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Do you remember as a would-be- daddy how well you connected with the baby inside your partner’s womb? Although we know that:
- going for the prenatal check-ups with your wife
- Joining the antenatal classes together
- Designing the nursery together
- Making a birth plan hasn’t been easy for you. But, both of you as parents-to-be tried to meet all the challenges before your baby’s birth.
However, with the mewling little one in your arms, and with the father’s day just around the corner, you can follow these parenting tips for the development of your new-born.
Parenting Tips For Infants
At the end of your wife’s pregnancy journey, you must have secretly heard your wife praising you for being the most responsible and supportive partner ever. Hearing that, you surely feel like cloud 9, but your work is not over yet! As you graduate from being a responsible would-be-daddy to becoming the most responsible father you just have to be aware of a few things:
Feel Sleep-deprived
Newborn care after delivery is essential. So, when your partner as new mommy feels tired after feeding the little one many times, be cordial to her by:
- holding the baby,
- Cuddling her for some time and
- Changing the soiled nappies even in the middle of the night. You might feel sleep-deprived with your wife, but your touch makes the baby feel absolutely safe and secure. In this way, a positive and trustworthy foundation is built between you and your little one.
Understand the Cues
Those delightful cooing and tiring crying are part of your newborn’s baby development. As first-time parents, it’s not just your wife, as a mother, who should be responsible for understanding your baby’s cues. Since raising a child is teamwork, as you graduate to become a doting and responsible father, it is your duty to understand your mewling little one’s behaviour and language. With time you’ll also be able to understand and respond to your baby’s needs. For instance, you can sing, talk, or walk your cuddly one while he or she’s crying in-between the feeding sessions. In this way, you happen to create a lot of one–on–one time with your little one and this stimulates your newborn’s brain development.
Parental Guidance in Child Development
As your child proceeds from the 6 months onwards, your child takes the first step, smiles for the first-time, and even tries to wave. He or she babbles or says “ma –ma” or “da – da”. Here is a few parental guidance during these development stages of your baby’s life:
Play, or Gently Clap in Front of Your Little One
Do all these things, as he or she starts achieving his or her milestones from birth to 12 months old – from crawling or moving his or her arms, fingers, and eyes. If you notice your little one is smiling in response, that means he or she’s getting attention.
Expose Your Little One to Books
The first few years of your baby’s life are crucial for your little one’s cognitive milestones. In this case, you can pick some books and introduce them to your baby. There are board, musical, puppet books, etc. We know that it will be difficult for your child to understand the meaning of every word at such an early stage. However, with the right rhythm and change in the tonal quality (like sounds of water, lion or any other character), you can emphasise your speech and make him or her understand easily. Your baby will be more familiar with your voice. Also, reading to your little one will also help him or her understand and learn the language faster.
Talk to Him or Her
Yes! Maybe by praising her. Or by simply talking to him or her for fun. Your little one’s listening and learning skills will improve.
Spend a lot of time cuddling and pampering him or her. We know that the starting journey of fatherhood is tough, but the journey is a beautiful one. In parenting, fathers, like mothers, are pillars of emotional and physical support for a child. Studies have indeed shown that, an affectionate and supportive dad plays a big role in developing a child’s cognitive and social development. As your little girl grows up, she depends upon you, as her daddy for her sense of security. As your little boy grows up, he will grow up imitating his father. Additionally, it instils an overall sense of well-being in children.
Happy Father’s Day!