When To Start Teaching Your Baby (2)

With you or without you, your baby will be learningneeds to be done in a natural and relaxed way.
from the moment she is born and starts to take in herSaffron is now 20 months, and for many months now
new surroundings. Every sight and sound will be a partshe has been the one to decide what she wants to
of her learning process; she will observe everythingdo at bedtime: a story, nursery rhymes, her new
you do and listen to every word you say. And as theteaching cards. Respect her choice, and you help her
months pass, she will eventually start to copy.mature as a child; but let it be known it is her bed time.
Fully conscious teaching, with books and other articlesIf her demand is to get up and play again, then you
of learning, will come much later on; but of course, it isneed to be firm, or you will stack up problems for later.
entirely up to you.With our baby daughter, Saffron, IYou should be the boss, but she should be able to
started reading her a bed time story at about sixmake a reasonable choice.Sometimes she will surprise
months old. She could not understand fully, but it gaveyou. Saffron got bored with the bed time stories
her exposure to books, and the comfort of a bed timerecently, and all she wanted for a few nights was
routine, with my voice and sounds, and the pictures insomething to hold. For a few bed times, she wanted a
the book. It did not matter that every evening it wasbook to hold as she lay down, despite the fact there
Goldilocks and the Three Bears, or one of the otherwas no chance of reading it once the light was out.
old favourites in the book. Here in the Philippines thereThen it was one of her dolls, and next back to stories
are not many books of children's stories in theand nursery rhymes again.All learning should be
stores.Repetition does not matter, in fact it is part ofpressure free, and fun for the baby. If she wants to
the comfort for the baby. That routine helped tolearn alone, let her. If she wants your help, help her.
ensure that she slept contented every night, and hasTeaching your baby can be a wonderfully rewarding
only woken once since. That was recently when sheexperience. You will probably find she will, in a way,
seems to have had a bad dream. A quick cuddle, andteach you what she wants to learn about. If you
she was back to sleep again.One thing to always bearstimulate her mind, and she is observant, she will be
in mind is that your baby, whatever age, will know andpointing out things from a very young age. It is
understand far more than you think. All the while, whenimportant for you to participate with her. If she points
she is not talking, she will be picking up words and theirat the moon and gets excited, explain to her what it is;
meanings. Those words will eventually come outif she points to a bird, do the same.Babies learn an
verbally, even if they don't sound quite right to beginenormous amount in a short time. By conversing with
with.Personally, I think it is important to speak to a babythem in a normal way, they will understand simple
in a normal, adult like way and never limit your speechinstructions before you know it. But they do make
to what you think she knows. A bright child especiallysimple associations and follow those instructions literally.
will take in just about everything you say when theyAt about 15 months, Saffron often left a bit of her
are past 6 months, and remember it longer than youfood at meal times and I would finish it for her. After
would expect. One day they will surprise you, andthis went on a few weeks, I remarked that I was her
follow your instruction over something you had no ideagarbage bin. A few weeks more passed, and she had
they could understand.From a very early age, it is bestfinished eating an apple one day, and offered her mum
to "explain while you talk while you do". If you arethe core. Her mum said: "Put it in the garbage." Saffron
feeding her potato, tell her it is potato; if you arewent toddling off, not to the garbage bin, but to me. I
preparing a bottle of milk, tell her you are making herwas the garbage bin to her, because that is what I had
milk. Every time you do something in front of her, it is"taught" her a few weeks earlier.That brought lots of
an opportunity to teach her about what is happeninglaughs, but when she was corrected the revised
around her. By doing so you will speed her knowledgeknowledge stuck, and now in the same situation she
and understanding, expose her more to language, andwanders off to find the real garbage bin.Teaching your
also help to build your relationship with her. Bybaby is a daily and ongoing activity, but one that can
conversing with her all the time, you are showing herjust be melded in with your normal activities. It's a fun
respect as an individual, and that will help hertime for both of you, so enjoy it while you can.This
confidence and feeling of belonging. If you treat her asteaching baby article was written by Roy Thomsitt,
dumb, she will be dumb.There is no need to force aowner author of the Bouncing New Baby website.
baby to learn anything. To be effective and useful, it