The Five SENSES About Baby


Toddlers use their senses extensively when exploring their surroundings. It is through these five miraculous resources that toddlers make their discoveries about their world, discoveries that come fast and furious during this intensely curious stage of development.


Sight:


Everything within their vision vies for attention; with so much to see it is not easy for the toddler's untrained eyes to focus on just one part of the picture for more than a fleeting moment. You can help your toddler practice focusing by calling attention to one object on the picture at a time. In the start keep it simple and your toddler is a bit older, add other details to your description. Play the 'looking' game wherever you go - the beach, the zoo, the supermarket, car park, post office, bank etc. This game will not only be visually stimulating but also help speed up her speech development as you link sights with words. Toddlers also love to look at themselves and others in a mirror and are able to recognize their images by the end of this month.


Sound:


Your toddler's ears are bombarded daily; there is music from the radio, a dog barking, a siren wailing, an aeroplane flying, Dad talking on the phone etc. Encouraging your toddler to focus on one sound by blocking out all other sounds is a good exercise for young ears. Call his or her attention to sounds as you sit in the living area, walk in the park, for example 'Do you ear the bird singing (tweet, tweet, tweet). When your toddler is older, you can intensify the auditory experience and double the fun by turning the listening game into a guessing game. Have your toddler close his/her eyes and present a variety of sound (bell, music box etc) for identification. Expose your kid to a variety of music (classical, country, jazz, folk etc in Hindi/mother tongue and English). Play music in the background while your toddler plays; dancing to music alone or with you will also help your toddler tune in to music. Also give your toddler ample chance to make his own music by banging pots, clanging spoons together, playing a toy instrument (xylophone is a good option).


Smells:


Toddlers' nose are fairly discerning - which probably explains why they are not able to smell the stench of their own potty or don't seem to mind strange smells you may have on you. Also, unfortunately their noses don't stop them from sampling dangerous substances that would smell unpleasant to an older child. Around the time they learn to use the toilet, they begin to sort out the unpleasant odors from the pleasing ones, hence sharpening their olfactory abilities. Let them sniff newly laundered clothes, cooked food, flowers in the vase anything you consider safe and worth smelling around the house. When you are cooking, stop to let your toddler smell the onions you are chopping, the spices etc. With older more adventurous toddlers, smelling guessing games can be played with their eyes closed. Have your toddler identify the object as you hold them up to his or her nose (foods, soaps, etc)


Taste:


Most toddlers are somewhat closed up when it comes to trying new foods; nevertheless trying never hurts. As your toddler nibbles, have him describe the flavor with your help: banana chunks (sweet and mushy), cheese (salty), cottage cheese (creamy and soft), minced apple (sweet, juicy) etc. Never force, pressure, plead or bribe your toddler to taste a food. You will only encourage more resistance and possibly set up future eating problems. Toddlers use their sense to explore the non-edibles in their surroundings; some toddlers are still into mouthing objects so you have to continue with the watchful eye over them.


Touch:


Toddlers discover so much about their world through their fingertips. They discover the pleasure of tearing up pages out of a magazine, the fun with manipulating the TV remote despite warnings from parents. Touch can teach toddlers a lot and encouraging touch in a safe, childproofed environment helps them build up this tactile sense and also minimize the daily frustration of being off-limits with so many things. Save scraps of fabric (velvet, silk, flannel, fur) carpet, sandpaper, and other interesting textures and keep them in a 'touching' box. Help your toddler sort through what feels soft, what feels scratchy, what feels smooth and what feels rough. Let your child feel the roughness of Daddy's unshaven cheeks first thing in the morning and the smoothness after a shave.


Though there is much you can do to nurture the development of your kid's senses through such activities, you can overdo it. Children need time to absorb, time to make their own discoveries. A good clue you are pushing the limit is your kid's reaction. When the excitement and interest dwindles, it is time to tune down.