By Miebeth Bustillo-Booth, ChildTrek Founder
Thank You for Your Support!
Thank you to all of you who came to see us at the Green Power Baby Shower Expo in Seattle. It was a wonderful success! I can’t tell you enough how much Stacey and I enjoyed meeting you. We especially loved meeting the children! They are such an inspiration and reminded me why I started ChildTrek in the first place.
The Most Frequently Asked Question
You asked many child development related questions at the Expo. Let me share the most frequently asked one and recap my answer.
What kinds of toys do I give my baby who is 6 to 11 months old, sitting up or standing up, but not yet walking?
For the first few months, babies don’t do much. They sleep, pee, poop, and coo. Then one day, they add to their developmental repertoire by sitting up, crawling, rolling, and reaching out. Now what do you give them to play with?
Developmentally, babies can vary quite a bit. Since you see your infant everyday, you are the foremost expert at what your newborn is able to handle physically. So it’s good to start with your own knowledge of your baby. Nevertheless, here are some guidelines to keep in mind as you choose toys that are developmentally appropriate.
a) At this age, babies naturally want to grab and pull. It’s their way of interacting with their surrounding. The best grabbing or pulling toys are chunky and rounded so as to be easy for little, uncoordinated hands to handle. They have textures, sounds and visual feedback to give your baby important multi-sensory stimulation. Through these early multi-sensory experiences, your infant will begin to make sense of her immediate world. She will begin to synthesize information through repeat experiences and organize these in her developing brain. (This is smooth, rough, bumpy, crinkly; this makes this kind of sound, that kind of sound; this one has different colors (babies don’t actually understand colors; but varying contrasts help them differentiate one from another), etc.)
Be careful, however, from giving your child toys that are loud or over-stimulating. Keep it gentle and soothing. Babies are naturally disorganized. Their brains cannot handle information overload. And we don’t want to give them any reason to be upset (and lose the little sleep they give us in return), do we?
b) Rattles and teethers are also grabbing toys per se. However, if you are looking specifically to help your baby soothe tender gums choose ones that are made of unfinished, beeswax-finished, or non-toxic painted wood. Since wood is a natural anti-bacterial material, it is ideal for your infant. It is also safer.
With growing concerns over the possible harmful effects of phthalates - family of chemicals used to make plastic pliable - present in many children’s toys, it’s best to avoid plastic toys altogether. Choose only natural and wooden toys until there is conclusive evidence these chemicals do not disrupt hormonal development, among other things, in young children.
c) Towel dolls and stuffed animals are particularly good for babies and toddlers. They are soft, comforting, and designed to be easy to handle. As a regular companion, soft dolls and stuffed animals help young children to self soothe while in car rides, strollers, or just being a baby.
Note: Do not to put toys, pillows, blankets, or other objects in your baby’s crib. Childhood experts say that infants are safest when they sleep on their back and without things that may disrupt their breathing.
Upcoming Exhibits
We will let you know of other exhibits where ChildTrek will have a booth. If you are in the area, please do stop by. We would love to meet you and your family!
Thank you again for the for the opportunity to meet you at the Green Power Baby Shower Expo. We are also grateful that you chose natural baby, toddler, or preschooler toys from ChildTrek. We truly appreciate your business.
