THE IMPORTANCE OF SIGHT Sight is the least developed sense at birth as babies are able to see a distance of 20 - 25 cm,

approximately the distance to mothers' face when cradled at the breast. Babies actually see movement better than colour, and prefer bright, high contrast colours to pastels or gradations. The first 2 years of life is the critical period for wiring human vision properly. Visual experiences are essential in creating the neuronal connections that wire the brain appropriately. By the time babies are 8 months, their vision will be almost adult-like in clarity and depth perception, reaching full maturity at about 2 years of age. A Babys World of Senses In the first 2 years of life, a babys basis for learning is the five senses. A healthy development of these senses will encourage a childs exploration of the multiple intelligences later in life. Tips for Smart Parents: Face to face interactions with your baby will not only reassure your baby, but also teach him about how facial expressions relate to the emotions. Develop your baby's visual skills by exposing him to a variety of interesting sights and talking to him about what he sees. The TV is not the best choice as it can be overstimulating or even upsetting to a baby. Play games that will help your baby track or follow objects with his eyes to stimulate and develop vision and the use of his eye muscles. Hang a mobile over the crib to catch your baby's eyes once colour vision is more developed. Let your baby look at picture books (especially those of high contrast colours) although they might not know what the pictures mean. It still helps as a first step towards picture recognition - an important emergent literacy skill. Use an unbreakable mirror to show your baby what he looks like. In time, he will learn to smile and make sounds when he recognises that he is looking at his reflection.

THE COMFORTS OF SMELL A baby's sense of smell is well developed at birth because the amniotic fluid is rich with smells. Like adults, babies respond in a very similar way to odours, smiling at the scents of bananas and vanilla but frowning and turning away from the smells of fish or rotten eggs. However research also suggests that babies are sensitive to highly specific smells rather than all types. Babies develop a quick preference for certain types of smells - preferring the smell of a lactating woman over a non-lactating one, and preferring the smell of their own mothers over that of other women. A Babys World of Senses In the first 2 years of life, a babys basis for learning is the five senses. A healthy development of these senses will encourage a childs exploration of the multiple intelligences later in life. Tips for Smart Parents: Provide ample opportunities for your baby to experience different smells. Food smells like apple juice, lemons, vanilla and other natural smells should be enjoyable for babies. Experiment and discover if different smells evoke different emotions. Try mandarin to create an uplifting atmosphere and lavender to calm toddlers down. Note that essential oils should not be used for babies below 3 months old. Thereafter, it should be used only sparingly (5 drops to 100ml). Essential oils widely accepted as suitable for use with babies from 6 months include chamomile, lavender, eucalyptus, rose, geranium, sweet orange and tea tree. Use scent to make activities and objects more engaging. Studies have shown that babies tend to manipulate a vanilla scented toy more frequently than an ethanol scented or unscented toy. Items with your baby's scent or your scent are comforting. For example, a baby can identify her

mother's breast milk pad by smell and will find it reassuring. Likewise, a blanket with your baby's scent on it will calm her down; so will an item of clothing with your scent on it. THE DELIGHTS OF TASTE The sense of taste actually starts developing prenatally. The fetus experiences tastes in the amniotic fluid according to what the mother has eaten. This could affectthe baby's taste preferences after birth. Babies tend to show a preference for sweet flavours, includingmother's milk and fruits. Sweet tasting foods activate pleasure chemicals, which in turn lower a baby's heart rate and reduce crying. They are also mother nature's way of indicating food rich in calories that babies need for growth. Babies do not like sour and bitter flavours, and show no reaction to salty flavours till they are about 4 months old. A Babys World of Senses In the first 2 years of life, a babys basis for learning is the five senses. A healthy development of these senses will encourage a childs exploration of the multiple intelligences later in life. Tips for Smart Parents: Breastfeed your baby as much and for as long as possible. (i) Breast milk is high in lactose (milk sugar) and the fats needed for brain development. (ii) Breastfed babies are more likely to eat a wide variety of food later. (iii) IQ tests done on 8 year olds show that the longer babies are breastfed, the higher their IQ. Introduce new foods one at a time, in small amounts. So you can observe if your baby has any adverse reactions to a particular food, which can then be easily eliminated till the digestive system is more developed and tolerant. Be patient when introducing new foods. Babies tend to reject unfamiliar foods and it may take up to 10 tries before they will accept the food. 'Sweet' tasting foods like carrots and pumpkins might be more acceptable than 'bitter' tasting foods like dark green, leafy vegetables. The development and feeding skills of every baby is different. The type and consistency of food offered should be appropriate for each baby. After 6 months, the textures and tastes introduced to a baby can be widely expanded.

