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Life with a newborn can be SO HARD. It can feel like an endless cycle of nappies, crying, feeding and of course existing on pretty much zero sleep. And then…deep in the depths of sheer and total exhaustion…a wonderful moment occurs. You lock eyes with your baby and they give you the most gorgeous gummy smile, and you know this time it definitely isn’t wind! That first smile is a magical milestone in your baby’s journey to learn all about the world, and reacting to your face is a big part of that.
We had a chat with Professor Anna Franklin from Sussex Baby Lab to find out more about how babies see and what sort of things they like to look at best. Some of what she told us blew us away!
‘There is a persistent myth that babies can only see in black and white’
Although it is true that newborn babies find it easier to look at high contrast images, this actually isn’t because they only see in black and white – most newborns can see in colour too. As it turns out, those black and white pattern books aren’t the best choice for babies at all. It is much better to read bright and colourful books with your baby, and make sure they get to see plenty of natural colours too.
‘The natural world is really rich with experience and things to stimulate visual development’
Getting out and about and showing your baby the blue sky, green grass, and ducks at the park isn’t just about getting you both out of the house before you go stir crazy. It’s helping them learn all about colour too!
‘Babies love looking at faces’
Of course, your baby’s favourite thing to look at is your face. They don’t care if you’ve got a few extra wrinkles since last time you looked in a mirror (last Monday?) or if you are too shattered to smile. They find all sorts of faces interesting, but Mum’s face is their favourite. Babies who are just a couple of hours old will look for longer at their Mum’s face than at any other. Probably because they can make the link between your familiar voice and the face they see in front of them.
Our #nappychat nappies provide you with loads of inspiration to encourage face-to-face bonding chats at change time. A whole gang of lovable characters feature on our nappies, inspiring you to sing songs and stories at change time, helping your baby’s development and encouraging more of those beautiful gummy smiles!
And coming soon…
Our #nappychat app will be launching in the new year, with a wealth of inspiration and ideas to help you bond with your baby through stories, poems and songs. Sign up to our newsletter to be amongst the first to download it!
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