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