Vision…the Window To The Child's Mind
Most of the time we just take vision for granted, but…
It is the child’s window to his mind. That’s because the optic nerve, which enters the back of the eye, is an extension of the brain. What he sees travels along this pathway to the part of the brain responsible for vision.
It is there he organizes, interprets and makes sense of his world. Just think about how much you learn by looking and observing…Okay, so sometimes we’re so busy looking that we don’t really see. That’s a different problem.
Your son’s brand new world becomes brand new to you, too, because you see it with fresh eyes. You also become more aware of sights, sounds, touches, and that new baby powder smell.
She sleeps more than she’s awake. But when she’s awake, give her a sensory-rich environment that appeals to sight, sound, touch, smell, and taste.
Sight, sound, and touch become his primary teachers in unlocking the mysteries of his new world.
Speaking of sight, just what does she see?
Unfocused eyes, struggling to work together, try to make sense of this confusing new world. Sometimes they won’t work together so they cross. This is natural in these early months.
Eyes peering out of a wobbly head dimly see his mother’s face because his acuity has not developed. It probably won’t be in the normal range until he’s about six months old. He can see her facial features, but not clearly.
Bold colors and contrasting ones like black and white hold her attention for a bit. Add blinking lights and you have a combination sure to captivate her attention, if only briefly.
He might see a moving object passing slowly in his line of vision. Make it a bold color, give it a light or a sound, and it will be easier to catch his eye.
So are there things you can do or provide that will stimulate her visual development? Sure.
A lot of them at this stage will be practical ones…like a burp cloth.
Three-ply diapers…those with a padded middle section make the best. Jazz them up with colorful ribbons, appliques, hems…even her name. You can buy them, but they are so inexpensive and EASY to make, that’s what I’d recommend. I made some for my granddaughter and mailed them to her. A few days later my son asked me where I’d gotten them. When I told him that I’d made them, he said that his wife had looked everywhere for some like them but couldn’t find any. She’d like them better than the ones she’d gotten at her showers.
Another practical gift…also simple, inexpensive, and easy to make…that enriches visual development is a colorful quilt.
Babies aren’t placed on their tummys any more for sleeping. In order to develop their muscles for head lifting and back and shoulder strengthening, needed for crawling, they need “tummy time.”
You can provide a pleasurable “tummy time” by giving her a visually applealing quilt that captures her attention.
Don’t forget books…yes, even for a newborn…cloth, board, textured…they don’t even need words.
You can provide a sensory-rich environment that will enrich your child’s visual development.
Beth is a retired teacher of the visually impaired, who lives in Nashville, Tennessee. She has created a web site http://www.child-enriching-gifts.com drawing on her experiences as a teacher and a grandmother.
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