Activities to support your three-month-old’s development

The early years of a child’s life are years of rapid development and change, so it’s important to provide a stimulating environment to help them grow and aid brain development.

To begin with, it’s important to understand the various achievements that an infant needs to reach.

Though each child is different, for a baby between birth and three months you should expect some of the following:

• Able to focus on objects and respond to funny faces
• Neck strength
• Grip adults finger
• Maintain eye contact
• Movement when free
• Able to push their feet firmly onto a surface
• Respond to noises and recognise care-givers’ voices
• React to stimuli and turn their head in the direction of noise
• Make gurgling noises

Eye-control

• Babies can focus on an object between 20 and 25cm away from them. Maintain eye contact, and using your face as the focal point, move side to side and back and forth.
• Have a variety of objects, which the baby can focus on. Only use one object at a time. If they have too many stimuli they will be unable to focus.
• Take your baby outside, and allow them to spend time looking at trees, leaves, flowers.
• Using gloves, attach different textured and coloured ribbons on their fingers. They see red, black and white best, so using these colours will be beneficial.

Body movements

• Babies love the sensation of rocking. This should be soothing.
• By placing the baby on their back, they will gain neck support and trunk control. Allow them to kick their legs, use their arms and shift their body weight from side to side.
• When dressing, roll the baby on their side, from side to side. This rotation is good for twisting and enhancing trunk rotation, which will develop crawling, walking and balance.

Touch

• Encourage the baby to hold objects, to grip them and control them.
• Show and teach your baby what they can do with their hands.
• Introduce your baby to new textures by stroking their arms and legs and encouraging touch with their hands with feathers or towelling. This will enhance a deeper touch sensation.
• Be in physical contact with your baby continually – stroke them, tickle, rub, massage. This will enhance circulation, and at the same time, bonding.
• Touching, and massaging the soles of their feet is a form of stimulation which will help later with walking, balancing, climbing etc. For example you can rub their feet or clap them together.
• By GENTLY pushing and pulling the babies joints you will create body sense.
• Water is a great sensation for young babies. They should be allowed to kick and play in the water during their bath. During bath time brush the babies feet, rub them together and pat them – this is a soothing sensation.

Sound

• It is imperative to talk to the baby constantly as well as reassure and encourage them. They love attention, and want to know they are loved and cared for. This will enable the baby to recognize their parents as well as their smiles and faces.
• The first sounds that your baby will make are ‘aa’ and ‘oo’. Try to use these sounds, and encourage the baby you use these sounds.
• Make shakers from foods such as rice, beans, sugar placed inside bright, safe boxes.
• Use a bell or voice to encourage your child to turn their head as they focus on the sound. This will enhance their neck strength, as well as encourage auditory refinement.
• Read simple books and sing songs. Repetition, rhythm, touch and movement should all be included in this exercise.
• Note: Be careful not to place the young child in situations where there is too much noise as they tend to get over-stimulated and frustrated.

Another consideration for your child is routine. With a set routine and structure, your baby will feel secure and that you as a parent are in total control. But remember, each child is different and it isn’t the quantity of time but the quality of time you spend with your child.

Find out what your baby enjoys and what engages them and work with their interests and abilities.

That’s the WHAT and WHY. For the HOW, contact [email protected].

About the Author: Dr. Lauren Stretch is the founder of Early Inspiration, an organisation which aims to enhance the development of young children in South Africa through practitioner training and home interventions. She is is one of the youngest PhD graduates in the country, and has completed her studies in the effectiveness of pre-school teachers, particularly in underprivileged settings, at the University of South Africa (UniSA).

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