THE WONDER OF HEARING Hearing starts to develop by the 20th week of fetal gestation, and newborns clearly recognise sounds, voices and music that they hear while in the womb. This is demonstrated by babies' clear preference for their mothers' voices and babies sucking harder during breastfeeding when they hear familiar music. By the time babies are 3 months old, their brain can distinguish several hundred different spoken words, possibly more than are present in their native language. The brain organises itself around those words heard most frequently and begins to create an auditory map to produce language efficiently. A Babys World of Senses In the first 2 years of life, a babys basis for learning is the five senses. A healthy development of these senses will encourage a childs exploration of the multiple intelligences later in life. Tips for Smart Parents:

Provide your baby with many opportunities to watch your face and hear your voice as this forms early stimulation towards normal vision, hearing and language. Talk and sing to your baby even if you do not think he understands, as this is an important part of language formation. Be aware of your tone and voice because at this stage, your baby is most attracted to the sound, pitch and rhythm of your voice, which carry your emotions and feelings. Music can be soothing for a baby, especially music with a regular, deep beat as it reminds him of their mother's heartbeat. Expose your child to different types of music to see which he prefers. Keep the volume moderate to low to avoid too much stimulation. Quiet and soft music will calm babies and toddlers and rhythmic music will get them excited about moving. THE MAGIC OF TOUCH Touch is the most highly developed sense in a baby, starting as early as 5-6 weeks in the mothers womb. This makes a baby very sensitive, registering the slightest pressure on the skin. Touch is not just essential for general cognitive development but enhances many aspects of mental development as well. Holding and stroking a baby stimulates the brain to release the hormones that promote growth. Touch sensitivity in a baby develops from the head to the toes as the nerves in the spinal cord continue to develop until the child is about 6 years old. A Babys World of Senses In the first 2 years of life, a babys basis for learning is the five senses. A healthy development of these senses will encourage a childs exploration of the multiple intelligences later in life. Tips for Smart Parents: Hold your baby as much as possible as it encourages emotional security as well as sensory stimulation. Massaging your baby not only helps her to relax but it also develops a deep emotional bond between you and your baby. Research has shown that massage can improve the immune system and solve paediatric problems such as fussiness and colic. Use only oils and lotions that do not contain mineral oil as a baby could ingest oil that's on the body. Stroke your baby as research has shown that babies who are stroked spend more time making eye contact, smiling and vocalizing and less time crying than babies who are tickled or poked. Avoid leaving your baby for long periods in a baby seat or swing. Moving creates opportunities for the neck and abdominal muscles to get exercise and for vestibular+ stimulation, which helps develop a sense of balance. Be sensitive and responsive to the amount and types of touch your baby prefers. Provide activity mats with different textures (e.g. make your own with a variety of materials like flannel, silk, felt, cotton, fur) for babies who enjoy tactile* stimulation. +relating to the sense of equilibrium * relating to the sense of touch

The Sensational Bag

Pack a bag with a collection of sense-stimulating playthings to take on car trips, visits to the doctor, restaurant jaunts-anytime your baby might appreciate some diversion. Toddlers like this too. Gather some or all of the playthings in each category:

