What are some good ways to entertain my newborn?

Question

I have a beautiful 2-week-old litte girl and I was wondering if anyone had any ideas on what to do with her during her "awake" moments. I talk to her and sing to her, but...to be honest...I feel like I'm talking to myself. Is she too young for me to be constantly trying to entertain her? Am I wasting my time? Any suggestions?

Answer 1

You are perfectly doing right. Though it is a usual feeling that you are talking to yourself, but in real sense you don't- there is a small being who is listening to you. 2-week-old baby can hear you well; in fact your voice has much significance to your baby though she cannot talk. That is why she is called infant from the Latin word "in-fans", meaning "unable to speak."

The following are my suggestions which I am sure are perfect ways to entertain your infant:

Oral needs. To suckle is instinctive and allows newborns to feed. Suckling is what will give your 2-week old girl a great pleasure. You must therefore provide her with this needs which can be attained during feeding or by providing a pacifier.

Soft touches and caress. Newborns feel all different sensations, but you will get an enthusiastic response by touching - soft stroking, tapping, cuddling, caressing, massages and warm baths. Gentle rocking back and forth is also favorable to her.

Sweet loving sounds. Before she was born, she has been hearing many internal noises such your heartbeat, as well as many external noises - human voices, music and other sounds. The sound of voices, especially your voice which is more familiar to her has a calming or soothing effect. Talk to her things that you want to say, tell stories, or any sort of talking that you feel you would like to converse with her. You and the rest of the family should always talk or sing to her, she will love it though she cannot understand but it will give a good emotional and psychological impact to her and it also begins her way to learn to communicate. What you are doing is perfectly excellent. You are not wasting your time at all. Recording your voice either talking, singing, or praying; and playing the recorded sound beside while you are away for a few minutes doing chores is a good thing to do. Bear in mind that you need to talk calmly and in sweet voice as loud sounds will startle and scare her. You will not feel that time will pass by and just sooner you will discover she will start to coo. It’s true. The more time you will talk to a newborn, the more earlier she will start to communicate by cooing, I have proven it myself. Infants just love listening to sweet talks.

"Interesting views". At this age her vision is still unremarkable and can only focus on objects about 18 inches directly in front of her. Though shiny, sharp contrasting objects can catch her eye, she would prefer to look at human faces above anything else at this age. Cuddling her during feeding is a great chance for her to look at your face or any of the family members. Let someone to stay beside her once she is awake. It is entertaining for her and it is the beginning of knowing her significant family. You can put bright and colorful objects within the reach of her sight though this will best entertaining for her a bit later after two months or so. Anyway, it will help her in the development of her sense of sight so it is also worth doing.

Loving care. This is the most entertaining aspect to your baby. A feeling of being loved and wanted will give all the difference. All the things you are doing are expression of motherly or parental love but in every way you have to make her feel that she is loved and wanted.

All I mentioned, Iam quite sure are great for your "princess". All those things are not just entertaining; they will also give strength to your bonding and will greatly develop your child’s trust to you and the rest of the family. Trust development is the task for her
personality development at this age. However, always remember that to be able to entertain her, she has to be at utmost comfort - full, clean,dry,and in a comfortable environment.

Lastly, let me emphasize that you are the best one who will know the thing that your infant is enjoying. Know and discover which things make her to give a positive response. Be creative yourself in finding things to have fun that both of you will enjoy- let it be moving the limbs, making funny faces or strange sounds, tickling, whatever. You will do them without knowing as she is growing up – maternal instinct will let you to make things best entertaining to your girl.

I wish you good luck in upbringing your lovely girl!

Answer 2

no you're no wasting your time. At this stage they are nothing but a dry sponge. The more you give them the more they will soak up. Just because she CAN'T acknowledge your attention towards her doesn't mean she can't hear you.

Try things like smiling, deep eye contact when you talk to her, touching her little hands, and petting her on the head. Anything that shows love, is very good.

'Constantly' isn't too long for a newborn of two weeks. She sleeps A LOT of the time, and between changing her, feeding her, and just spending time with her, it isn't too much to ask for you to sing a song or tell her you love her or some gentle petting.

It's important for you to keep conversing with her even when you don't feel she gets you. A bond has to be formed between you and your child. The only way to get there is to be patient, and communicate with her.

