- According to some studies, babies are often capable of some pretty amazing things, like feeling emotions and understanding math.
- Parents can take advantage of their newborn’s natural tendencies by following expert-led strategies and creating a customized routine.
There’s a wonderful heart in your house, and it belongs to a diaper-wearing, toe-sucking family. It may come as a surprise, but many studies have shown that newborn babies have amazing abilities beyond what adults believe.
Indeed, babies have long had a reputation for being little sponges that absorb information from the world around them. But that’s only part of the story.
Researchers have discovered that your little one has a formidable skill set and can sometimes perform amazing feats. Here are six baby abilities that may not be infantile.
1. Feel emotions
Young children are sensitive to emotions. “By the first few months of life, newborns can tell the difference between happy and sad facial expressions,” says author Dr. Alison Gopnik. philosophical baby. By the time of the child’s first birthday, the child can even feel the feelings of others.
But your child is not only aware of your emotions, but actively cares about them. One study had 5-month-old babies watch two video clips to test infants’ sensitivity to the pain of others. One clip depicted a square figure being welcomed by a friendly circular figure, and the other clip depicted a square figure being bullied by a circular figure. When asked to choose between two square dolls placed on a tray, the majority of babies chose the one showing distress. The researchers concluded that the babies showed an empathic preference for the person being bullied.
Take advantage of their talents: Express your feelings openly and bring out the best in your baby. Whether you’re gently petting your dog or enthusiastically greeting a neighbor, remember that your child is watching. “It’s not so much what you say to your baby as how you say it,” Dr. Gopnik says. But don’t expect to fool your child by saying, “It’s delicious!” If you strain to put the spinach on your lips, your baby will know that you’re pretending.
2. Talk with your hands
Young children often use their hands to communicate. Therefore, it is natural to teach children sign language. Moreover, the benefits are huge. “By using sign language, babies can communicate what they see and hear, such as an airplane overhead or a dog barking outside,” says co-author Dr. Linda Acredro. baby sign.
Fosca Shackleton White, director of Montessori Academy in Chicago, points out that the process of learning sign language creates pathways in the brain that will make it easier for a child to learn any language in the future. Additionally, babies who sign before speaking learn to speak faster, score higher on intelligence tests, develop larger vocabularies, and show more confidence than babies who don’t sign.
Take advantage of their talents: Give your child a head start on their communication skills by introducing sign language as soon as they are born. Let’s start by teaching your child the basics like the five signs: “Eat,” “Drink,” “Get wet,” “Sleep,” and “More.” Use these each time you say the corresponding word out loud and slowly build your vocabulary over time.
3. Understand mathematics
Research shows that most babies have a basic subtraction sense. One study tested this by having 6- to 9-month-old children watch a puppet show featuring two characters. The researchers then removed one of the dolls and closed the curtains. Even after reopening, the same doll remained. Then they repeated the experiment and changed the ending. The curtains opened again to reveal two dolls. The baby’s long stare showed that it understood that 2 minus 1 does not equal 2.
Babies also seem to be able to use scientific logic to solve problems. In another study, 8-month-olds were shown two boxes. One contained many red balls and some white balls. The other box contained mostly white balls and only a few red balls. The researchers removed five balls from each box (one red and four white) and showed them to the children, who then asked them to look inside the box. Results: Children looked longer at the box containing mostly red balls and noticed that the mostly white balls that came out of it were statistically incongruent. “This is very sophisticated reasoning for babies,” says Dr. Gopnik.
Take advantage of their talents: Research shows that babies learn math and science best through daily exploration. Provide toys that encourage creativity, such as building blocks, boxes with lids, and bowls, and try discovery games that involve hiding and revealing objects to encourage your baby to be a careful observer.
other stories
4. Learn a second language
Your baby has an innate ability to learn a second language. That’s great news. Research shows that speaking multiple languages encourages flexible thinking, improves memory, and improves children’s concentration.
Traditionally, experts have suggested delaying the introduction of a second language until the age of three. However, a 2017 study found that even young children can distinguish between words in different languages. This study reports that by 20 months of age, bilingual babies can process two different languages accurately and efficiently.
Tap on their talent: If you or your spouse speak a second language, use the second language regularly around your child. Experts believe that for a child to be considered bilingual, they need to be exposed to a language at least 10 to 25 percent of the time, but this does not determine how well a child can use that language in everyday conversation. Even if you only know English, see if your caregivers, close friends, or relatives speak another language. However, don’t waste your money on foreign language programs. The best way for your child to learn a second language is to hear people around them using it.
5. Recognize faces
Within the first few months of life, your baby will already be able to recognize your face. This is helpful because your baby depends on you for everything. Around 5 to 8 months of age, your baby will be able to differentiate between familiar people and strangers.
A child’s ability to accurately identify facial features may begin to decline around nine months of age. But some experts think that’s not necessary. “Continued exposure to ethnically diverse faces may extend this ability into adulthood,” said Dr. Olivier Pascalis, a researcher at Pierre Mendes University France.
Tap on their talent: If it’s not widely known in your social circles, try flipping through the book (baby face (by Margaret Miller is a good choice), or you can cut out images of different cultures from catalogs and magazines. Helping your baby maintain this skill will help your baby become more accepting of others as he grows.
6. React to music
Your baby is born with an inclination towards music. In a study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, The researchers claim that “the ability to detect the beat of rhythmic sound sequences is already functional from birth.” This means that newborns can predict rhythmic patterns in sounds, so if they’re listening to a song like “Wheels on the Bus,” they can predict the sound that repeats “round and round.”
Additionally, research shows that babies often respond to this rhythm by moving their arms and body. It may seem like just a cute reaction, but your baby is actually learning to recognize rhythm.
Take advantage of their talents: Sing a song and let your toddler sway to the beat. Scientists believe this is an important way babies learn about rhythm. It also helps expose your child to a wide range of music genres. If you’re listening to your favorite song, look into your baby’s eyes as you sing along. “Children respond best to music when it’s a shared experience,” observes Miriam Flaherty Willis, senior director of education at Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts. Let’s use rhythm to learn other things too. For example, you can create your own lyrics and melodies that teach your child how to identify different parts of the body.
