Tuning in to your baby’s gestures in social interactions enhances the bonding process. Follow a little look, touch, movement or sound. These are the body language signals your baby uses to communicate her interest to interact or need to take a break. Let your baby take the lead in your social interactions. Even a two-month-old’s ability to turn her head to each side lets her regulate her excitement by turning toward or away from stimulation in social interactions.

After some time, the dads went their separate ways, when a new father appeared from next door carrying his week old baby gingerly. Being new at putting the car seat with baby in it in the car, his movements were delicate and precise so as not to disturb his baby. One father with his toddler crossed the street to see the baby and congratulate the new father. They stood for the longest time, gazing at the new baby and chatting together. In these little day-to-day interactions, dads support dads!

This supports our focus on Movement Development and FloorMoves activities for your baby right from the start!

When you provide your baby with enough floor space to play, he can initiate his own play explorations. While observing your baby, actively focus on what he is doing. The more familiar you become to your baby’s responses, the easier it will be for you to recognize how his movement development enhances his self-motivated play explorations.

Read more about FloorMoves Tips for You and Your Baby in this article -
e-Newsletter 2 April 2010.

Readers Blog Comment:
“Amazing Babies” is a fantastic book about infant motor development that suggests games for parent & baby and exercises for the parent alone to explore the lines of movement that are developed in the first year of life (e.g. the head/tail developmental line that results in picking up the head, the side line that results in side-bending, the contralateral line essential for crawling, etc.). Tons of fun and fascinating to the new parent. After reading through this book you will have a gut-level understanding as to why walkers do not help and actually hinder motor development.
Donna Luder
Monteray, California

Most new parents know about the significance of placing their baby on the back to sleep but may not appreciate the importance of placing their baby on the tummy for play.  Many babies are still missing out on this important daily developmental movement activity.

When you prepare a special place on the floor to participate in Tummy Time each day, you are providing a nurturing environment that encourages your baby’s natural movement development. From this dynamic foundation babies become active explorers, expressive communicators and self-motivated learners.

Tummy Time for Two

When you are also on the floor, you can share in the joy of moving and learning together.  Before you know it Tummy Time will become your baby’s favorite activity to do  several times a day.  When you play at your baby’s level, you can extend your baby’s social time by your warm attention, smiles and vocalizing your encouragement. Following your baby’s lead, you can create spontaneous games that enhance your growing relationship.

If this is your first visit, we are delighted to introduce you to our new interactive website for parents, caregivers, educators and professionals.  If you are a returning customer from our Amazing Babies website, online since 2001, you will notice our new Logo emphasizes our focus on Movement.  Our team has been working behind the scenes for many months to make this an exciting and informative learning experience for you.  We value your feedback and look forward to your comments in our Baby Buzz Blog.

During the first year, your shared interactions are often body-to-body.  Resting comfortably in your arms, your baby picks up a variety of cues from you: your focus of attention, your hand and arm pressure, your breathing pattern, vocal tone and expressive actions.  A baby can quickly sense how you are feeling.  Notice when your baby is fussy that he calms down when you are holding him close to you and you are humming, cooing, or singing to him.  He may be enjoying the sound of your voice and also the sound vibrations resonating from your chest. You may also experience him cuddling and nuzzling into your neck.

In the first two months, your baby could focus on your face best in your arms from 8 – 12 inches away. In his everyday interactions, it is still your lively face that captures his attention. You can see how your baby’s expressive communication repertoire is expanding. Babies smile in response to smiles, and also prompt smiles in others.

Your baby’s face-to-face interactions are really whole-body experiences. When babies and parents gaze and smile at each other, they respond with their whole body. When your baby sees your animated face, he responds from head to toe, with a little body wriggle, open hands and beaming face – just for you!

Tummy Time for Two is essential during this pre-locomotion stage from newborn to the end of five months. The best way for your baby to develop her visual sense is through moving her body. In Tummy Time play, your baby develops the necessary head and neck control that promotes her developing visual control. Your baby’s ability to flex her head and tuck her chin when she’s on her tummy while supporting herself on her forearms is significant for all her visual play explorations. Choosing developmentally appropriate toys facilitates your baby’s handling skills and contributes to her eye-hand coordination.

Parents and caregivers can make a supreme difference in a baby’s natural movement development by taking an active approach to parenting. When you provide enough floor space for your baby to play, she can practice her natural movement explorations, building her movement vocabulary, day by day. When you are at your baby’s level you are ready for her spontaneous, playful cues. Whether observing or moving with your baby, you develop a deep appreciation for her remarkable accomplishments.