subject: Building The Stimulus Response Of Your Baby [print this page] Baby's environment contains many levels and kinds of stimulation. Individual characteristics of Baby will affect his response to any given time. By observing Baby for cues, the Adult can respond sensitively and provide the right level of stimulation for Baby.
Baby learns dimension, texture, line and even colour through touching his environment. Simply feeling things with his hands can give him much information. Hands are for touching and exploring. In a recent class we touched the drum in a variety of ways such as rubbing, tapping, patting, and scratching. Each different touch produced a different drum sound. Touching the same texture in many different ways gives Baby a broader sensory experience.
You can offer an activity when the child is alert, calm, and in a good mood. Offer something new when current interest lags. It is also important to know when to stop an activity. During the activity, watch the child closely. Young children, especially infants, have a limited tolerance for stimulation and new things. When the infant looks away, turns her head, drools, or seems less "together", it is time to stop. Let the child set the pace.
Part of the fun (and the challenge!) of caring for a baby is learning how to figure out and meet her needs and desires. In the process you consider what you know about Baby's developmental stage, and you watch for clues as to Baby's interests. Intuition, experience and trial and error all play a part. The result is your own, individualized brand of care that is, as the professionals refer to it, developmentally appropriate. Your careful attention to what works and what doesn't ensures that you are meeting Baby where she is and helping her get where she's growing.
Baby can have quite a long attention span when she is involved in an activity she finds stimulating and if she has someone willing to interact with her.
