SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES WITH THE BABY

Blow at all parts of the baby's body. Tickle, rub, pat and prod. Roll him or her around.

Do not always have the baby dressed, but place the child naked onto a scratchy woollen blanket or crackly paper so that the nerves of the body experience something quite different. The noise of the paper is an incentive for to move. Sounds are the baby's reward.

Forget about the baby's comfort now and then. Put him or her too near the foot-end of the cot, to encourage them to push against it. Place the baby on their tummy and hold some bright, noisy object in front of the eyes, but above the head. This encourages a lifting of the head and exercising of the neck muscles.

Whistle and sing if it makes the baby stretch or arch the back. Use odd sounds which suddenly lapse into a peaceful silence. Do not be afraid to be child-like with the baby. It is surprising how "oohs" and "aahs" provoke wriggles and happy twisting which no serious talk can ever achieve.

Place bells not only near the hands but also put them on and near the feet. This makes the baby kick more frequently and more purposefully. If the bells are placed on the sides, he or she will even learn to use alternate limbs.

Carry the baby around in a baby sling. In this way they get rocked, lowered, lifted, and turned, without much effort. This stimulates the sense of balance, and also engenders a sense of being loved and a part of everything the parents do.

Tease the baby into turning, stretching, or bending movements by holding a desired object at a slight distance. It may be good for an inactive baby to learn that effort has its reward.

If the baby does not attempt to crawl, give them the joy of a bath in which they are laid down on the tummy over a large rolled up towel. This comfortable bulge should support the chest and abdomen while leaving the limbs to dangle freely in the water. When splashing in this position, the baby may come very close to the mechanics of crawling.

It is helpful to do things together with the baby, to get down on the floor at times. For the baby the task at hand is gigantic. Why make it harder still by standing over them like a giant? If the legs are still lifeless or weak, and the knees still unused, sit opposite the baby on the floor, with the soles of the feet touching their feet, and push against each other. Try making a ramp with the legs on which the baby can learn to climb.

Last but not least, make the child itch with curiosity. Do something secretive nearby, or clatter about unseen so that the child will want to overcome the physical stumbling block and get up.