domsmom asked:
my son is 6 months old. what are some good ways and ideas to help stimulate him and help him learn the things for his age group. i buy him as many educational toys as i can keep up with, we go for walks, tummy time, rainforest jumper, bouncer, crib toys, rattles, a few CDs….i read simple books to him, does anyone know of any good baby book authors? i feel sometimes since he can only keep attention to things for a short time that i am not playing enough with him, or when he is sitting in his bouncer while i have to clean up dishes, or i have to ‘get ready’ for work..that i am not giving him enough attention, i am not doing a good job. so what can i do?
January 31st, 2009 at 12:07 am
Colors are always good for mental stimulation and memorization(proven by scientists). Try buying thing that are colorful and still educational for your son.
January 31st, 2009 at 5:37 pm
im pretty poor so my kids get to play with whatever i find around the house…
February 2nd, 2009 at 11:50 am
Sounds like your doing a great job.
Babies don’t need to be stimulated all the time, in fact some would prefer a little quiet time to reflect. Some children more than others. Our son was a quiet thoughtful type where our daughter is into everything… neither is a problem.
Check out any groups around you like baby clubs. Some areas are more lucky than others and this you cannot control, we are lucky to have groups almost 7 days a week near us like “Baby Sign ; Toddler group ; Learning through Play courses ; etc”
My wife has done a lot of these courses and if you want her email address then just send me a message, I’m sure she’d be happy to correspond with you.
Good Luck
Paul
(Son Aged 6 / Daughter Aged 1)
February 5th, 2009 at 4:31 pm
well, kids of this age have attraction to colours isnt it ,,so try to teach him whatever u do wit hsome colourfull approach,, like may be u would buy a set of numbers or alphabets moulded in plastic … see to it that they are of different colours,, coz ok alphabets are alread ydifferent when u se and pronounce them but kids will enjoy and rememebr easily if colours are different.. may be he will like certain colour very much and remember tht numebr or alphabet…
same thing u can buy animals ,plastic ones and teach him..
but 6months old i feel its very early to be doin this still u can try slowly and steadily,,,and when he is abt to go to KG class
u can make him lear n counting using his own fingers, by holding them and making him count frm 1 to 10 ,,all fingers closed and counting 1 t o10 open each finger for one count … u must have got wat i mean…
apart frm this when u eat fruiets u can keep telling him in funny manner,,, abt its names and its taste ,,,,
February 7th, 2009 at 5:44 pm
You seem like you’re doing everything you possible can for him, and you seem like a wonderful mom. As long as he is hitting the milestones for his age, he is perfectly fine. I think all mothers worry about not spending enough time or paying enough attention to their babies, I know I do! But my mom and mil always ask me how I have time to do anything because I pay so much attention to my baby, hah! I guess both of them were okay with letting us play alone, a lot more than I am with my little boy. It helps establish some independence and pediatricians recommend a little bit of alone time for your children anyway! As long as they are being watched of course!
edit: also, when I buy toys, I go to the babiesrus website and look for hours reading reviews, hah. I like to know if other babies like it, and what the moms thought about the toys. Hope this helps.
February 11th, 2009 at 1:53 am
My favourite quote is “play time for a child serves just as serious a purpose as a day in the library for a research student”
Babies and children learn by playing. At this age, your son will start to learn object permanence (the knowledge that objects and people still exist even when they are out of sight) so games like peek-a-boo, hiding a toy under a cloth and uncovering etc are good to help him develop that knowledge. Cause and effect toys…where you push something and get a reaction are also great as they are learning about cause-effect at this age as well.
If you are worried about him missing out on things while you are cleaning, you can use this time to talk and sing to him. Singing nursery rhymes allows him to hear rhyme and rythm…both important precursors to literacy development. You can talk about what you are doing (”mummy’s washing the dishes…look…water (drip water)…plate….knife…ooh sharp….”etc etc).
Any picture books are great at this age…
As they get a little bit older books with repetition are great. Some of my favourites are
Where is green sheep?
Koala Lou
Dear zoo
Oh dear
lift the flap books are great too
Oh…and you are doing a GREAT job…the fact that you are trying to find out a bit more shows that you definitely care about your son…
February 13th, 2009 at 11:56 am
No he’s fine! He is only 6 months old and the best thing you can do is to continue to do the things you are already doing! One thing you might do is see if you have a friend with a child the same age and if not get out there and find one! It sometimes is easier for them to learn in play interacting with other kids then us. Not to mention it will give you an adult to hang out with that understand what you go through daily. After all they still think the same and can grow up together! As he grows keep track if he meets the standards for his age group. At his age he should be able to roll over and push him self up to learn to crawl. The baby center is very good for keeping track. It will tell you what your child should be doing for each age. Most of all don’t worry to much because every child is different!
Good luck and have fun with your baby!
February 15th, 2009 at 5:25 pm
hes a baby not a robot to be programed let him be a kid for a while for god sake a cardboard box keeps em going for hrs EVERY thing is new and exciting fo rhte stoping them the hard part just go with the flow and enjoy your son don’t get caught up in this development level crap, we are all different and do and like different things the bigest and most important is to let them see what you are doing thats were there habits are formed.for example you read a book they will want to read a book you watch the tv they will watch tv get the idea.
February 15th, 2009 at 8:51 pm
Sounds like you’re a great mom and doing a great job. Don’t stress too much about buying educational toys and CDs, etc., there’s no real evidence to suggest that any of that adds value, but the costs sure add up. The best thing you can do, in my opinion, is to talk directly to your baby as much as possible. When you’re together, have a running dialogue. Tell him what you’re doing while you are washing dishes or getting ready for work. Babies love the sound of their parents’ voices and while it may be tiring to carry on this monologe, your baby is taking it all in. Talking to him in simple, straightforward language will help boost his vocabulary down the road. Also, make sure he gets plenty of rest. A well rested child is more alert and ready to learn. Give him a routine, so that his world feels predictable and secure. Make sure he’s getting a healthy diet. And of course, lots of hugs, kisses and snuggles. Your love, attention and your ability to create a sense of security for him will do way more than any toy, gadget or gizmo.