Sight: An unbreakable plastic mirror (see Look at Me, a small prism or CD for making rainbows, a tiny flashlight your child can track with her eyes, a family photo in a plastic pocket (see Family Photo Fun, a finger puppet (see Finger Puppets, and a sock for hiding things or for making an instant sock puppet. Hearing: Several plastic film canisters containing rice, a bell, beans, a coin, and even water (make sure the tops are tightly glued shut or securely duct-taped); a set of blank keys on a key ring from the hardware store; a small windup music box or musical toy, and a tape of you singing your child's favorite songs. Touch: A variety of 6-inch fabric squares of different textures; a handheld paper fan to make a gentle indoor breeze; natural baby oil for a soothing massage; a roll of tape; several securely knotted baby socks, each holding something to touch and clutch-a cellophane wrapper, piece of waxed paper, uncooked rice, buttons, and Styrofoam. Smell: Individual sachet squares filled with dried herbs or flowers like mint, lavender, and rose petals, sewn securely shut. Also bring a fresh flower or two.

A cloth bag Sensory treasures (see above)

Babies are sensory learners. Their awareness and understanding of the world develop through stimulation of all their senses. Obstacle Course for Creepers and Crawlers Your baby is on the move now, with places to go and new things to see. Create an obstacle course that both challenges her physically and teaches her what under, over, and around mean.

Over the mountain: Gather some pillows and cushions from your bed or couch and pile them up. Drape a sheet over them to keep them clean. Challenge your baby to "climb the mountain," holding her body or hands as she climbs. Remember to talk to her about what she is doing: "Up the mountain you go. You're climbing so high! Now you're on the top of the mountain. Now you're climbing OVER the mountain!" Variation: Make a mountain with your own body. Sit on the floor and bend your knees so they form a peak. Let your baby climb the mountain from your feet up to your head. Under the bridge: Make a bridge for your baby to crawl under. It can be a chair or a table, or two chairs back to back with a space between them and a towel draped over them. Even your legs, with you standing or sitting, can serve as a bridge. Describe what your baby is doing as she crawls under her bridge. Through the tunnel: Make a tunnel for your baby to crawl through. Cut both ends off a medium-size or large cardboard box and stabilize it between two chairs. (Daddy and Mommy standing together with their feet spread apart could make a tunnel, too.) Place a toy at one end, and encourage your child to go through the box to retrieve it. Talk to her as she's crawling through the tunnel.

Pillows Sheet Towel Chairs Table Medium-size or large cardboard box

Your baby is becoming aware that certain things have a name and that words can be attached to actions. Navigating an obstacle course, with some roadblocks and detours along the way, will enhance her physical competence. It will also help her learn about space and the relationships between things as she creeps, crawls, and cruises to her destination. Ball Rolling Once your baby can sit easily, he'll enjoy the chance to roll a ball back and forth across the floor with you. This is a wonderful first step in taking turns! Find a beach ball or a large plastic or rubber ball. Create a ball-rolling lane between the two of you with your legs, a row of books, or a couple of cardboard boxes. Seat your child across from you at one end of the lane, then sit down at the other end. Get his attention by saying, "Look, here comes the ball!" Slowly roll the ball toward your baby. He will delight in its gradual approach. Help him catch the ball with both hands, and then show him how to send it back to you. "Now it's your turn to roll the ball back to Mommy!" Most babies will find it easier to toss the ball than to roll it; rolling takes more focus and control. Show your child how to push the ball with both hands.

