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This page is for those who want to find out more about babies.

 

Babies and sense

by Mark Lamendola,
former baby

Loving a baby is more than that warm feeling you have because you are a proud parent. There are times when babies lose their cuteness. They get sick, they need diaper changes, they wake you up, and so on.

But it goes deeper than that. A baby is in a state of rapid change. A baby's brain is busy wiring itself for the world the baby sees, hears, smells, tastes, and feels.

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Helping the baby see. From day one, you need to stimulate the baby's eyesight. Mobiles in the crib are nice, but the baby also needs to go outside and see across the horizon. If you are stuck in the city, try to get to an upper floor of a tall building. Don't put the baby up to the glass, but look out the window.

Exercise the baby's near and far vision. Take your baby to the woods, and quietly watch the birds, squirrels, and other animals scurry about. Set the baby on your lap and trace words in books as you read to the baby--believe it or not, this early reading experience does incredible things for the baby's brain.

Helping the baby hear. Many people use the television as a babysitter, thinking it will help the baby learn language. But television is the pits for language--and the sound is too cluttered. Instead, borrow books on tape from the library and let the child hear a story. Take time to read to the baby, yourself. One-on-one attention is wonderful.

Helping the baby smell. Avoid perfumes in your home and on your person--give the baby time to develop a good sense of smell and to know your smell. Keep the air in your house clean. You can buy HEPA filters everywhere, now. Limit your use of harsh cleaners and solvents to times when the baby is not present. Let your home have the aroma of healthy, whole foods--not fast foods or deep-fried foods, as these have odors you don't want your baby to develop an affinity for.

Helping your baby taste. Let your baby taste fresh fruits and vegetables. Unsaturated oils and fats are good for your baby. Don't smother the food with salt, ketchup, sugar, or too many spices. A few condiments are OK, but your baby's "wiring" needs variety to develop properly.

Helping your baby feel. Quiet time with your baby helps--let the baby focus on one major sense at a time.

Your baby must be able to feel in a tactile way--that is, through the fingers and other areas of the skin. Give your baby various textures to feel on the tips of fingers and toes.

Your baby must be able to feel in a kinetic way--that is, through a sense of where each body part is and what it is doing. Touch your baby's feet, hands, and back often. Make your baby aware of his or her limbs, so your baby learns early control of them. Body kinesis is the mark of a good athlete--help give your baby this gift.

Finally, your baby must be able to see without seeing. That is, your baby needs to develop that "sixth sense." With a normal baby, this will happen if you use imaging. You can communicate with your baby with just your mind (my mother has been doing this with me for almost 40 years--I know when she wants me to call her). For example, if your baby is lying on the floor, try doing this: instead of going to the baby, imagine the baby's coming to you. Stimulating your baby's senses in this way will allow your baby to develop that part of the brain that senses danger before sight or sound can. Sadly, most humans do not develop this "sixth sense."

Work with your baby to stimulate all of your baby's senses, and you will have a happier baby who grows into a more powerful adult.
 

Babies Books Sampling

Secrets of the Baby Whisperer: How to Calm, Connect, and Communicate with Your Baby by Tracy Hogg (Mass Market Paperback - July 26, 2005).
When Tracy Hogg’s Secrets of the Baby Whisperer was first published, it soared onto bestseller lists across the country. Parents everywhere became “whisperers” to their newborns, amazed that they could actually communicate with their baby within weeks of their child’s birth. Tracy gave parents what for some amounted to a miracle: the ability to understand their baby’s every coo and cry so that they could tell immediately if the baby was hungry, tired, in real distress, or just in need of a little TLC. Tracy also dispelled the insidious myth that parents must go sleepless for the first year of a baby’s life–because a happy baby sleeps through the night.

Now you too can benefit from Tracy’s more than twenty years’ experience. In this groundbreaking book, she shares simple, accessible programs in which you will learn:
• E.A.S.Y.–how to get baby to eat, play, and sleep on a schedule that will make every member of the household’s life easier and happier.
• S.L.O.W.–how to interpret what your baby is trying to tell you (so you don’t try to feed him when he really wants a nap).
• How to identify which type of baby yours is–Angel, Textbook, Touchy, Spirited, or Grumpy–and then learn the best way to interact with that type.
• Tracy’s Three Day Magic–how to change any and all bad habits (yours and the baby’s) in just three days.

At the heart of Tracy’s simple but profound message: treat the baby as you would like to be treated yourself. Reassuring, down-to-earth, and often flying in the face of conventional wisdom, Secrets of the Baby Whisperer promises parents not only a healthier, happier baby but a more relaxed and happy household as well.

Baby Bargains, 7th Edition: Secrets to Saving 20% to 50% on baby furinture, gear, clothes, toys, maternity wear and much more! by Denise Fields (Paperback - April 25, 2007).
One of the thorniest questions new parents ask themselves is, How are we ever going to pay for this? With the average cost of a baby topping $6,000 for the first year alone, expectant moms and dads need all the creative solutions and cost-cutting ideas they can find. Baby Bargains is the answer. The book lists great deals and money-saving strategies for a wide variety of must-have items, from maternity wear, baby clothes, and diapers to furniture, bedding, and toys.

Extensive charts allow parents to compare and contrast name-brand cribs, strollers, high chairs, child safety seats, baby monitors, and more. Now in its seventh edition, the book has been completely revised and updated to include new sections on toddler topics like potty training and booster seats;the latest news on hot strollers, including new models from Europe; new reviews on ultra-modern nursery furniture brands; extensive charts that compare and contrast name-brand cribs, strollers, high chairs, baby monitors and more; and a special section on Canada bargains, with expanded reviews on Canadian brands and discount sources.

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