The Gist:

Create a safe space by removing anything that your child shouldn’t put in their mouth.

Then, sit back and watch with amazement!

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The details:

I want to tell you just two things about how to encourage curiosity in your baby, and (clearly) they’re related.

#1

In order to foster curiosity, we have to create a safe space in which to learn. No one who is learning something for the first time wants to be stressed out about The Rules. In order for learning to occur, we have to feel safe. In order to feel safe, we have to feel like the world is a predictable, friendly place. 

Developmentally, very young children start out in “extreme explore” mode. Everything is new. Everything is an open door. Everything is interesting. Everything is a possibility.

So, as parents, it’s our job to “curate” the environment for the babies so that their idea of the world is true (for them). Babies should feel absolutely free to explore anything that they can see and reach. 

This means REMOVING items that are off-limits and unsafe for babies. 

Put Great Aunt Sally’s crystal bowl, your phone, choking hazards, household cleaners, plastic bags, latex balloons OUT OF REACH of your baby. 

“But they need to learn that some things are dangerous”, you say! 

They do. But not now. Not yet. There’s LOTS of time for learning The Rules, and it’s not in the first year.

“But what about if they have older siblings?” you ask. 

Yeah - it’s a problem. But it’s a problem solved either by having separate play areas in the same room for each child OR by keeping “big kid” toys out of rooms where both kids are. 

Inconvenient? Sure.

Temporary? YEP!

#2

The second thing I want to tell you is that BABIES PUT THINGS IN THEIR MOUTHS. 

And it’s ok.

Because you’ve created a safe space for them (see #1 above). 

Because the mouth is the third hand. 

Babies LEARN by mouthing. We want them learning, right? So, we want them mouthing. (Just, mouthing safe stuff).

So, when baby is putting something in their mouth, you can sit and watch what they do. Because it’s safe. Because you are fostering their curiosity just by letting them do their thing.

Easy, right?

If you want more concrete ideas of how to foster curiosity in your baby, check out my Developmental Milestones Chart here. It’s full of easy, quick ideas for kids at every age and stage.

All my best -

Gabriele