A Healthy Childhood
There’s a weird nature to parenthood that is hard to reconcile. On the one hand, you want to protect your baby from all the crazy things you went through growing up that were unpleasant. On the other hand, all those funky experiences helped round you out as a person until you became the strong individual you are today.
So you need to shelter your child, but go too far overboard and you’ll limit their ability to fully embody the potential with which they were born. What a Catch-22! There are lots of ways to address this, one of the wisest involves giving your baby a well-rounded upbringing from the very beginning. We’ll explore how here.
1. Classical Music and Animals
Classical music has been shown to have a positive impact on the development of a child’s brain. Animals can also be developmentally stimulating. If you’ve got a cat or a dog, it’s not a bad idea to let the baby interact with said animal—under supervision, of course. The family cat or dog may even “adopt” your newborn, acting as additional protection.
Stimulation is important for young children, but there’s a limit to all things, and you’ll want to be there to monitor interaction between babies and animals. Also, classical music is excellent, but don’t be afraid to let your baby listen to other genres as well, and see how they react. More stimuli for their mind leads to more thinking, and quicker cognitive development.
2. Help With Breastfeeding
Breastfeeding is healthiest for you and your baby, but it can be inconvenient to feed in public, if you’re a working mom the act may not be feasible, and even if you don’t have any embarrassment around these situations, your baby may not latch right. There’s a learning curve here. Follow the link for breastfeeding latch tips.
3. The Presence of Dad
Fathers are too often sidelined by mothers right after the baby is born. While it’s definitely true that the child needs mom more than dad during the first few years of life, that doesn’t mean there’s no place for the father, or that your baby’s daddy should be excluded in any way.
Both parents are necessary for mental, physical, emotional, and cognitive development. You can follow this link for some more information on this reality.
Assisting Your Child’s Early Development
For your child’s best and healthiest development in their early days, you’ll want to take a concerted, direct approach which includes active stimulation through music, through pets, and through engagement. Keep the dad of your newborn in that baby’s life. Also, lean into breastfeeding if you’re able.
Most mothers will be able to breastfeed, and this ends up being healthier for them and their newborn than formula alternatives. In a word, if you want your child to develop in the most natural and healthy way, you need to be present. So prioritize being there for your baby.