Parenting: Toddlers

Most expectant and new parents today are very concerned with providing the right environment for their infants and toddlers. We see evidence of this growing concern in the recent popularity of creating an “infant gift registry” to ensure just the right items are purchased by thoughtful gift-givers.

Beyond the furnishings and safety products, strollers and car seats that are a must-have in the world of babies, there are environments that are equally important for the healthy growth of infants. Key among these is the learning and development environment. For a baby, this is all about discovery and play – different types of play – fostered by different toys that can help create the most happy, healthful and rewarding learning environments.

Recent research has demonstrated that during an infant’s “curiosity” months (from birth through 1 year) there are two distinct developmental learning environments that need to be nurtured. One is “soothing,” and the other is “stimulating.”

The Soothing Environment
Parents cite time and time again the importance of having toys and objects that help calm an over-stimulated or over-tired infant. They are looking for items that help create a quiet place that feels both comforting and relaxing. Appropriate playthings in this environment help create the safe, caring and loving world a baby so desperately needs for healthy development. The “soothing” environment fosters all-important parent-child bonding while gently encouraging early developmental milestones such as baby’s ability to self-comfort using a “lovie” or favorite toy.

The types of toys included in this “soothing” environment include musical or lullaby toys, plush animals or first baby dolls. These have been classic shower and newborn gifts for half a century. Items such as Eden’s Waggie Lamb have been bestsellers in the classic infant line because they offer the best of plush combined with soothing motion and music in a lovable, soft toy. Baby can enjoy the soft touch, the gentle music and the warmth of this type of “lovie” from his or her earliest days.

The Stimulating Environment
Thanks to child development research and findings, infants today have a wealth of stimulating playthings designed to help encourage sensory awakenings and exploration throughout infancy. Toy manufacturers have heard child development experts and parents alike and have introduced some truly exceptional toys for the “stimulating” environment over the past six to eight years.

“Stimulating” toys feature high-contrast colors, hidden surprise sounds (such as ball chimes, crinkles, jingle bells or squeaks) and have multiple levels upon which the toys can be used and enjoyed. The best are designed to provide opportunities for open-ended play and grow with the baby, providing enjoyment and key developmental benefits through several stages of infancy. For example, a very young baby may enjoy looking at and reaching for the high-contrast colors of the fabrics in his Lamaze Stacking Rings. A month or so later, he might relish shaking the rings to hear the different sounds. Then, a month or two later, he may want to stack them freeform and knock them over. Still later, sequential stacking by size will provide stimulation as well as fun and enjoyment for hours on end!

In contrast to the “soothing” environment, the “stimulating” environment is designed to “get baby going” – to motivate him or her to explore and “do.” Playthings that support this environment do more than simply entertain. They encourage skill development, expand an infant’s world and help further the natural progression from newborn to infant to toddler.

Research tells us many parents are glad the notions of infant flash cards and classical music “training” from birth are considered passé. However, upon further discussion, they will admit that they want to make sure they provide as much stimulation at as early an age as possible to make sure they don’t “miss something” as they help their infants grow and develop. Hence the popularity, power and importance of quality playthings in the “stimulating” category.

Don’t Shortchange Either Play Environment
Parents today are savvy, and they know more about child development than even the parents just one generation ago. They are actively seeking out the best for their baby from conception through pregnancy and all of infancy.

As you embark on this most exciting parenting stage – or as you prepare to purchase a gift for a friend or loved one who is in the “parent phase” – be sure to stock the toy chest with items from both the “stimulating” and the “soothing” categories. Play is how babies first explore and begin to learn about the world around them. Play is vital to healthy development, and by making sure that the special infants in your life have the right tools to guide them along their early discovery journeys, you can help ensure their play environment is as healthy and beneficial as their loving home and family environment is!