10 Tips to Make Your Baby Smarter

Hands up, those who want a little Baby Genius!

Here’s a piece of good news for you: there are things that you can do to help make your bundle of joy smarter if you start early. The human brain experiences explosive growth between the time of conception to when its about six years old and has been shown to grow through usage much like a muscle – so flexing your baby’s brain biceps early through mental stimulation can actually aid in the formation of neural connections (synapses), resulting in cognitive benefits in later life.

How do I do this amazing thing, you ask? Well, here are 10 tips from us to you.

1. Baby interaction

Maintaining eye contact, smiling, talking, rocking, cooing and cuddling are all great ways for you to connect with your baby and also create a rich sensory environment for him to grow in. Not only do all these interactive activities help you bond with your child, the stimulation of his 5 senses helps his neurons fire up so they can start making those vital connections in his brain.

2. Park your baby at the centre of household activity

Though babies need peace and quiet a lot, putting them where they can see what’s going on in the house when they’re up is a great way for them to absorb and learn more. So don’t keep Junior closeted away in the nursery – have him in the living room where the rest of the family is, or close to you when you’re puttering about doing your chores.

3. Wear your baby

Riding in a sling or strap-on puts your baby at a height where he gets a panoramic view of everything around him as you stroll down the street, mall or park, again submerging him in a rich sensory environment of sights, sounds and smells. (This point comes up time and again as stimulation of the baby’s 5 senses is key to aiding in the formation of neural pathways in his brain.) In addition, the natural rhythm of your movement would feel as good as a massage or dance to him.

4. Use visual props

Everything from colorful toys and mobiles, flash cards, high-contrast designs to black-and-white patterns are great visuals that will complement your baby’s existing tapestry of Interesting Things to Look At. Amp things up even more by putting a safety mirror over his crib so he can have a first look at himself!

5. Teach your baby to grasp things

By holding objects, babies start engaging their sense of touch, develop the beginnings of bodily control and take the first step towards playing with toys independently and feeding themselves. Let baby practice grasping by touching his palm gently so he’d curl his fingers around your hand or finger, then start introducing toys to him by touching the inside of his hand with them. By the time he’s 3 to 6 months old, your baby will be ready to touch safe household objects like plastic cups and keys.

6. Music and movement

You’ve probably heard of the Mozart Effect – music is commonly considered one of the best ways to mentally stimulate little ones from as early as in utero. So immerse your baby in an environment rich in music – sing to him (lullabies at bedtime, nursery rhymes in the day and even your favourite pop hits now and then), play a variety of music from Barney to Bach (but stay away from rap and heavy metal) and further maximize his sensory stimulation by dancing with him. To do this, hold him securely close to your chest and move slowly to the rhythm of the music.

7. Give an infant massage

Teach your baby the language of touch. Infant massages are a great way to get some mother-child bonding in, and may even boost your baby’s immunity, muscle development as well as his production of growth hormones. Complement the massage with some aromatherapy infant massage oils that’d provide additional stimulation of your baby’s sense of smell.

8. Make mundane activities fun

Every moment you spend with your baby is precious for him and for you, and also represents a learning opportunity as long as you use it right. Have a child that hates diaper-changing? (You don’t love it, yourself.) Make a game of it – sing a diaper-changing song, narrate your actions to your baby as you do it, tell him about his stinky diaper, point out different parts of his body and tell him what they are. Eventually, these diaper-changing sessions become fun learning and interactive sessions beneficial for both you and Junior.

9. Restrict screen time

With a plethora of educational programs available on TV and on the omnipresent tablet, it may be tempting to leave your baby in front of a screen to “learn” for a couple of hours a day while you tackle your neverending chores. Unfortunately though, these 2-dimensional screens provide limited stimulation to young children and may in fact stunt rather than aid their development, so stay away from them till your baby is at least 2 years old.

10. Remember not to go overboard

As with most things, moderation is key. Don’t beat yourself up for every waking moment your baby spends alone; if he is peaceful, he isn’t lonely or bored. After all, even little babies need some me-time for rest and to process all the stimuli he received throughout the day!