developing worries

Around about the second month I started to worry about how I could create the optimal environment to ensure I was providing enough stimulation for Baby so he could develop all the bits in his brain that he needed to develop at this very very early age. I was reading books about games you can play with your 0-6 month old baby (one called 'clever baby', no less) and I spent most of his waking moments trying to go through all the games, shaking a rattle at him, showing him various objects, reading him baby books, in the hope that he would absorb something useful out of the myriad of things I was throwing at him. But something about my approach didn't seem quite right to me, so I read more about how to spend time with a 0-6 month old baby. And that's how I learnt about self-directed play.

A baby really doesn't need any fancy toys or props to develop - everything a baby needs to learn about themselves and the world around them is already available in their surroundings. The world may seem dull and boring to us as adults, but to babies every minute detail is new and captivating. I've often caught Baby staring out the window watching the leaves on the trees outside, mesmerised by the movement. I've also seen him stare many times at a blank white wall and wondered what has captured his attention.

I wrote the above post back in around August, and I never got around to publishing it. But it is still true now, at nearly 11 months. I no longer spend my time worrying about how to stimulate him as much as possible and I am more relaxed about Baby and his development. I don't spend my time wondering if I'm doing enough, because I know that Baby is enough and my presence is enough for him.