Large, soft ball Books or boxes to create a lane

Rolling a ball back and forth helps develop your baby's eye-hand coordination, an important skill he'll need not only for throwing and catching but for eating, drawing, and writing. Tactile Activity Mat Stimulate your baby's growing sense of touch by making a tactile activity mat out of textured fabrics. Let him lie on it wearing only his diaper. This mat is a great project for anyone who sews-parent or grandparent, other relative or friend-and is an ideal shower gift. Sew together a variety of fabric squares with different textures-silk, satin, terrycloth, velour. Remember to include some fabrics with contrasting colors or vivid patterns so your child will enjoy looking at his new

activity mat as well as touching it. Line the mat with quilt batting, and sew on a fabric backing. Place the mat on the floor in a warm, draft-free room or in a play yard, and let your child explore its different textures. Talk to him about what he's touching using words such as smooth, soft, silky, furry, bumpy, and rough to describe each fabric's unique tactile qualities.

Variety of 6-inch fabric squares of different textures, colors, and patterns Quilt batting Fabric for backing Needle and thread

This texture-based activity helps your newborn learn more about the sensations of hard and soft, rough and smooth, and gradations in between

Blowing Bubbles Bubbles are mesmerizing for children of all ages. With minor modifications, you can play bubble games with your child from birth up to preschool-and probably beyond. Newborns and babies: Blow bubbles for your baby while he is sitting in front of you in an infant seat or snuggled in your lap, facing out. (Make sure you aim away from your child's face.) You might want to put on some music to set the mood. Put a bubble jar in a diaper bag for ready entertainment during long waits or car trips. Toddlers and preschoolers: Show your child how to pop bubbles with his hands and stomp them with his feet. Blow bubbles for your child indoors (try doing it just before washing the kitchen floor!), at bath time, or outdoors (breezy days are best). Let your child blow his own bubbles and see how far they travel. On cold days, see if you can blow frozen bubbles!

1/8 cup liquid dishwashing soap 1 gallons water 1/2 tablespoon glycerin, available at any drugstore (optional)

Mix together gently and you have what it takes to make bubbles. You can make a bubble wand from a pipe cleaner that has been wrapped around a pencil or a stick.

This activity is versatile enough to appeal to all ages. Babies can track the bubbles with their eyes and try to touch them with their hands. Toddlers and young children can catch them with their hands, pop them with their feet, and blow bubbles on their own. Beginning Ball Play and Soccer

You can introduce your baby to playing ball well before she learns how to throw and catch. Ball play is great activity no matter how young the child. And her growing awareness of her feet and legs makes this the perfect time to introduce the notion of kicking a ball. Find a small fabric ball, preferably with a bell inside so it jingles when moved. Attach it with duct tape to a piece of elastic, and lay your baby on a blanket on the floor. Dangle the ball several inches above her head. Ball play: Turn the ball slowly so your baby can explore its shape, color, and design. Talk to her about balls and other round things in her world. "This is a ball. It's round, just like . . . " Lower the ball slightly so she can touch it. "Look! You're touching the ball. Can you try to push it?" Show her how to bat the ball with her hand to make it gently bounce on the elastic, and praise her efforts. Soccer: Lower the ball to her toes and show her how to kick it. Encourage her efforts by talking to her about what she is doing. "Can you kick the ball? Look! You're kicking it!"

Soft fabric ball, preferably with a bell inside Elastic Duct tape

Playing with a ball strengthens your child's eye muscles as she tracks it and builds coordination as she reaches out to touch it. Kicking a ball helps to strengthen your baby's leg muscles in preparation for walking, running, jumping, skipping, hopping, climbing, and eventually kicking a real soccer ball! Getting to Know Your Baby: Understanding Nature as You Nurture The usual birth announcement presents a baby's birthday, name, size, and weight. You don't usually see the most important thing of all. It's the question we all ask when someone we know has a new friend: What's she like? The thing is, it takes a while to get to know your baby. Years ago, child development experts believed that children grew up according to a genetically programmed biological blueprint. Later, the thinking was that the adults in a child's life shaped her personality. Today, we understand that the answer to the naturenurture question is: "It's a lot of both." Psychologists have mapped out nine behavior categories that are influenced by temperament. You may recognize yourself, your partner, or your friends as being "high," "medium," or "low" types as you read through these categories. Eventually, as you spend time with your baby, you'll get to know her temperament, too. What Is Temperament? The "nature" part of our personality, the part that is determined by our genes, is temperament. Temperament is each person's unique responses to the people, events, and conditions in our world. Temperament doesn't have anything to do with intelligence. Two people who are equally smart may have very different styles of expressing themselves and using their abilities. Everyone at every age, level of intelligence, level of ability has a natural tendency to respond to things in varying degrees. This reflects their temperament. In general, these degrees of response are high, medium, and low. None are necessarily good or bad traits in themselves. Life seems to go more smoothly the better the fit between a person's temperament and his or her physical and social environment. Activity Level Tortoise or hare: Some people almost always remain calm, while others seem to be in a constant state of flurry.

