Teaching Your Baby: First 5 California
Today’s post is brought to you by First 5 California #TalkReadSing. For more information on sponsored posts, please view our Disclosure page.
When I had my first baby seven years ago, I was lost. I didn’t know what to buy or what to do to help her grow and learn, and everyone I spoke to seemed to have a different opinion! My husband and I didn’t have a lot of money to buy fancy toys or take baby learning classes, so we tried to do what we could with what we had. We quickly learned that you don’t need a lot of “things” to help your baby grow and learn, but instead just a few tools and some time.
Did you know that 90% of a child’s brain is formed in the first 5 years of life? Sounds intimidating, doesn’t it? But it doesn’t have to be! You just need to remember three words – Talk. Read. Sing. Communication with your baby is so important. They may not be able to understand what you are saying in those first few weeks following birth, but they will learn by listening to you! Babies need to hear the way that you speak so that they can learn how to speak themselves, and the more words they hear the better vocabulary they will have.
Where do you start? If you think about Talk Read Sing all day long, you will always find an opportunity to communicate with your child. It can be as easy as reading a book out loud to your baby. It doesn’t even have to be a baby book! You can read the newspaper or a magazine – anything you have on hand. They just need to hear you. When my kids were babies I would think out loud. I would say what I was writing down for my grocery list, or go over my to-do list while we were driving. I even talked to them at the market while walking around “What do we need next? Let’s look at the list.”
Another way I like to interact with my babies was by looking around while we were at the park. “Look, it’s a squirrel!” or “Where are the flowers at?” This type of communication is great for making babies aware of their surroundings also. There is so much for them to learn and they can’t do it alone!
For more suggestions, be sure to visit the First 5 California website. It is a great resource for you to learn how to interact with your child to ensure that they develop into bright, well-rounded children ready for school! The first 5 years are crucial to your child. Learning starts from Day 1 and should never stop. The website offers free downloads such as the book The Power of Play which shares activity ideas for children 0-36 months. There are also activity sheets and coloring pages, as well as book suggestions for kids of all ages. If you live in California they have locations all over the state that you can visit to learn more.
Are you ready to get started? It’s never too late to start teaching your child and it doesn’t have to be difficult! It should be a fun experience for both of you. Visit the First 5 California website to find out how! Also, be sure to stay connected with First 5 California on Facebook and Twitter!
