Activities Parents Can Do With Their Baby

It’s important for their baby’s development to be involved in care and developmental activities. We encourage parents to ask their nurse about how to interact with their baby. This may include “hand hugs”, kangaroo care, using a mirror, engaging in cares, as well as activities that aim to increase parental attachment and benefit baby's development.

All About Me (for infants 2+ weeks old)

Increasing the caregiver's reflective capacity and internal representations of their baby and themselves in the caregiving role allows for a greater ability to see their baby as a person, not a "medical object". This activity aims to increase feelings of attachment and reflective capacity by thinking through baby's likes and dislikes, and viewing the baby as an individual. While the medical team knows the baby well, this allows the parent to showcase their special perspective. Some caregivers prefer to fill this out over time, as they are still getting to know their little one! It is common to have difficulty thinking through answers at times, and their responses may change over time.

Click here to see the activity. 

Setting Routines (for infants 24+ weeks off)

Babies can learn patterns and routines over time, so this is a helpful way to teach them about their environment. Routines help with structure and predictability, which are important ways to help young children learn. By creating routines that involve reading, talking, and/or singing, babies are also exposed to more language, which is important for their development. You as a member of the baby’s team have already established care times based on their needs, but there are ways parents can add personalized touches to the routine.

Parents can reflect on:

• What they notice about how they feel when they are singing or reading to their baby?
• What do they notice about their baby when they are singing or reading to them?
• How might they use these routines when you leave the NICU?