Just because your baby isn’t walking yet — that doesn’t mean her feet are unemployed.

For several weeks, the newborn might notice her own feet, especially during diaper changes when they are handled and held near the line of sight between her face and yours.

But there’s not much she can do about this new discovery until her brain development and motor development catch up with her observation skills.

Why she yawns during “This Little Piggy.”

Parents, your instincts are right: babies love this game.  But not immediately. The first few rounds of this game are often uneventful. You get to the exciting part, and baby cracks nary a smile.  That’s because your new infant has not yet discovered the thrill of da feet (or the rest of her body), but she will.  Some fine day, she’ll grab those feet, admire them, babble to them, and taste test them with a thoroughness America’s Test Kitchen only aspires to.

She’ll learn to enjoy her body shortly after she learns to control her body.  A younger baby’s movements are either involuntary like reflexes, or voluntary, meaning that the movements are something she will learn to do at will. As neuronal connections in the brain multiply and strengthen, newborn reflexes recede. Then, voluntary movements increase.

Baby’s first voluntary movements ensure her well-being by stabilizing her torso, head, and neck. Limb motions that initially seem random and disorganized are actually developing muscles that will support baby’s next stage of movement: manipulation.

The root word “mani” means “hand” in Latin.  Your settled baby (3 months and older) will begin using her hands to reach for an interesting item, then grasp it, then probably bring it to her mouth.  By the age of 4 or 5 months, her own foot counts as an interesting item.

When she finally does show an interest in hand games and toe games, it will be because her maturing memory allows her to remember (therefore eagerly anticipate) the piggy who squeals all the way home.  It will be because her receptive language ability lets her follow the rhythm of the words. Expressive language skills will help baby do her part in playing the game — smiling, cooing, or laughing, to let you know she’s enjoying the game.  The sequence of playing the game will enhance her social development, her awareness that people do fun things together.

Baby feet are fun for parents, too.  They’re cute, still clean all day, and for now, unscented.

Thick blankies will be today’s focus. The bumpy ones, the ones with fringes and mysteries stitched in.

While a versatile blanket will support your baby’s overall development, a blanket that offers interesting textures will specifically stimulate motor development, body self awareness, and intellectual development.

What an interesting blankie looks like.

Some of them are made of terry cloth.  Some double as bath towels.  Others look like a combination stuffed animal/soft blanket.  My favorites are safely constructed, boldly decorated, and have job descriptions.

One corner of the blankie might have a compelling (color-contrasting) appliqued animal or image (visual stimulation).  In another corner, perhaps there will be a soundmaker (rattle? squeaker?) embedded (auditory stimulation).  There might be corduroy patch or a fuzzy square sewn into the design so that when baby scoots around, his fingertips discover a new sensation as part of his reward for daring to explore (tactile stimulation). If the blanket is made of non-raveling felt, the edges might sport a fascinating fringe, perfect for fingering and flicking (self-soothing).  Like a good book, the blanket might offer (cloth) flaps for opening, tugging, crinkling, or closing. Again and again (object permanence stimulation).

More developmental benefits of a touchy feely baby blanket.

Settled babies (3-4 months) and older babies (6 months and up) are bringing together just the right combination of skills that help them make the most of a blanket that has stimulating features.

The following areas of development will grow as a result of tactile exploration:

• Intellectual – thinking skills first show up as curiosity.  New textures will spark new questions, finding out the answers will spark new brain connections.
• Gross motor (large muscles; arm, for example) – Each new day brings more practice at reaching out to grab items of interest.
• Fine motor (small muscles; hands/fingers, for example) – Each new grab brings an opportunity to touch, poke, squeeze the loot your baby hauls in.
• Emotional – your baby will develop his own preferences for textures.  Some children detest goopiness, some revel in it.

Tomorrow, in the finale of this series, we will see why sometimes a blankie is just a blanket.

to be continued…..

Twenty-one years ago, I discovered that my 5 month-old was ready to play hide and seek.

I didn’t mean to.  Really.

My teaching colleagues in Panama had gifted my new baby with an assortment of of hand-appliqued blankets (sheets, actually — this was a tropical birth).

Five months later, back in the US, and past her swaddling stage, my daughter used to enjoy looking at the brightly colored ducks and ginghams that bordered the sheets.  She also spent a lot of time on her tummy, reaching for and touching the embroidery stitches that illustrated the layette.

On a breezy morning, as my baby lay on the floor, kicking, making spit bubbles, and generally getting on with her day, I decided to offer her a covering.  As I spread it over her, I misjudged where it would land, and the blanket-sheet ended up covering Mariel’s face.  She gasped.  Loudly.

I quickly snatched the offending cloth away, while moving in close so that I could scoop up my first-born for a little reassurance or soothing, or whatever she might need after such a regrettable and shocking slip-up on my part.  But then she squealed.  Loudly.  Kicked, too.

I stared at her, confused.  She stared at me, bright-eyed.  Drooling.  So, I righted myself — back on my knees, at her feet, sheet in hands, like before.  Very carefully, and pretty slowly, I fanned the sheet in the air, and allowed it to drift again onto her face.  Another gasp, another snatch, and another squeal later, we had ourselves a game!   I wanted a turn!  I laid down on the floor beside my baby, and covered up — then whisked away own facial covering.  The gasping, squealing, and drooling carried on.  Baby seemed like she enjoyed it, too.

There is a more methodical, less risky way to introduce hide and seek or peekaboo games to your infant.

• Start by positioning yourself so that you and baby are making eye contact.
• Engage in a familiar activity like a simple conversation (with plenty of gentle tones and smiling).
• Then tell baby you are going to play peekaboo.
• Cover your eyes with your hands, then call baby’s name.
• When you think that baby has had enough time to notice what is different about your appearance, slowly open your hands and cheerily say, “I see you!”
• Take note of your baby’s reaction, then go with the flow.  If baby wants more, Yay!  If baby isn’t ready, try another time.

This game becomes mutually amusing when your baby enjoys hiding, then peeking at you.  Interacting this way (with words and body) is another great learning opportunity for social skills like turn-taking, knowing how to play a game, and learning that vocal intonations vary with meaning.

When you are certain that the game is all in good fun for your child, you can use a lightweight blanket to cover more and more of her body.  She’ll learn more words (arms, toes, feet, legs, face) when you make it fun to do so.

Thanks for walking (crawling?) down memory lane with me.  I loved those sheets, and used them every day.  They became burp cloths,  and even floor cloths on which Mariel practiced her rolling over skills. Then her rolling-back skills.  When I nursed her in public, they were my covers — for a moment, anyway.  Like I said, Mariel loved playing hide and seek, even when it gave others too much of a peek.