Do Infants Play?
My youngest daughter turns three months on Saturday and as the day draws closer, I am reminded of how often people assume that infants don’t play. Yes, much of my day is spent changing diapers (great time to interact by the way) and feeding, but the other parts of my day involve play. Erin interacts with her environment by smiling, laughing and cooing. Each interaction with something new/novel helps her to grow and learn. So, knowing how important the first years of life are to a growing child, I spend time playing with Erin. We play pat a cake, itsy bitsy spider, sing lots of songs, play on the floor with her gym, read lots of stories, time with her sisters and even travel out into the cold weather for walks.
Yes, there are days when her play can be rather monotunous, as it tends to be similar and days can blend into one another but the overall experience that she gains out weighs any boredom on my part. Currently, Erin is working on getting 5 teeth. Yes, I said 5. Two are on their way in and three more are beginning to sprout. We spend many hours chewing on fingers, toys and mommy. This is important work! A baby learns so rapidly. In Erin’s short time in this world, she has mastered tracking an object, following voices, eating, holding her head up, cooing and smiling. Yes, she will continue to work and build on these skills, but that is a huge leap in development.
Posted on January 17th, 2008 by karen
Filed under: Uncategorized