Answer 3

Smile And Stick Your Tongue Out To Her Don't Stop Doing What Your Doing!

Everybody Loves A Early Learner And Make Sure You Don't Think That Your Speaking To Yourself Shes A Real Person She Will Remember This When She Gets Older.

How Much You Love Her And You Can Tell Her What You Used To Sing To Her In Them Hard Times In Life!

Gd Luck!

Answer 4

If there are other things you'd like to do to entertain yourself, try to include her. If you're reading a novel, she won't know what the words mean, so even if it's suspense or something and you feel strange like she might be scared, she won't be at this age. Just read aloud to her, because it's great - she'll be hearing your voice and hearing words, but it's something maybe you enjoy doing. Or turn on the radio, plug in a children's song tape, or even just popular music is something that will be new to your baby. If you begin to think, I'm sure you'll find lots of easy little ways that you can adapt the activities that you enjoy so that your little one can be entertained without your going out of you way.

Answer 5

All good answers but at this stage there is no such thing as "entertainment" to your newborn. It's all learning.

Whatever you put before her for the next six months or so will be new, colors, music, shapes, textures, it's all learning at this point. Her mind is still forming, her eyes are still focusing, her senses are still adjusting to being in this world. Feed those senses with touchables that will help her learn to use her hands, shapes that will help her train her eyes. Give her sounds that will make her want to listen, thereby training her ears and sharpening her hearing skills.

Right now, you are just a big, warm blur in the background. You have an opportunity to implant your kind touch, sweet voice and the security of your heartbeat next to hers when you hold her. That should be more than enough for her, and you, right now.

Entertainment is for children who are bored. You have an opportunity to instill a love of learning in your child. If she has that, she will never be bored and the whole universe will be her entertainment. That's a pretty cool gift to give your daughter.

Answer 6

Read to her, sing to her, tell her stories, talk to her and tell her what you are doing even though she does not understand what you are saying. You are NOT wasting your time. This will help her build better relationships with EVERYONE in her life in the future, ESPECIALLY WITH YOU! She should have the sound of her mother's voice as her earliest memories, the idea that life should move at a normal, sane pace deeply ingrained in her. PLEASE DO NOT PUT HER IN FRONT OF A TV OR COMPUTER SCREEN UNTIL SHE IS 2 YRS OLD. There is absolutely no reason for it and will just sow the seeds of ADD/ADHD. The image on a TV or computer screen changes on average every 2 seconds. Real life does not work like this!!!!! This is why kids can't concentrate when they get to school or focus enough on a person sitting right in front of them to form a healthy bond and freindship/relationship with them. Good luck.

Answer 7

Although she is only two weeks old what you are already doing is what you should be doing.She may not comprehend all that you say but the tone of your voice is already teaching her. I talked to my kids from the moment the nurse put them in my arms,then at home I talked to them when they were awake, I had one of those bouncing chairs and I'd sit it on the kitchen counter and discuss what we would make for dinner, When i couldn't think of anything else to talk about I read recipes to them.When I'd go shopping and they were in the infant seat in the cart I would talk to them.My friends would laugh at me. One day when my youngest daughter was about 3 months old. My Mom asked if I really thought the baby understood me. I said she understands my tone of voice. She really laughed then. So I decided to prove I was right. In a soft soothing voice I said to my baby.I threw all your toys away and I smiled,she smiled and she coo-ed and babbled. Then in a harsh sounding voice I told her she was beautiful and I loved her,That smile turned into a frown and her lip started to quiver and she started crying. My mom was totally amazed! I never talked babyish talk to my kids. I think it is so discusting to hear a 3 or 4 year old talk like that, but if you talk jibberish that is what they learn. my kids all talked early and they spoke in a clear voice. They had wonderful imaginations and very outgoing personalities. When my youngest was 2 she would get one of her little books and hold it as if she were reading, then she'd say I'll read to my mommy. She would sit there and tell the most amazing stories" with the book upside down" You keep on doing what you are doing. Show a lot of expression as you talk to her. By the time she is two you will then realize all that she heard,when you thought she wasn't listening! You're on the right tract, the best guide for being a wonderful mom is to let mother nature be your guide and use good common sense, And remember" Children Learn What They Live"! Just a little tip! Baby's love to loved, but when the time comes that they will cry, doesn't matter they are dry,fed and warm some will literally scream while crying. 9 times out of 10 they are saying "leave me alone for awhile" Congrats and may God Bless!

