Working with infants can involve a lot of guess work! Babies cry, make sounds and facial expressions, and use body movements to express their needs and wants, but still, it’s not always clear how to assist them. Babies typically start talking between 9 and 14 months. Until then their mental vocabularies are forming and are much more advanced than we realize. Though babies cannot speak, they understand quite a bit. While talking to children regularly and narrating their play will support language acquisition, you can help them express their needs, wants, and emotions by introducing baby sign language.
infant care
Learning Through Infant Care Routines: Naps
Infants have daily needs that need to be met for them to learn, develop positive attachment to primary caregivers, and know they will be loved and taken care of. Most of these needs revolve around basic care routines. The FunShine Express Buttercups Babies kits were designed to incorporate activity ideas into these care routines to create meaningful interactions each day.
Naps and rest time
Naps and rest happen often throughout the day for infants. The youngest infants in your care may sleep and rest more than older infants. However, young infants who are just starting in child care may have trouble resting with the sounds, cries, and activities of the other children around them. White noise, soothing lullabies and soft music, and creating a peaceful sleeping area can all help infants get the rest they need. Having a few simple activities associated with nap and rest time can be helpful.
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Learning Through Infant Care Routines: Feeding
Infants have daily needs that need to be met for them to learn, develop positive attachment to primary caregivers, and know they will be loved and taken care of. Most of these needs revolve around basic care routines. The FunShine Express Buttercups Babies kits were designed to incorporate activity ideas into these care routines to create meaningful interactions each day.
Feeding
Feeding is a regular occurrence in infant settings. The youngest infants in your care will depend on formula or breast milk for nutrition. As infants grow older, their pediatrician and parents will likely develop a plan for introducing purees, soft foods, and solids. Afterwards, many infants will need to be burped, and some may experience gas or stomach pains, depending on their developing digestive system. Having a few simple activities associated with feeding time can be helpful.
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Learning Through Infant Care Routines: Diaper Changes
Infants have daily needs that need to be met for them to learn, develop positive attachment to primary caregivers, and know they will be loved and taken care of. Most of these needs revolve around basic care routines. The FunShine Express Buttercups Babies kits were designed to incorporate activity ideas into these care routines to create meaningful interactions each day.
Diaper Changes
Diaper changes happen many times throughout the day. As a care provider, some days you might feel like this is all you do. Some days you change a wet diaper and three minutes later the same baby has a bowel movement. Or you are in the middle of playing on the floor, and you notice the baby you are playing with has had a blowout, and you have to stop the activity for a diaper and outfit change. Use diaper changes, whether planned or unplanned, as a learning moment. Incorporating activities and fun interactions into diaper changes can engage a baby’s growing brain and social skills during this frequent care routine.
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