Mood Glass half empty or half full. Some people are born optimists; others never see the silver lining. Reactions Hot-headed or cool as a cucumber. Some people fly off the handle or are inconsolable during bad times; when life is good, they can't contain their excitement. Others react to things good or bad with less intensity. Rhythmicity Felix or Oscar. People vary in the regularity, predictability, and strictness of their personal habits. Approach/Withdrawal First impressions. Some people are more interested than others in meeting new people, seeing new places, and doing new things. Adaptability Surprised or shocked. Change can throw some people for a loop; others take it in stride. Sensory Threshold Music or noise. Some people seem to have sharper senses or lower tolerance for hot spices, loud noise, or other sensory stimuli. Attention Span or Persistence Stick-to-it-iveness. Some people dig into a new project or idea and see it through; others give up more easily when they encounter obstacles. Distractibility Ignoring the man behind the curtain. Some people need peace and quiet to work because they turn their attention to any new distraction. Others can tune out the distraction and continue on with little problem. Learning About Your Child's Temperament Understanding your child's temperament is very helpful as you care for her and help her learn her way around the world. If you know your child is easily distracted or bothered by lots of sounds, you may find it easier to calm her down in a quiet room. In a few years, you might help her to find a place to do her homework without lots of distractions. Knowing that your child's temperament is unique to her will also help you respect her as an individual. This may be somewhat difficult at first, especially if her temperament is different from yours. You may love loud parties and meeting new people, while your child likes smaller, low-key gatherings and takes a while to feel comfortable around new people. Even as you help her feel at ease in social situations, you can let her do things in her own way, at her own pace. Understanding your child's temperament will make things less frustrating for both of you. She will grow up confident in herself. And she'll have the best chance at happiness and success as she learns to play, work, and live her life in her own way.

At the Beginning The ability to take pleasure in taste and learn through it starts earlybefore your baby is born. At about eight weeks after conception, the first taste buds begin to show themselves. By thirteen weeks, those taste buds have started to communicate with your baby's nerves. This "conversation" is the beginning of taste and becomes surprisingly loud, long before words are possible. Right after he is born, your clever baby uses some of his 4,500 taste buds to make a connection between what he learned from his before-birth taste experience to what he tastes now. Even as a newborn, he's aware that the flavors he's sampling in Mom's breast milk were present in the amniotic fluid. Thus his mother's breast milk is familiar to him, and he realizes he's home safe. Knows Sweets Though simple in function, taste yields complex information. For example, within hours of birth a baby will be able to use taste to differentiate among different types of sugar and among different concentrations of the same type. In addition to sweet, your baby can distinguish two other basic taste categories well: sour bitter She always prefers sweet. When she detects sour and bitter tastes, she shows it: She wrinkles her nose, sometimes sticks out her tongue, and may show a bit of anger, even some crying. (This kind of behavior protects her from potential dangerskeeping her from swallowing toxic or spoiled substancesand alerts you to their presence.) Ignores Salt Yet she's indifferent to salt, at least at first. This changes at 4 months, when sodiumsensitive proteins emerge in her taste cells. While taste perception comes hard-wired in your baby, judgment about what is edible is learned. Gradually, through their parents and through their own experience, toddlers and preschoolers learn what they should and shouldn't eat. Feel-Good Connection Throughout his preschool years, and even into adulthood, your baby will continue to

