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Is it just me, or can playing with a baby – even your own baby – feel super-intimidating?
Don’t get me wrong. My daughter, Frankie, is the sun around which my entire life revolves. I’m closer to her than I will ever be to another human being. But when I was pregnant, I fretted quite a bit about whether I was going to be “good” at playing. When she was beginning to become more social, it really hurt my confidence as a parent when I couldn’t get her to laugh for a while there. Still today, five months into this parenting thing, I often run out of ideas to entertain her. One can only tour the house, narrating as you go, so many times.
What I don’t have to worry about, however, is coming up with play ideas that support her physical development. Those games I have covered, thanks to the Meeting Physical Milestones Through Play class from BabyCenter CoursesOpens a new window. Taught by Michelle Tiflinsky, MS, OTR/L, a pediatric occupational therapist and owner of Purposeful Play NYCOpens a new window, the course takes you through an entire year’s worth of play ideas that support babies in reaching important milestones like rolling over, sitting up, crawling, and walking.
Thanks to Tiflinsky’s guidance, we’ve been doing tummy time since the day Frankie got home from the hospital. She had excellent head control starting at 2 months, and still today people regularly comment on how strong she is for her age. Now that she’s inching closer to 5 months, she’s started rolling from belly to back and even beginning to notice her feet.
Did you know that babies actually have to learn they have hands and feet? It’s not just cute when your baby lays on their back and reaches for their toes. That simple motion is an important milestone. It shows that your baby is learning more about their body.
I credit “taco time” with helping my baby find her feet so fast. Taco time is one of my favorite games I gleaned from the course, and it’s super-easy to do – no toys needed. All you do is place your baby on their back on a floor mat. Then, you just roll the baby up into a “taco” by bringing their legs and feet up to their hands. While you’re holding them in this position, you can rock them gently side to side while singing a song or nursery rhyme. Sometimes I sing the ABC’s or I simply count to 10 in an animated voice.
This sounds really simple, but there’s a lot happening for your baby during taco time. For one, they can feel their hands and feet touching, which is helping them become aware that they have hands and feet. The gentle swaying from side to side is also a good way to help them build core strength.
Also: because it’s something a baby can do on her back, I like using it to break up tummy time. Whenever she starts to get frustrated, I like to roll her onto her back for taco time as a reset. She gets to see me and calm down a little before we do more time on her stomach (or go on another house tour – did you know even just carrying your baby around the house can help them work their core strength, too)?
More than anything, I love seeing the look on Frankie’s face during taco time. It’s such a silly thing, but you can tell from the spark in her eyes that it’s absolutely fascinating for her. Now that she’s beginning to grab for her feet on her own, it’s gratifying to know I was able to show her how.
I’m so grateful that I was able to learn all of these playtime tips and tricks from the Meeting Physical Milestones Through Play classOpens a new window. It made me feel so much more empowered and confident as a new parent, and I make sure to suggest it to all of my friends who are expecting or have newborn babies now.
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