This post is sponsored by Gerber®, but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.
I can hardly believe that Baby B will be turning one in just a few short days! While #thirdbabyproblems seems to be the running theme of his infant year, he’s also benefited from my years of parenting his big brothers! The first year of a baby’s life is full of so many milestones and developments. It’s crazy how fast they grow and learn during their first year of life.
Here are five ways to encourage baby’s brain development:
1.) Music, music, music
Whenever we can, we have some sort of music playing in the background. His brothers love singing nursery rhymes and songs to him all day long. I can already see B’s love for music and singing developing! It’s no surprise that our home is not the quietest, but I wouldn’t have it any other way! Oh yeah and having music in the background gets out all of our stir crazies especially around dinner/bedtime. MOM WIN!
2.) Meal time
B’s favorite time of the day is meal time. I swear he would eat all day long, if I let him! I’ve mentioned before how much we love Gerber Cereal with DHA & Probioticfor a quick and easy breakfast. Along with Iron, Gerber Infant Cereal has other essential nutrients such as Zinc, Calcium, Vitamin C, E and six B Vitamins.
I’ve nursed all three babes and one of my biggest areas of concern is to make sure that B is getting enough iron into his diet. With Gerber Cereal, B has support with his growth, healthy brain development and learning ability. Gerber Cereal provides 100% of a baby’s iron needs.
There’s currently a Cartwheel app coupon for Gerber Cereal at Target! We just picked some up today and B had some Gerber Cereal for dinner. NOMNOMNOM.
3.) Story time
Out of all of my kids, B is the one who showed a deep interest in books even in infancy. It works out so well for us, since the older boys love telling him stories. It makes bedtime so pleasant! And it’s a great break time from the physical activity that they’re usually exerting throughout the day. Reading is a passion of mine, so being able to share this with all three of my kids, even with Baby B is truly one of the highlights of parenthood for me.
4.) Conversation
As a first time mom, I often sat silently just holding or staring at my baby. With B being my third baby, I’ve learned to proactively talk and interact with him to encourage stimulation and brain development. I’m not sure if it’s because of this or just due to the fact that there’s always a lot of noise in our home, but B is my most talkative baby yet! He loves to babble and scream and shriek at his older brothers. I love that verbal skills can and do develop at such an early age. It’s so fun to watch him verbally interact with his brothers even as an infant.
5.) Rest, rest, rest
I’m so thankful that B is a good sleeper. His sleep/nap routine is so crucial to his brain development. While a lot of his schedule is on the go due to catering to his big brothers’ schedules, I try to make sure that he is in bed at his usual bedtime every night.
Don’t forget to use THIS COUPON at your local Target to pick up Gerber Infant Cereal for your babe(s)!
What are some ways you encourage brain development for your bab(ies)?
