The beginning stage of an infant’s life is mostly spent in sleeping, pooping, crying and eating. As a parent, most of your time is taken by meeting these daily demands. Apart from these basic physiological needs, a baby also needs to learn how to live in this new world. With a short attention span and quickly developing skills, it can get very hard to find activities your baby should do daily that will help you keep them engaged for long.
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Making a daily schedule for the baby and sticking to it may seem overwhelming because there are so many things you’re just learning now as you’re getting used to keeping a new tiny person alive, but you’ll see how much establishing a daily routine and activities for baby will leave you both satisfied. Establishing a routine for little ones help you make sure that they are developing in all the important aspects of their growth and development.
So, to help you in establishing that routine, here’s a list of 15 activities that your baby should do daily.
1) Go outdoors for a walk with your little one.
Take out your baby stroller, strap in your baby, grab an outdoor baby blanket and go to a park. Describe the things you come across to your baby e.g. trees, cars, airplanes, roads, animals, and birds, etc. Also, try to squeeze in a long walk for yourself as well. This will help you unwind from the stress of being home all day long.
2) Reading to your baby should be the most important part of your routine.
It’s never too early to start reading to your little one. As babies are keener in eating things than reading, so buy baby books they can chew on, can’t be torn and can easily be washed in a washing machine in case of spit-up or vomiting. You can even read them a book that you want to read. Just get them used to hear you read.
3) Seeing your baby shake their little booty to a song is the cutest milestone ever.
Making music and dance a part of daily routine helps you in creating a sensory environment for your baby and according to research, it also helps in the development of their complex neural pathways. Introduce your baby to the music you like for now and then let them decide what they want to listen to when they’re older.
4) Introduce your baby to art.
Give your baby the supplies and let them get carried away by their imaginations. As babies don’t understand and follow rules, so, this type of art is perfect for them to learn and get creative.
5) Give your baby some space to practice their recently accomplished skills.
As babies learn to roll over, sit up, crawl and then walk, let them practice whenever they achieve new milestones. If they need a little push, then give them a hand but letting them explore on their own is very important for their growth and development.
6) Tummy time is a very important activity to include in a baby’s routine.
Start as soon as you bring your newborn baby home. Lay them down on your chest or floor on a blanket for few minutes and gently lift their head with support. After your baby gets used to it, gradually increase the duration of tummy time but under supervision. This will help baby to learn head and neck control and develop their core muscles. As lots of babies don’t like tummy time, you can try placing some toys or baby mirrors in front of them, or you can also lay down next to them and play with them during this time to make them like it.
7) Let them play with a friend.
It’s very important even for babies to socialize. So, with help from your fellow mommies arrange for playdates during your walks to park and let your babies play and socialize together.
8) Take care of their basic physical needs.
This is the most obvious activity. From giving them baths, to changing their diapers, feeding them when they are hungry. If you meet all of their physical needs then you’re already doing enough.
9) Respond to your baby’s cries and other needs with love and undivided attention.
This is because babies who learn to rely on their parents grow up with less stress and are eager to learn.
10) Show and tell your baby that you love them
Let your baby know and see that you love them even though they probably won’t understand the meaning behind these words. Your actions and your loving tone will tell all the stories they needed to know.
11) Let your little one create a mess.
According to research, being messy and encouraging babies to more dirty play makes them very smart because it increases creativity. Though it will increase a bit of your workload, you can teach your kid to clean up after playing later on when they’re a bit older.
12) Limit screen time.
American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) discourages the use of phones and laptops for babies under 18 months old except for when video chatting with a loved one. The reason behind this is that screen time abundance decreases interaction with the outside world and it also causes irregular sleep issues, obesity, and behavioral problems.
13) Use different things to make your baby laugh.
There’s nothing more relaxing in this world than hearing your baby laugh. It also helps them in developing a good sense of humor. Just find out what things make your baby laugh then repeat those things to get a giggle out of them. You can also use some props like, funny hat, big sunglasses, etc. to do the deed.
14) If your baby is on the move, they are surely curious to raid your cupboards.
Instead of making them all baby proof, leave one designated for play — it’s a great way to allow some controlled exploration in the kitchen. Put some pots, pans, wooden spoons, and other safe objects within the baby’s reach so that they can entertain themselves while Mom or Dad is busy in the kitchen.
15) Give your baby two toys to hold in both hands.
When he’s holding both toys, offer a third one and see which one your baby likes the best. This will help them in the decision making process. So, in a way, it’s a both mental as well as physical activity for baby.
Above are 15 activities your baby should do daily. Just do the activities you think are important for your baby. As long as their basic needs are met, your baby will be happy and healthy no matter what other activities you decide to include in their routine.
