How to Play with Your Newborn

They're here! They're here! aaaaannnnnd they're sleeping... I was so excited that my baby was here (finally) but I had never thought about what we would be doing those first months when he slept so much. Seriously, he slept all. the. time. Where was my baby that was giggly and fun to play with? I learned very quickly to take advantage of the time he was awake! But, lots of people wonder what to do with newborns since they don't have the ability to respond yet. Valid question. I have a few favorites that I loved doing with my boy when he was just a new little human though - 

Sing to Them Always

This one I love because I have the worst (and I mean make dogs barking) singing voice but my baby loves it. I would sing lullabies and rock him in his glider, or I would sing songs that are fun and dance with him all over the house. Now that he is older I know that his love for dancing around and singing developed by doing it all the time. So I keep singing my heart out! As an added bonus, music has been shown to be a precursor to speech development. Yet another reason to sing the day away!

Read every day!

You know what they say: it's never too early to start reading to your baby! I bought so many books because I was so excited to read them to my new baby that we started extra early! Reading is also one of the earliest memories I have of my mom, so it is very near and dear to my heart. She would read me all of her favorite books! The fun thing too is that now that my son is one he will bring books over for me to read to him! We love making funny gestures and using his finger to point out what's on the pictures. BabyLit books are some of my especial favorites for newborns to help not only their word development but their eyesight, too! The bright colors make for some amazing visual stimulation and since they are all classic stories that I knew I was able to make up more detailed stories every time.

Tummy Time and Sensory Play

My baby did not like tummy time until we bought an activity gym that he could lay on. It had a mirror, hanging toys, and built in textures and sounds. He began learning so many new things and he played with it through all stages of development. Money well spent! These are great because it makes it so that no matter where your kiddo looks they will see something interesting and fun! Great way to keep them entertained and show them some new things.

Don't Forget the Face Time

Face-to-face interaction has been proven to make your baby happy. Why? Because baby's come ready-made to love looking at faces! So smile and talk with a calm voice to your baby when they are awake - this will help you two build a strong bond. I found that talking to my baby while I was doing skin-to-skin helped him be a great nurser! It made it more enjoyable for me and also calmed him even more.

I loved playing with my new little man and hopefully you can find a routine that works for you! Some days I just cuddled my baby and watched Netflix which is 100% ok, too! ;)

Love always,

Tash

Header Photo Credit: Crowley Party