Your baby is aware of everything going on around her, making her want to figure out how to

get what she wants and how to get where she wants to go. Although this means "baby proofing" your home to make sure baby is safe, it is also a great time to go on the move and explore WITH your baby. This means getting down at her level and trying to see the world in the ways she is seeing it.

We spend most of our waking day sitting or standing, seeing things in our environment at this level. Your baby spends most of her day much closer to ground, making what she experiences very different from you. Spending time at your baby's level helps you understand what is familiar to her, helps her learning, and creates positive interactions for you and baby.

Brain Science for Your Baby

How does your baby's brain grow? Babies' brains are still "under construction" when they are born. The architecture of the brain depends on the genes your baby was born with, her environment, and her experiences. When researchers talk about "experience", they are talking about the interaction between a baby and her environment. The experiences and interactions your baby has help to build the connections (and circuits) in the brain.

There are 700 new connections between neurons per second. Amazing! Playing with your baby is important to your baby getting the most out of her environment when she starts crawling around and exploring her world. Building strong connections between neurons is important - and the connections between neurons are stronger if positive experiences are repeated. So lots of play time with you helps build a strong brain foundation for learning. It's a little bit like "use it or lose it".

Nurturing Your Child's Early Brain Development

A Baby Buffer Prescription for Your Baby

Make sure baby's area is safe before letting her explore (put away small toys, drinks, food, dangerous items, etc.).

Get down on the floor with your baby and take note of what she sees, hears, can reach, and can move to.

Notice what is interesting to her. Describe what she sees and what she is doing.

Show her what you think is interesting or exciting as well. Show her how things work and give her a chance to try it out.

Be creative in how you organize your home.

Put things that would interest baby at all levels to encourage exploration and movement.

Make play available in every room. Put books and toys in baskets on the floor, make items on the coffee table OK for your baby to explore.

Make 1-2 drawers in the kitchen baby friendly. Babies and toddlers love to take items out like plastic containers, cups, or make music on pots and pans!

A baby Buffer Prescription for You

Create an environment that is relaxing and stimulating for you as well. Be creative in how you organize your home to promote relaxation, intellectual and emotional stimulation, and positive interactions with loved ones. Consider some of these tips to make your environment supportive for you:

Make your bedroom a place for relaxation. Use soft lighting, avoid television and electronics, and keep the space clean. Make books or magazines available. Keep a journal of gratitude or life experiences.

Surround yourself with belongings or decorations that make you feel good about yourself and your family. Decorate with family photos, inspirational quotes, soft blankets or quilts, and memoirs from your family.

Make available some of your favorite things throughout your home as well. Keep baskets with your favorite books, magazines, hobby materials, or comfort items

What Your Baby Can Do - Developmental Milestones

Your baby is changing quickly during this period. Know what to look for to make sure your baby is growing and changing in a healthy way. Click on the links below for information from the CDC on what your baby can do now.

What your baby should be doing at 6 months

What your baby should be doing at 9 months

What your baby should be doing at 12 months

Gene's Research Tip of the Week

Kid Injuries from Shopping Carts and Burns - Can they be Prevented?

What might you be doing in the next 22 minutes? Working? Changing a diaper?

Laughing with your kid? Going to a meeting? Planning a trip?

I'll bet, "Going to the hospital for a shopping cart accident" didn't even hit your top 100 list of "Things to do in the next 22 minutes"! But a child goes to the ER every 22 minutes for shopping cart mishaps here in the good old U.S. of A, according to research from Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio.

Baby Buffer Blog

Written by Kristen Stuppy, MD

Are you up for a challenge?

Join thousands of other families who want to reconnect by going screen free for the week of May 5 - 11, 2014.

What does screen free mean? To put it simply: do not use anything with a screen unless it is directly related to work or school. Televisions, computers, smart phones and other screens are all a part of our world, but they can overtake our lives. By consciously avoiding non-essential screen time, we can reconnect with our family and friends and even ourselves.

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