TIME DOES MATTER

You spend a lot of time with baby. Now, it’s time to make that time count. Ashishwang Godha tells you how to make the most of the hours to bond as well as lay a strong foundation

- Ashishwang Godha

ROCKING, cuddling, smiling, breastfeeding, singing nursery rhymes, solving puzzles, playing peek-a-boo and reprimanding may seem regular routines in any mother-baby’s life. But, psychologists, counsellors and old wives’ tales insist that these seemingly mundane activities ensure a happy and healthy child. In our competitive age, a by-product of these routines could be helping the baby develop early skills. Plus bonding—the intense attachment between parent and child. “The confident and happy beings my brother and I are today, is because of the nurturing and time my mother invested in us. I feel it’s important to be around and give my son the same upbringing,” says Ritika Shah, mother of a six-year-old, and a Class I teacher, who took a break from work for nearly three years after her son was born.

Attachment or bonding isn’t an instant reaction and effect of childbirth. Not every mother feels instantly connected to the new little person in her life. “Unlike most mothers, I didn’t feel anything when I saw my son for the first time. I was exhausted. When the doctor brought him next to me, all I looked for was if he had two eyes, a nose, two ears etc,” says Uma Pillai, mother of a three-and-half-month-old boy and an investment banker. “The first time I really got emotional for my baby was when he was pricked for his first needle. I had tears in my eyes.”

So, here’s a quick guide on what to do to strengthen the bond, while aiding early learning.

NEWBORN TO THREE MONTHS

Be around and make skin-to-skin contact all the time to bond better