Development stimulation through daily routines: newborn

The biggest challenge parents face when they come home with a newborn baby is getting used to new routines in the family functioning, especially when the first child comes along. Daily routines: changing, feeding, carrying, are an opportunity to stimulate psychomotor development.

How many times during the day do you perform daily routines?

A newborn eats every 2-3 hours, you change diapers at least 3x a day, change his/her shirts because of vomiting, you pick him/her up and hold him/her to burp or carry him/her to calm him/her down when he/she cries. For each of these activities, you spend a minimum of 5 minutes. Thus, the time you spend in contact with the child may add up to 4 hours.

What information do you exchange with a newborn through daily routines?

Smell

  • the child feels and learns the smell of mom's skin and milk,
  • calming, comfort

Skin-to-skin contact

  • deep pressure that calms him/her
  • regulation of body temperature
  • relaxation, fist opening
  • calming the breathing rhythm
  • calmer sleep
  • better thriving in terms of weight gain

Changing

  • eye contact, eye tracking of the person engaged with him/her
  • listening to speech, addressing him/her in a higher pitch, in a calm voice
  • change of body position

Carrying

  • deep calming pressure, stimulation of the tactile system
  • body rotations of the person carrying him/her, familiar from the time in the womb, soothe him/her; stimulation of the vestibular system
  • eye tracking movement through body movement; engagement of the visual system
  • the person's speech causes vibration in the body that he/she listened to in the womb, stimulation of the auditory system

Bathing

  • freer movement and exploration of motor schemes
  • water in which he/she lies exerts uniform pressure on the skin, calming
  • eye contact, eye tracking
  • running hands over the child's body during bathing, learning about the body scheme, comfort due to deep calming pressure

We often do not think about the importance of information that a child receives through everyday activities through all senses. Try to perform all activities around the child calmly and slowly. Give him/her time to organize, understand and prepare for the next activity. This way, you build a trusting team that gives the child the optimal opportunity to further learn and thrive.