares and nanny's sometime cost more than you can earn and many people are choosing to do it all: work from home while simultaneously caring for their children. As if those 2 were not enough, tag on taking care of your home, buying food, socializing with family and friends and yard work. Are there really enough hours in the day? Now consider the guilt inducing question. Am I stimulating my baby enough? This is a loaded question. But in short the answer might be "no".

So what do we mean by stimulating my baby?

• talking to them (no baby talk!)

• giving eye contact (during meals, diaper changes, bath time, anytime!)

• giving hugs and cuddles, gentle touches, big squeezes, tickles, holding them

• showing them new things (not on TV)

• letting them investigate toys, the outside -grass, beach, dirt, food- messy play at their high chair

• reading to them

• playing with them (looking in the mirror and making faces, showing them how to spin a toy or shake a rattle etc.)

Now what do we mean by enough?

• These should occur throughout the day, every day

• Consider:

  • Does your baby have separation anxiety - more physical touch maybe needed throughout the day not just at bedtime

  • Does your baby have trouble falling asleep - more play, investigative play and verbal stimulation may be needed

  • Is your child meeting early milestones for making sounds and babble? They may need more face to face time where you are talking with them.

  • Does your baby look at you when you enter the room or when they are babbling? Spend time face to face and giving them good eye contact and smiles can help here.

• How many hours a day do you spend on a phone and computer? See if you can look up the amount of time you spend on apps like news, shopping and social media and set screen time limits and pause the apps for certain hours (e.g. when your baby is awake).

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My baby boy never wanted to stop moving! Hello Speech therapy can help you learn to play in a way that benefits them most.

Now remember, I am a mom. I am not here to stand on my high horse to tell you what you are doing is wrong. We are all doing our best. BUT, you don't know what you don't know. If you feel like you are doing PRETTY well with your baby, consider adding in 15 minutes of uninterrupted child/baby led play to give them a little something extra every day. This will help them really feel your attention is there. Do you think your child is behind and not meeting milestones? Don't wait and see. Early intervention with speech therapy at Hello Speech and Language Services LLC can make a difference!

Want more? If you live in the Red Bank, NJ area grab a few friends with babies and schedule a baby class together! No evaluation required.