As a pediatric speech-language pathologist, parent educator, and mother of two young children, I often get asked for recommendations about great resources for families welcoming a new baby into their lives. I’m well aware that there are more lists of “gifts for a new mom” than I care to count, but I hope this contribution will provide you with some slightly more original ideas, along with a few of my favorites.
Parenting Books:
We don’t always have time to read… but there are a few books that I recommend to any parent, even if you only read a few chapters or pages that apply to you right now. As a parent educator, so much of what I do is teach parents and caregivers about the ways young children learn, and provide ideas to help them support their child’s early development.
My Favorites:
The Wonder Weeks, by Hetty van de Rijt & Frans Plooij, Ph.D
The Scientist In The Crib by Alison Gopnik, Andrew N. Meltzoff & Patricia K. Kuhl
You Are Your Child’s First Teacher by Rahima Baldwin Dancy
Activity Ideas:
Once we understand a bit about how our tiniest people learn (hint: infant and toddler learning is holistic, meaning that even if we think we’re teaching our child about movement, they’re also learning about problem-solving, communication, and social interaction), we need some ideas about how to play with our tiny people! As adults, we tend to think of skill-building as a very linear process: a + b = c, right? Infants and toddlers use simple items (think: household objects, natural materials, actual “toys”) to explore and learn about them through the senses, by problem-solving how they work, and by putting them into some kind of social context (e.g., handing you an object, finding a partially hidden object) far before they use those items in the “traditional sense.” Although most parents go straight to the toy store to find play materials, there are a few resources that give some less traditional (and totally money-saving) ideas about how to maximize learning using very basic materials.
My Favorites:
Begin With A Blanket & Simple Play for Infants (Rachel Coley from CanDo Kiddo)
It Takes Two To Talk by The Hanen Centre
Simple DIY Activity Ideas for Infants a free e-book from Strength In Words
Memberships, Subscriptions, & Gift Certificates:
Having a baby is expensive. It’s time-consuming. It’s most definitely exhausting. Giving a new mom the gift of “not having to think/worry about something” is also a great gift idea. Now, some of us thrive on getting out of the house during maternity leave, and some of us can’t imagine more than a short jaunt outside (or, let’s face it, are dealing with the physical and emotional changes that sometimes come during the post-partum period). For that reason, I’m splitting this one into two sections:
My Out-Of-Home Favorites:
Music Together baby class: Music Together in Menlo Park
Gymboree Baby Lab: Gymboree Los Altos
Wund3rkid: Palo Alto indoor play space
Blossom Birth: Parent Baby Groups of all kinds
Harmony: Birth and Family – Baby Sign Language Classes
My In-Home Favorites:
Family Enrichment Library: an exclusive content library for families of infants and toddlers
Post-Partum Doula: Cherish from Sacred Mother. Jennifer Jeffcoat with Mindful Ways.
Massage Service: Colleen Haddock with Super Duper Massage ; Jennifer Jeffcoat with Mindful Ways.
Hair Stylist: Kristen Marie
Books:
Books are wonderful gifts for any new parent, as it’s never too early to start building a home library. Parents often love getting books that come recommended by other parents, because, let’s face it, we’re all looking for tried and true options! I won’t begin to presume to know your family’s favorite book recommendations, but I will suggest that you look for books that are hardy, mouthable and colorful. Additional bonuses are books that have different textures, books with repeated lines or phrases, or lift-the-flap books!
My Favorites:
Board books
Indestructible books
Fabric books
Lift-the-flap books (e.g., Spot series)
Textured books (e.g., That’s not my __ series, Pat the Bunny)
Musical Albums or Song Books:
In my opinion, engaging in musical experiences with your child (singing and listening to songs, rhythms, and rhymes) is the single most useful way to support your young child’s development, as it can very easily be a multi-sensory experience, used to both stimulate and calm your young child, encourage the recognition of patterns, and play with language. Providing a wide variety of music (both recorded and live versions – as in, YOU) – different rhythms, tonalities, instruments, genres; any number of children’s music – is a great way to get started.
My Favorites:
Rise Up Singing by Peter Blood
The Bilingual Book of Rhymes, Songs, Stories & Finger Plays by Pam Schiller and Rafael Lara-Alecio
My top 10 music suggestions for children’s music can be found here:
