Toys??

[nervousnelle]

8 weeks today! Should she be playing with toys? Everyone is telling me that she needs to lie under a stand with toys hanging down. And that I need to shake a rattley stuffed Pooh bear in her face. Really? We read books every day. What else should I be doing with her?

[treeoflife3]

DDCC

at 8 weeks, my kid was SO not interested in toys. She honestly didn't get interested in toys til 4 months.. and even then her interest was very very minimal. She was much happier being held and just watching the world.

Now, if I held up toys for her, she'd watch them for a short while but it definitely wasn't something she WANTED to do most. My voices and face making were more fun than a toy and I could do more things she liked watching with my hands and hair. I was definitely her favorite toy... still am!

I think as long as you are reading to her and engaging her in other ways, she is fine. If she LIKES the other stuff, it doesn't hurt but there is no real REASON. Humans evolved withouth toy stands and rattling pooh bears

[Surfacing]

[bjorker]

It depends on the baby. Dd1 was not interested for a long time, but i have a few friends whose babies were clearly interested in toys early on. We have a few now and Ember does actually seem interested. I wouldnt have thought to try it, but dp and dd1 figured it out with the few that we had. Doesnt last for long though. Definitely NOT a must-have at this point.
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[expat-mama]

DS absolutely LOVES to look at these black and white contrast books that we have. They are "books" but without words- just pictures of patterns and faces in black and white and one has a mirror in it- so I kind of consider them toys. We were given a bunch of toys but they are mostly sitting on a shelf right now- except for one rattle and one soft ball that we sort of just hold in front of him occasionally (not really "shaking it" or anything ) because they also have contrasting patterns that he loves to gaze at. He gets so enthralled and amazed with the black and white patterns and faces- I really recommend them for little ones! And it's supposed to be good for their eyes and development etc.

Other than that, we just read to him, make faces, talk to him and he seems more than happy. It will be cool though, when he can grab stuff and takes an interest in some of the cool toys that we were given.

[expat-mama]

oops, double post.

[SeattleRain]

DDDC (though not really since my baby was born in July)

My mother has an opinion that toys are a baby's work, and I sort of agree. Toys can be how they learn about the world, experience textures, and engage. While I think its great to read to your baby and engage with her, I don't know if I would say that you should be the ONLY thing she engages with. I think its totally healthy for her to have things she can engage with all by herself. We've started laying Daniel on a quilt under a mobile and he totally watches it and smiles. If we turn on some music, he's really into it. We started dangling a Whoozit from his carseat and he is really entranced by it and smiles at it.

I don't think you have to have a million toys, we literally only have the Whoozit (and a Sophie, but that's for later) and we have a mobile and lots of books, but I think it's not a bad idea to start introducing some toys. Just keep in mind, it doesn't NEED to be a toy you buy at Toys R Us to get the right idea.

[mamakaikai]

To a baby, everything around them is novel and stimulating.

This early on, I don't think toys serve much of a purpose. Sure, my baby will smile at a rattle, but she also smiles at me and coos at the curtain blowing in the wind with the shadows of leaves blowing across it. I don't know. My dd1 most enjoyed playing with blankets, and random found object in the house for the longest time. Still prefers them really.

I wouldn't worry about getting toys. They will find their way to you, or you will find some that you want to get for your baby, but I wouldn't go out of my way to get some. I certainly wouldn't feel guilty for not getting some or not playing with them.

[terra-pip]

I agree...we have a basket full of baby toys that were my sons for dd, and a bag full of rattles and who knows what from different people as gifts. We haven't bought anything for her ourselves yet. And probably won't till xmas since we have this other stuff. I want to get a Sophie giraffe.

But playtime for me nearly 7 week old dd is laying on our knees or on a play spot on the rug and just watching our faces talk to her. We play a peek a boo game with a little blankie and my 3 yo ds tried to give her a wrist rattle thing and managed to pry open her fist and make her hold it...she seemed surprised!

Theres also dangly toys on her bouncy seat and she's started staring at them.

Her favorite thing seems to be to walk around and look at pictures and whatever while i talk. Ice box art is a fave...all those light dark contrasts!

And when we're having a little tummy time I prop a board book in front to give her something to raise her haed and look towards.

[nervousnelle]

Nak

Thanks! Good point about the black and white books really being toys. We have a bunch of those. I'm def getting a whoozit for the carseat. And I found moolka.com and oompa.com and there are some good suggestions for babies. I just don't want to not be doing whatever I should be doing to stimulate her brain. We're already on a waitlist for THE preschool. This stuff is serious. Lol. Half-mocking. Half-mean-it.

[terra-pip]

you'll be doing plenty to stimulate her brain by loving her, talking to her, and responding to her needs and playing with her naturally.

[mummy marja]

Originally Posted by terra-pip

you'll be doing plenty to stimulate her brain by loving her, talking to her, and responding to her needs and playing with her naturally.

I completely agree. I don't even think you need to be reading to her yet--or rather, that you don't need to be reading baby books--you can read your favourite novel out loud and the sound and the rhythm of your voice are still there, and she'll love that. I've been reading Harry Potter to my older kids so DS is listening in just like he used to do in utero, and I know he really enjoys the sound of me reading.

I really don't think they are ready for toys until they are wanting to reach and grasp. Right now they are just learning to get those hands into their mouths, or that's what DS is working on right now anyway!

[terra-pip]

I'm the same way mummymarja, I figure what I'm reading to my older kids will be just fine for the baby. I've been reading the Winnie the Pooh book to my 3 year old and I know from the look in dd's eyes that she is listening. And we just talk and sing to her a lot...she is really cooing back a bunch!

[SeattleRain]

Originally Posted by mummy marja

I completely agree. I don't even think you need to be reading to her yet--or rather, that you don't need to be reading baby books--you can read your favourite novel out loud and the sound and the rhythm of your voice are still there, and she'll love that. I've been reading Harry Potter to my older kids so DS is listening in just like he used to do in utero, and I know he really enjoys the sound of me reading.

My husband reads DS TIME magazine every night I think he just likes the sounds of daddy's voice.

[nervousnelle]

Thanks so much for the reassurance and for the reminder that I need to just talk and sing and interact naturally with her. So many times I go about our day and realize that even though we have music playing, I'm not really saying anything to her. We're both just sort of co-existing. I need to talk to her. Right now she's in a sling on my chest and I'm reading what I type as I type it and she's cooing back at me. So sweet. I want to bottle these moments up!

[terra-pip]

I understand. I've found myself just sort of co-existing with all my kiddos lately. Just going through the motions of keeping them fed and watered and dressed etc. I have got to figure out how to be a fun mommy when my attention is being pulled in so many directions. <sigh>

But dd has been cooing and breathy laughing a lot this past week. She's also starting to have times where I couldn't figure out what she wanted and playtime seemed to be the answer. They are always one or two steps ahead of us in development it seems. Once I get in a rhythm, they go and change and grow!

[craft_media_hero]

The Michael Olaf catalog online has some really great ideas and developmentally appropriate toys for the first year---they're broken down into the dangly/reachy stuff, rolling on the floor, pulling/dragging, etc. progressing along as the babe's natural interest changes with what he/she is capable of. So that's something to check out.

But I also agree with the pp's who said toys really aren't necessary for quite a while yet. I've also noticed with my nephew (abt 6mo old) that all the baby toys he has pale in comparison to the shell, smooth block of wood, or homemade rice beanie-bag that he's offered here at my house.

My baby enjoys--tracking a flashlight on the wall, playing make-a-face back and forth, looking at wooden rattle and trying to grasp at it, watching colored fabric waved gently over him (like when doing laundry ), when dh rubs his hands together fast to make them hot and then holding baby's hands and saying HOT, HOT. That's about all the play he's into so far.

I would like one of those wooden archway things to dangle toys above him like they have in the Michael Olaf catalog, though. I think that he will soon enjoy that type of reaching and watching play.

[evjolin]

my son has some wooden rattles he enjoys,and he LOVES this:

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/70108177

like, borderline laughs when under it. it's nice--he can be on the bed and it gives me about 20-30mins to myself for email/shower/breakfast, whatever.

so "toys", yes. but i don't think they have to be bought--a wooden spoon, a dish towel, anything bright and fun to touch.