Here at Gymboree Play & Music, we just love Spring! There are puddles to splash in and blooming flowers can be found everywhere.
Spring is known for being the season of early development and in the month of March we are recognizing the importance of child development that encompasses physical, emotional, and cognitive elements in little one’s between the ages of 0 to 3. In these early years, building bonds with parents and caregivers can promote healthy brain development that is critical for learning.
Sometimes bonding with your baby happens naturally and other times it takes a bit longer for that bond to occur. Strong attachments will help your tiny ones learn and connect with others easier by continuing to build and grow these bonds.
Here are six ways you can promote bonding with your baby:
1. Put Your Phone Away
Don’t miss out on all the precious moments your tiny one is experiencing for the first time. Family and loved ones will understand if you don’t respond to messages and calls right away.
2. Keep A Journal of Baby’s First Years
The first few years of your tiny one’s development will fly by. Record all those precious moments you are creating together to preserve those memories.
3. Skin to Skin Contact
Skin-to-skin contact enables you to learn your baby’s signals sooner. It improves communication and assists with boosting maternal confidence that develops a sense of trust and security within your tiny one.
4. Play
It’s no secret that the best types of learning happen through play! In early development, play comes in many forms, from singing songs to your tiny one, to looking in the mirror together. These simple acts encourage the exploration of sound and sight when babies start to recognize voices and facial expressions. At Gymboree Play & Music we are all about the Tummy Time activity! Tummy Time is a type of play that is not only fun and engaging but promotes movement and strengthens muscles.
5. Don’t Stress the Milestones
Every baby develops at their own pace. It is hard not to compare or obsess about where your tiny one should be at each stage of development. Try to enjoy the moment and know that your baby will reach those milestones when they are ready.
6. You Are Enough
By meeting your tiny one’s daily needs, you have already begun to bond with your baby. Be proud of your super mom achievements and know that you are enough!
Spring into action and continue to bond with your baby!