Answer 8

You must always speak to your child as if he or she is an adult!!!! Treat your child at all times like a thinking, feeling, cognizant human being.

Now, having said that...

If your child sees YOU having fun, he or she will have fun as well! It is one of the great 'undiscovered' facts of child rearing and education. In my 30+ years of family theatre, early childhood education, and general babysitting is ANY indication, this is the MOST IMPORTANT factor in keeping your child entertained and educated.

LISTEN TO AND WATCH YOUR BABY!!! Children are FAR more sophisticated than adults give the credit! If the child seems bored, THEN DO SOMETHING ELSE!!! If the child is entertained, check yourself to see if you are entertained! 9 times out of 10, the latter will be the case. Do you want your child to be better educated than you, better able to reason and rationalize than you ever thought possible? Then, either cultivate a genuine appreciation for the arts or learn how to fake it VERY CONVINCINGLY for the next 18 to 20 years.

It's not hard, just taxing.

Newborns through puberty are the most accessible to the arts and their lessons. Take your child to live theatre, classsical music concerts, staged readings, ANYTHING cultural and creative to inspire those parts of the human brain responsible for intelligence, cunning, and drive. In over 10,000 years these methods have NEVER failed, despite the assertions of the politicians!

Also, give your child an appreciation for good manners and behavior. Despite the current fad towards letting children get away with anything they choose, FOR GOD SAKE, GIVE YOUR CHILD A HEALTHY AND ABIDING RESPECT FOR SOCIETAL NORMS AND PLAIN OLD GOOD MANNERS!!!!!!!!!! Let your child know that every cry, every complaint is NOT going to be met to his or her satisfaction! Let your child learn that he or she is to be respectful of others; that crying or complaining is NOT an acceptable way to behave for EVERY little thing; that it takes careful consideration and intelligence to get what they want in life.

Once you have instilled an appreciation for the arts, I promise you that ALL you wish for your child will happen. It has no other choice.
Give your child a deep appreciation for the theatre and the arts...you will NEVER be sorry!

Answer 9

You are definetly NOT talking to yourself. This is how a baby learns to communicate with other people. She still does not know what you are saying, but she is learning that you are saying something. The noises she makes back are her way of trying to talk back to you.

What do you think her giggles are trying to say?

See what I mean? "Face time" with mommy and/or daddy, or auntie, or big brother is critical, even at the earliest stages of life.

Every sound you make is important. The tone of your voice, you inflections, even your emotions are starting to come together in her brain. You cannot, yet, see but a part of what is going on in there. Don't let the process dry up without your input.

Of course you will get tired. That happens, and sometimes you need a break. But don't stop because you thing you are wasting time.

By the way, talk to her in plain, clear language. If you talk "baby talk" all she is learning is baby talk. High squeeky voice is fun, for a change of pace, but even this should be real language.

Answer 10

Do not overstimulate her, but some of these things will be good for both of you.
Visit the nearby park, the fresh air, the sounds of nature, the colors will be a delight.
Do a baby massage using some baby oil, whole body massage ideas can be found online.
Keep the baby in the room where you do your work so she can watch you, hear you.
Have a mobile, have some classical music playing...
Continue to talk and sing to her, because she is making patterns in her mind of the language.
So, have her experience things thru her eyes, ears and also skin thru touch, and allow her to investigate her world.

Answer 11

Do all the things you would do otherwise and narrate your day. Touch, Smell, Sound, Sight and Taste all need to be engaged.

Don't use the television, don't expose her to things you don't want her to absorb. Use the snugli (or bjorn) and go for walks. Enjoy the carriage and the fall weather.

Talk to her while you are doing dishes and laundry and what not. Go to the library and enjoy this time. She is likely to stay flexible if you expose her to different environments.

BTW, be sure not to expose her to the sun, second hand smoke or other irritants.

I know that it seems silly to babble to her all the time but she is enjoying it and feeling connected.

Be sure to take her to see your friends - they'll enjoy holding her too.

Baby groups are fun, if you were in a childbirth class, perhaps you can organize a reunion - maybe at a photo studio!