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January 06, 2006
Baby Learning
I've been thinking about my visit to the infant program the other day. It's unusual for a school/education system to run an infant center, but we do, and I have the joy of stopping in their every once in a while to watch the babies.
While I was there I noticed one little one in particular. She was probably about seven or eight months old. She was sitting up and crawling, but not yet walking. (They do so much learning in that first year of life!) She was playing with a toy when I walked over to watch the children.
Very shortly she lost interest and starting looking around for someone. When the teacher came into range, she just lifted her arms. It was a very obvious "pick me up" sign. The teacher picked her up, held her for a few minutes, then set her down with the toy.
Again, it lasted just a minute or two and she began looking again with arms up. The teacher made an interesting comment to me as she picked the child up, "This one's been sick and she really needs some holding right now. We can tell when children aren't getting enough attention. All they want is to be held."
What struck me was the ability of a seven month old to make her needs clearly known and for an adult to pay attention and respond to those needs. The needs of infants may be few on the care giving side. They're probably as simple as being clean, dry, fed, and warm. There are several studies of orphanages that provided a clean, dry, warm environment with plenty of food, but children failed to thrive.
What drives us all, infants too, is the need for love and attention. The little one I was watching wanted to be held. She hadn't felt good and, although no one could make her cold go away, they could give her reassurance that they loved her and cared about her.
Sometimes we forget that learning/education is about the whole being whether you're an infant, toddler, teenager, or adult. Learning something new means taking a risk, sort of like having a cold, feeling out of sorts while you try something different, but knowing you're okay to do it. Without support you may not be willing to take the risk to try the something new.
As your infant is growing, be sure to give them the love and support they need so they know it's okay to try something new, knowing they can fall down, get up and keep going, and you'll still be there for them. Love is a very important part of learning. It even works with teenagers.
Posted by Dr Joni at January 6, 2006 07:39 AM