Did you know…
Far from being a blank page when they are born, babies are sucking in information at an incredible rate and trying to make sense of it. A newborn is not just resting, eating and going back to sleep. They are desperately trying to scaffold their learning, figuring out how to make sense of new information and concreting it in place to refer back to later.
Think of their newly-received information as pieces of a puzzle. Where will it go? How will it fit? If the scaffold it’s fitting into keeps changing then learning will take a lot longer.
So let’s look at a new baby’s environment. What can they latch onto that represents a constant? Their bed, their hanging mobile, their parents/carers, their routine. From birth to around 6 months these variables should remain constant. Any new information, such as a change of environment, will set them back a little, making them re-do the puzzle and becoming confused.
If you need to change their environment they’ll need time to settle in. Support them by keeping up with the other variables (for example: same routine, same carer, same hanging mobile).
Where do parents go for legitimate advice? As a qualified teacher I have access to incredible resources, based on scientific research and backed up by academia. Google is not the whole answer. I offer you a credible, valuable and scientific alternative that is further supported by observation and experience.
Disclaimer: Due to the limit of words statements will not be referenced. Sweeping statements and general comments are not fleeting, throw-away opinions on a subject. They are backed by scientific research and a vast academic resource.
G.S. Bailey 