I left a career as a corporate executive to focus on designing and raising my daughter. With this dramatic change in lifestyle, I made a conscious decision to raise my daughter with innovation. Today’s children have too many toys and gadgets that they don’t use or appreciate. What they really want and need is their parents’ time, attention, and help to foster their natural curiosity.
I never considered documenting the daily activities I do with my daughter until I started hearing the same comments over and over again from people who first met my daughter:
- “She’s So Conscious”
- “Wow. He really looks you in the eye.”
- “She’s following everything I’m doing.”
I focus on simple, very practical activities with my daughter every day. There are many simple things that parents can do with their babies that will provide significant benefits and require little more than time.
- Look your baby in the eye. A lot of. This sounds simple, but we don’t do it as much as we think. It’s very easy to put your child in the swing or, in front of a video, while he tries to do things. It actually doesn’t take that long to look your baby straight in the eye and talk to him.
- Talk to your baby in their language and yours. In fact, my mom encouraged me to speak to my daughter in “her language.” She had read in developmental books that babies see it as a compliment and a boost to their courage when you respond to their sounds with the same sounds. I gave it a try and it has been quite fun and rewarding for both my daughter and me. She’s starting the squeal and babble phase, so I try to respond to her squeal and babble sound for sound from her. She loves it, smiles and usually talks back to me. We do this several times a day and she makes us happy and smiling. I also talk to her throughout the day in “my” language.
- Show him how you’re doing things. First thing in the morning, I talk to my daughter, asking her questions and explaining what’s going on. I tell her we’re going to change her diaper and then I’m going to get dressed and make the bed while she plays in her crib. I show him the pillows before putting them on the bed. One of our favorite times of the day is when I wash my face and put on my makeup. My daughter has gotten used to “helping” me and she sits back and smiles with delight as we go through the process together. I take the cleaner and tell him what it is. I bend down and show her the bottle and she smiles. She watches me wash my face. I explain the face cream I’m using and show him the bottle. I squeeze some of the cream into my hand as she watches. I show her each type of makeup and tell her what I’m using it for. I tell her the color of the tube of mascara “orange”. I do the same while preparing breakfast. It is a delicious and wonderful time for us every day. She constantly amazes me how attentive she is and how excited she gets when I show her what’s going on.
- Let her do what you’re doing. When I am cooking or baking, I try to have my daughter with me in the kitchen. I think this has many benefits in the short and long term. In the long run, I hope that she is developing a love of cooking and feelings of happiness associated with being in the kitchen. In the short term, we are spending time together and she is learning about food and how things work in the kitchen. This holiday, I made various Christmas cookies and candies. My 5 month old daughter was with me in her swing or her stroller. I showed him the sugar and flour and explained how we measure them. I gave her plastic measuring cups to hold while I used the metal ones. To my surprise, she was very interested in the whole process and she didn’t get fussy for quite a while (usually almost long enough to mix and cook a batch of cookies). Another example is having breakfast reading the newspaper. Every morning we sit together and have breakfast. My daughter “helps” me make breakfast and then sits in her swing while I eat and read the paper. I talk to her and explain stories or advertisements. She plays with some basic toys. Once I’m done, we “make” her cereal together. He loves to watch the water heat up in the microwave. She squeals with delight when she opens the door and sees the bowl. She watches fascinated as she mashes up a banana. When she’s done eating, I put her on my lap and let her “read” the newspaper. She gleefully grabs a section, crumples it, waves it, tears it, and squeals with delight. I wouldn’t trade these mornings for anything.
These simple things take a little more time each day, but will benefit as you begin to see your baby respond. The list of activities you can do with your child is limited only by her imagination, and most of these activities require little or no financial investment. Most importantly, have fun! Use your imagination and share an innovative moment with your baby today.