What your baby needs to thrive(1)

Children need love. Your care and support give your child a secure base from which to explore the world.You can't spoil a newborn baby by answering his cries promptly. He'll just cry less over the first couple of months if you do so (St James-Roberts 2008). In fact, experts say that responding to your baby when he's upset (as well as when he's happy) helps build trust and a strong emotional bond (Reyna and Pickler 2009).Your baby needs good health and energy to learn and grow, and you can help by covering his basic needs. Take him to the baby clinic for regular weight checks and talk to your health visitor or GP if you have any concerns. Remember to keep his immunisations up to date.Make sure your baby is comfortable.

 If he's too warm or his nappy is wet, respond to him as soon as you can, by taking off a layer of clothes or changing his nappy. You and your baby are a team, and one of your jobs is to take care of the basics so he can get on with his challenging tasks.Talk to your baby and encourage him to "talk" back. Respond to what he has to say as it will encourage him to express himself. Talking to children helps make them good communicators. Good communication skills are fundamental to helping children grow into adults that have the potential to lead happy and fulfilling lives.You can even begin during your pregnancy.

 Chatting to your bump is a great way to start the bonding processOnce your baby is born, talk to him as you change his nappy and feed him. He'll respond if he knows the words are directed at him, so try to look at him while you're speaking.Don't worry about words of wisdom. Just describe what you're doing and what your baby is doing (RCSLT 2003, DH 2009). For example, "Mummy is putting warm water in the bath so she can get you nice and clean."Don't worry about using baby talk either while your baby is still young. "Motherese" or infant-direct speech, as it is known, is used all over the world.Young babies prefer to listen to the higher pitch and slower speech that adults tend to use when communicating with a baby.
 It can help them to recognize vowel sounds (Trainor and Desiardins 2002) and words (Song et al 2010).For more ideas on talking to your baby, visit the National Literacy Trust.Reading out loud is one of the most important things you can do to help build your child's vocabulary, and boost his imagination and language skills (DH 2009). By showing him books are fun, you'll also be encouraging what will hopefully become a lifetime habit.Reading also gives you a chance to cuddle and spend time together. Babies can enjoy simple board books as early as six months old. And, a bedtime story is a great way to wind down as part of your baby's bedtime routine.There are even books for newborns. They often have horizontal and vertical stripes in black and white which are appealing to your newborn baby's eyes.

For your child to learn about people, places, and things, he needs to be exposed to them. Every new interaction gives him information about the world and his place in it.Of course, children can become over-stimulated. You don't want to bombard your baby 24 hours a day, or try to engage all his senses at once. When he's interested in playing, though, provide a variety of toys and other objects. Try the following:Choose things with different shapes, textures, colours, sounds, and weights.Sing songs and lullabies together. Experiment with different kinds of music to see what he likes. When he is older he is likely to enjoy dancing.Go on walks and shopping trips together, and let your baby meet new people. Even the simplest daily activities will stimulate your baby's brain development.