The first way that babies are able to explore their world is though their skin. It is the largest organ, so it has the largest representation in their brain. By providing stimulation to your baby’s skin, you are teaching him a lot about his world.
Tips to teach your baby about the world through touch:
- As you give your baby a sponge bath or rub lotion on his body, say his body parts so you are also giving him some language to process at the same time.
- Use his palmar grasp (when you put pressure in the palm of his hand, he will close his fingers) and his plantar grasp (when you put pressure at the base of his toes on the bottom of his foot, he will curl his toes) to have him touch and “hold” your finger and other small objects so he processes the sensation on his hands and feet.
- Start encouraging him to bring his hands to his mouth. This is how he will explore his world in a few short weeks.
- Gently rub her scalp with your fingertips. Her scalp is tender from the birth process, but a very gentle massage shows her love and helps to heal.
- Use your index finger to stroke downward on her lips to cue her to open her mouth to eat. Lips have a lot of nerve endings and this is very stimulating to your baby’s brain, so you will be helping her open her mouth, but also teaching her that it is time to eat.