prefer sweet food. Consuming it literally feels good. Research indicates that sweet receptors in the mouth are linked to areas of the brain that control the release of chemicals that induce pleasure and block pain. The taste of things that are sweet directly activates those parts of your baby's brain. Adults love sweet foods toofor the same reason. Don't forget about the energy boost that sweet foods provide your newborn. He needs them. During his first three to four months, he will double his weight. He works hard to do this, and those extra calories sugar contains help him accomplish what's essential to his well-being. Sugar also helps inhibit crying, promotes alertness, and encourages hand-to-mouth coordination. Sucking is calming, and sweetness spurs sucking. Soon your baby learns that he can get the same effectsoothing pleasureby sucking on his hands or on a pacifier. Variety Spices Things Up Just to make taste more interesting, the consistency of breast milk changes with the time of day. The milk with the lowest fat content is produced early in the day; the richest is produced in the evening. Breast milk changes as your baby grows, too, matching her need for more proteins and minerals. Breast milk also varies in taste according to Mom's diet. Some believe it is this variation that predisposes a baby to liking and accepting her unique cultural cuisine. Others say that a nursing baby whose mom eats foods with a wide variety of flavors becomes a toddler who's willing to sample many different foods. One thing for breastfeeding moms to limit or avoid is alcohol, which is detectable in breast milk after only 30 minutes. Alcohol makes milk smell sweeter, so a baby will suck more and try to drink more. But she's actually swallowing less milk and may sleep less as a result.While total abstinence is safest, moms who choose to have alcohol should have only one drink every two days, and then on a full stomach. The Pleasure Principle It's simple, really: Sweet tastes affect a baby's mood by activating sucking, which calms him. The ability to discern sweet tastes improves his ability to concentrate, which enables him to learn about his environment. Perhaps most important of all, his sense of taste leads him like a heat-seeking missile to Mom, where he takes pleasure in her presence and sustenance from her breast or bottle. Taste continues to guide your baby as he grows. It propels him to naturally sweet foods like fruits and some vegetables, which are an important source of energy and vitamins. When he puts things into his mouth, he is learning more about his world through taste. Be aware of what he can get his hands on, because everything will go in his mouth.

When he becomes a toddler, you'll discover how taste helps him assert his independence. Challenging as that time will be, try to remember that independence is what you want for himeven when he rejects the same foods today that he said "yum!" to yesterday. It's his way of using taste to control his world. You did the same thing at his agejust ask your own mom! 6 Months Babies this age continue to grow rapidly. By 6 months a baby is sitting up or getting ready to sit up and his back is straightening out. This is a new perspective for him, and he enjoys it! In his role as a first-rate "world explorer," your baby's most trusted bit of equipment is his mouth. Being able to pass a toy from hand to hand is another new skill that's helping him learn about the world around him. At 6 months, your baby probably:

Laughs out loud, smiles, and squeals. Will "tease" you by dropping and throwing things and making noise to get your reaction. He's also experimenting with ideas of space and disappearance. Is sitting up by himself or seems about to. May pull to stand up on furniture or in his crib. Can pass things from one hand to the other. Puts almost everything in his mouth. Says "ba" and "da" and babbles back and forth. Has a first tooth, or several teeth. Turns toward sound. Can comfort himself with a thumb, a blankie, or a rolling activity. Rolls over both ways. Begins to be wary of strangers as he's getting cleverer at figuring out who's familiar and who's new in his world.

Sneak Peek: Before you know it, your baby will find a way to move forward. And once he does, mobility will be his new obsession. You'll have to begin thinking about safety in these terms. And as your baby begins his first solid foods, you'll need to be aware of choking hazards as well.