Baby’s Amazing Memory
Week 2 of Home Schooling complete – well that’s if you have older children. What a week it has been for me. Home schooling children of different ages, a baby running around and working on top! As well as normal daily duties like sorting out your 8th basket of washing and your kitchen door is now a revolving door with the ‘canteen’ never shutting. But you should turn a negative to a positive – your children will be the happiest they have ever been. Time with their parents/carers all to themselves, in their own homes where they feel safe, surrounded by people who love them. What child wouldn’t enjoy this?
Also some children who could be struggling at school are getting one on one with their parents/carers trying their best to teach them. I personally have found this lockdown so different from back in March. The weather for one is a change and the work load is unbelievable from the school. It’s hard for kids of all ages missing out whatever stage they are at. But we are all on the same boat and we are in this together.
This week we are looking at Month 10/Issue 10 of the Growing Child. This is a wonderful age and your baby has been developing more and more quickly over the last few months. At this stage some babies if you hold them upright around the ribs, they may be able to hold a lot of the weight on their own legs! Be sure to stay close, your baby will always go looking for you anyways for reassurance. When you pick your baby up from their nap or sleep you might see them standing up inside the cot rather than waiting on you to pick them up. The joy in their little faces when you lift them from their nap would melt your heart.
Research studies of memory in infants clearly show that (a) an infant’s memory abilities are much better than was previously realised; (b) infants can use their memories in practical ways; and (c) there is much that parents can do to stimulate the development of their child’s memory.
One of the reasons why child development experts underestimated the memory abilities of infants is because it had long been considered that language – which helps us to label and categorise our experiences – had to be developed before memories could be formed.
We know now that this is not the case.
Here are some things you can do to help your child develop better memory skills.
- Play ‘Memory Games’ – peek-a-boo is a great example of this or hiding toys under stacking cups.
- Talk to your baby while playing these games – explain to your baby what is happening. Although they can’t respond in words they will understand everything.
- Provide stability and routine in your baby’s world.
- Repeat activities and learning experiences – repetition helps memory to hold on to what is learned.
- Sequencing helps memory – put activities in order – for example; bath, night clothes, story then bed). This way your child knows what’s coming next and can prepare for it.
- Provide variety – infants love routine but they can get bored with this and need a variety of activities for new learning to occur.
Repetition is great learning for your child – my little girl is in Primary 1 and the teacher’s state that they go over the same sounds/words/stories every day for 1 week to ensure the child understands it and remembers. It was the same in nursery school. If you go over the same thing each day it will soon register in your child’s head. Also the more to talk to your baby/toddler the more words they will pick up. If you are out on a walk, point out the colours of the leaves, a lorry driving past, the weather, and the seasons. Your baby will pick all this up without you even knowing. Another point – put your phone down and be in the moment with your children. You never know what you might learn about them!
Just remember whether you’re a mummy, daddy, carer or grandparent – you are doing a great job with your children/grandchildren. Life is challenging – if it wasn’t it would be pretty boring and we wouldn’t have much to help us grow and become the people we are today. So embrace this time at home. It won’t last forever!
If you want to read the full article of ‘Baby’s Amazing Memory’ and other interesting information you can buy our online version on our website. Or if you prefer to read the actual book we have these on offer too from our website.
