In order to support the process of growth and development of the Little One, Mother and Father are recommended to routinely provide stimulation to the Little One. Stimulating the baby can be done in various ways. Come onHere are some easy ways to stimulate baby that Mom and Dad can do at home.
When a baby is born, the baby's sense of hearing and touch is actually fully developed. Meanwhile, the other three senses, namely the senses of sight, smell, and taste, It may take several months for it to function properly. One way that the three senses are able to develop optimally is to provide stimulation to each of the baby's senses.
How to Stimulate a Good Baby
Here are some ways to stimulate your baby that you can try:
Vision
When a newborn is born, the baby's ability to see is still very limited. He is only able to see things with a visibility of about 20-30 cm. In addition, babies are also not able to distinguish colors, so that only black and white can be seen. However, he can already see the faces of those closest to him.
When he is 4 months old, babies begin to be able to distinguish various colors. To stimulate your little one's vision, Mother and Father can do the following ways:
- Decorate the nursery with bright colors and attractive patterns.
- Talk to your little one even though he doesn't understand what Mom or Dad said. This can stimulate your little one's ability to detect changes in the facial expressions of the people around him.
- Play peek-a-boo, especially when your little one is 4 months old. It is useful to help coordinate eye and hand movements.
There are various baby games that can train the senses of sight, hearing, and touch such as textured toys, toys with music, or even a shatterproof mirror. To stimulate their sense of sight, Mom and Dad can choose toys with contrasting motifs and colors.
Hearing
Babies can actually hear since they are still in the womb. While still in the womb, the little one can already hear the sound of the mother's heartbeat, the sound of the movement of the digestive tract, and also the voices of mother and father.
At birth, your little one may already know the voices of Mom and Dad that he had heard before while still in the womb.
To stimulate your little one's hearing, you can invite him to talk, sing, or tell a story. Mothers can also play music with a soft and soothing rhythm.
This activity is able to train your little one's ability to respond to sounds and increase his vocabulary later when he starts learning to speak. Do it for at least 10 minutes every day.
Touch
Mom and Dad can stimulate the Little One's sense of touch by hugging or holding him. Mom and Dad can also try the kangaroo method. In addition to making him feel comfortable, this method can also strengthen the bond between Mom and Dad and the Little One.
Not only by often hugging or holding your little one, you can also give your little one a toy or book that is equipped with embossed and smooth textured images for him to touch.
smell
The baby's ability to smell is actually quite developed since he was born. Babies are able to recognize the smell of breast milk and the smell of their mother's body. These scents can even make babies feel comfortable and safe.
To stimulate your little one's sense of smell, you can use aromatherapy with a soft fragrance, such as lavender, mint leaves, telon oil, and almond oil. In addition to stimulating the baby's smell, this scent can also make the baby calmer.
At the age of 6 months, babies begin to use their sense of smell to determine the type of food they like or not. At this stage, you can provide a variety of foods each day.
However, when you want to stimulate your little one's sense of smell, you should not give a scent that is too sharp, such as perfume or room deodorizer. Also avoid giving aromatherapy that makes your little one look fussy and feel uncomfortable.
taste
When a new baby is born, the easiest way to stimulate the baby's sense of taste is to regularly give exclusive breastfeeding.
Mothers can eat a variety of foods with different tastes during breastfeeding. This is because the nutrients and taste of the food that you consume can be absorbed by breast milk so that your little one can also feel it.
When your little one is 6 months old, you can introduce him to complementary foods (MPASI).
To get your little one used to eating various types of food while simultaneously stimulating their sense of taste, Mother can give them various types of food with different textures and tastes, such as the sweet taste of pounded fruit or sweet potato, the salty and savory taste of cheese or chicken soup, and the taste sourness of yogurt.
Mother can also provide pudding with a variety of fruit flavors. However, avoid giving foods that have a spicy taste or have a sharp smell.
In addition to stimulating the baby's sense of taste, providing food with various types of flavors can also prevent the baby from becoming a picky eater picky eater later.
During the first month or 2 months of his birth, the baby will spend most of his time sleeping. Mother can provide stimulation when the Little One wakes up. However, keep in mind that babies can be fussy if they are overstimulated.
Basically, every baby's developmental stage is unique and different. So Mom and Dad don't have to worry if your little one hasn't reacted as expected when he or she is receiving stimulation for growth and development for the first time.
However, if your little one's growth rate seems much different from other babies his age or if he has certain health problems, you can consult a pediatrician to determine whether your little one's growth is normal or delayed and what causes it.
