Learning for the Pre-Toddler (5 to 15 months)

Story hour. Music class. Flash cards. Educational toys. New and exciting opportunities abound to encourage learning for Baby. It's tempting to think you have to buy the latest thing or sign up for a class to optimize his potential, but some of what Baby needs most is just good old fashioned planning and organization in his day. Here are Babywise II's suggested Planned Learning Activities that you can do at home:

1. Independent Playtime: This is a regular, scheduled part of Baby's day which Mom sets aside for him to practice focusing on a limited number of toys. Set Junior in his playpen (switch to "room time" at about 18 months) with a few toys and let him play by himself without you in sight for a while. When Independent Playtime is over, help Baby clean up before moving on to the next activity. This simple practice will yield great dividends in his ability to concentrate, develop creativity, sustain his attention span, enjoy self play, and develop orderliness.

Now certainly you don't want to overuse this and ignore Baby. How long is appropriate?

First few months of life - 10 to 20 minutes 2x / day

Baby can sit alone - 15 - 30 minutes 2x / day

Baby begins to crawl - 30 - 45 minutes 1-2x / day

15-20 months - 1 hour (can move to room time) 1x / day

If you begin "late," start with a short amount of time (5 or 10 minutes) and gradually work up to longer independent playtimes.

2. Time With Family Members: This is when Mom or Dad is bathing, changing, and feeding Baby. It's also when the family is playing with him. There are those sweet cuddling moments too. There's no "right" amount of time to spend on these things.

Do notice if Baby becomes particularly clingy to Mom (or whoever is the primary care giver). If he refuses to go to Dad or whines when put down he may be becoming overly dependent on Mom for entertainment or comfort. Allowing others to help care for baby and ensuring he's getting his "daily dose" of independent playtime can help. We have just had a bit of fussing when Mom leaves the past week or so and I am seeing the great value in letting Dad change diapers and Grandma babysit. Those things are good for me, but also good for him.

3. Free Playtime: This is time when Baby can play with toys of his choosing at a designated "play center." A play center is simply an area where toys are kept. Rather than scattering them throughout the house, it's a good idea to have a baskets of toys in convenient areas for Baby to spend his playtime.

Don't let Junior roam the whole house looking for amusement. Teach him to stay in the area you've defined. You can practice this obedience skill with "blanket time" if you wish. Once Baby begins to crawl, put him on a blanket with some toys, tell him to stay on the blanket and sit with him. If he moves off the blanket, direct him back. This will help train him to stay in defined boundaries. That obedience skill can come in useful when you're out and about.

When free playtime is over, parents can also help Baby with clean-up. Even though our 7.5 month old isn't much help in cleaning, we always make it a point to say "Lets clean up now" and put the toys back in the basket before moving on to the next thing.

When we teach Baby to play within a set of boundaries, we give him the skills he will need to do well in the world. He also becomes a joy to be around!

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