This is an excerpt of an article posted on Baby Center, featuring Dr. Donna Housman.
Play may not be top of mind when you're caring for a newborn. After all, the day can fill up quickly with long (and frequent) feeding sessions, diaper changes, and naps. When each of my two sons were newborns, I felt like it was all I could do to simply stay on top of all of the dirty laundry and keep them fed and clean.
But play can start to be a part of your daily routine even in the earliest newborn weeks, experts say — and it will become more and more critical as your little one becomes more engaged and alert. From 0 to 3 months of age, your baby is soaking up everything around them like a sponge.
"Your newborn will grow and change more in their first year of life than during any other time, making it an exciting — and, at times, anxiety-producing — age, particularly for first-time parents," says Donna Housman, Ed.D., a clinical psychologist and CEO of the Housman Institute in Newton Centre, Massachusetts.
By the time your baby is 3 months old, they'll likely have mastered some pretty major skills, including smiling at you, making non-crying sounds ("muh-muh" or "bah-bah"), and pushing up on elbows during tummy time, among others. Here are 15 ways you can play your with newborn, meet these milestones, and fill their earliest days with fun.
About Housman Institute
Founded by Dr. Donna Housman, Ed.D, the Housman Institute is an early childhood teacher training, research, and advocacy organization that seeks to provide the building blocks of emotional intelligence for lifelong learning and success.
###
Housman Institute, LLC
831 Beacon Street, Suite 407
Newton, MA 02459
info@housmaninstitute.org
(508)379-3012
Explore
Our Products
Legal
Connect
Contact
Join our Mailing List!
Subscribe to receive our newsletter, latest blogs, and ECSEL resources.
We respect and value your privacy.