Managing life with a newborn in these times of quarantine can be tough, especially with the old standbys of playdates and visiting family out of the picture. However, there are a surprising amount of things you can do with your newborn baby during quarantine that will help your newborn thrive while keeping everyone in the family mentally stimulated and engaged during this difficult period. The following are 5 things you can do with your newborn during quarantine.
Reading:
Reading to your newborn is a great way to introduce them to a variety of different words and sounds. Reading to newborns is also an excellent way to bond with them, and it can help bring you and your newborn baby closer together. When reading to a newborn, try to find books with interesting rhyming schemes though you can always pick up your favorite novel and read aloud if you aren’t feeling up to a children’s book.
Walks around the backyard or park:
If the weather is nice, take your newborn out for a nice walk around your yard or the local path or lake! Hold them up so they can see leaves, flowers, and the beautiful blue sky. Fresh air is good for your mind and body, too, so it won’t just be your newborn that benefits from your daily yard walks.
Show them new things in the house:
Newborns love to hear you talk, and what better way to help them understand the world around them then to introduce them to what’s inside the home? Hold your newborn and carry them around as you talk about books, shelves, wallpaper, knickknacks, and even that stack of stuff from the garage that you swore you were going to go through 3 weeks ago but still haven’t touched.
Play in a different room every day:
It can be boring staying in the same room day after day, especially now that everyone needs to stay at home and stay safe. You can help to alleviate this boredom by playing in a different room every day. For instance, one day sit with your newborn in the living room and read to them on the couch; on another day, play in their nursery and sit by the windowsill while you read to them. Even a simple change of location can do wonders for your mind during this difficult time.
Let them take things at their own pace
Before the COVID-19 outbreak, life seemed to be moving at an ever-increasing fast pace that demanded everyone do things as quickly as possible. Now that life has slowed down, let your newborn slow down, too. Give them extra time to finish their bottle; let them play with their toys until they are tired rather than making them stop when you have to check a work email; read them an extra book until they fall asleep.
Although these are difficult times for everyone, you can help make your world and your newborn’s world brighter by doing the above 5 things with your newborn during quarantine.