Hello World, This Is My Girl

Before I had my daughter I never actually paid much attention to the world around me, how fascinating and exciting it was. It wasn't until I started preparing for her birth that I realized how fragile and innocent babies really are. She did not have a clue about the world around her and it was our task as parents to introduce her to it. It was frightening at first, she always seemed too fragile and delicate, but eventually I managed to find the right ways to develop her senses without pushing her too hard. Hello world, this is my girl...

This is a guest post by Gabriella Diesendorf, a writer and devoted mother from Australia who loves discussing beauty, green lifestyle choices and parenting techniques. We hope that you find it enjoyable and informative.

Look over here!

When she was really young, she could only notice things which were really close to her, but after a few months I noticed she likes colourful things. A lot of strong colours would confuse her, so I tried using soft pastille hues and only a few strong colours, and those mostly on scarves and toys. This was a good choice and she grew to love all things colourful. When she started talking a bit we would play ‘put all the blue things here and all the red things there’, and she loved it!

Photo credit: Bubbaroo

Listen to this

I read about babies liking the white noise, so in the beginning I experimented with the sound of washing machine and vacuum cleaner, but as she grew these became only a noise and so I introduced soft music instead. This was a bingo and today she likes to listen to Spanish guitar (yay!) and different CDs with calming music.

Photo credit: Bubbaroo

It’s so soft!

Baby’s sense of touch is one of the most important senses while they are really young, and my girl would put everything in her mouth as soon as she would lay her little hands on. I experimented with methods which would calm her down and found that massage after the bath and carrying her around in a swaddle bag are the best! Also, she liked the way my silk and cotton scarves slid through her fingers and she would spend hours playing with soft cubes and squishy toys. Just make sure your child doesn’t put something small or sharp in their mouth.

Smell good, right?

It dawned on me one day that I know what a rose and jasmine smell like, but my girl does not. Of course, she could smell them, but she had no idea what it was. So I turned everything into a game: I would make her close her eyes and guess which herbal tea I am going to make by smelling the contents of a jar: elder, mint or chamomile. I taught her how oregano and basil smell and the difference between the smell of a rose and that of a tulip. She now walks around the house and knows which spice I used when I made lunch.

Being a parent is a non-stop job, you get no holiday breaks or sick days, and your baby needs you. It is your task to prepare them for the world, to open the door for them and show them what’s out there and how exciting it all is. Hopefully my baby girl will find this world and interesting and beautiful place and will always look forward to learning something new.

Great health is all mommy or daddy could hope for their little bundle of join. If you enjoyed this baby post, check out our complete Baby Food Introduction Program to assist you on this exciting journey. Your dedication towards feeding baby and baby’s health will pay off in the end.