What Should We Play With? For Infants, Ages 4-6 Months

What Should We Play With? Part II Although it has been a while, I have received requests for the next post to be about the best toys for infants, ages 4-6 months. This is one of the hardest stages because your baby is beginning to be mobile but is not quite ready to be seated upright for extended periods of time in exersaucers and such (refer to this post for more information as to why). Babies at this stage are rapidly developing and becoming more like little people (and much less like little zombies, who primarily want to eat, sleep, be held, and be changed!). Therefore, toys at this stage should be more stimulating, to increase their level of awareness. In addition, toys that work on cause/effect (touch this and lights go on) are important. The following toys can all be found on Amazon.com. Tummy Time Mat Tummy time is one of the most, if not THE MOST, important positions for this stage of development. See Part I for more information. The Tiny Love Activity Gym mat is also a favorite, as the lights, sounds, and items to grab while on the back and stomach are stimulating for the babies. In addition, they can practice rolling all over because their are fun things to see at every corner! Sit them up on the mat- have them grab and reach the items that are at shoulder-level... This mat can have many uses!

Activity Table This Fisher Price table is a great example of the type of toy to give your growing infant. The legs can be modified accordingly to allow the baby to access the various components of the table while in tummy time, on the side, seated, and standing. This activity table has room to grow with your baby - and you will notice that he/she will play differently with the table throughout various stages of development (rolling, sitting, crawling, walking).

Activity Bars Your child is working on grabbing, pulling, and pushing. Keep your child busy on walks or long car rides with this activity bar! This is also a great way to have your child practice sitting up...

Board Books Touch and feel board books are my favorite for babies this age! Aside from beginning to see words, large pictures and feel textures, they are easy to clean and begin to teach babies how to turn pages (left to right). The books also offer entertainment when seated in tummy time and ensure that you are focusing attention on your baby (after all, who doesn't like attention!?!?!). This book of baby animals was/is a favorite of my EtiKids! They love to hear and make the sounds of the animals!

The Need for Social Skills

We have all been there. Perhaps it was when you watched in horror, as a date slurped soup from the spoon that was held in a manner similar to Beast in Disney's "Beauty and the Beast." Maybe it was the way that a friend ordered the server around at brunch with such disdain that you knew your pancakes were going to have a little bit of the "special sauce." Or how about the child that walked up to your table and took a French fry? Those instances might seem trite, but they all indicate the decline of social graces. Watching that child take what was not rightfully his (or hers!) without any sort of consequence demonstrates the imperative need to return social skills to modern society.

On January 12,2009, Perri Klass had an article published in The New York Times that discussed the need to instill social skills into [your] children. "Making Room for Miss Manners Is a Parenting Basic" made a case for teaching children manners because it is what will ensure their success later in life. Completely agreeing with the doctors' assessment of a child in the examining room: the behavior that is displayed there is a microcosm and a precursor of what is to come...

Early childhood is the optimal time to educate young children, as their minds are like sponges. Learned behaviors become innate, so it is imperative to teach them social skills at such an impressionable stage. Enter EtiKids: the program presents a foundation of necessary life skills, which incorporate cognitive, social, emotional and physical domains. Children will use the senses of touch, smell, sight and sound to understand and manipulate their environment- a tall order for such little people. It has been working though. Parents have reported that their children are now correcting them; ensuring that mouths are closed while chewing and "pleases and thank yous,” said. Rest assured that these kids would not eat the French fries off of my plate! And of course their parents will ask me politely, rather than demand my assistance.

Julie Blacker is the director and owner of EtiKids, a program that teachers social skills and school skills to children in a fun and developmentally appropriate manner. Visit www.etikids.com for more information.