Here is a NEW book that has been recently published by the American Academy of Pediatrics called Retro Baby: Cut Back on All the Gear and Boost Your Baby’s Development With More Than 100 Time-Tested Activities. This book was perfect for me since I have an eight month old and I had to be reminded that simple is sometimes better.
I sometimes feel caught up with the NEWEST item out there or the hype that certain toys or gear will help my child stay still or help them stay more attentive. Not so. I am SO surprised by my second child because she totally did not like the Jumperoo as much as my first baby, who is now almost 2 years old. She also did not favor being in the exersaucer either.
In the book, it explains and reminds us as mothers not to completely rely on gear and toys to hold our babies for LONG periods of time. I recently was over at a mom’s house whom I had NEVER met before. She was actually selling me some items and she had a 1 year old daughter in the Jumperoo. She looked content and the mom told me that she can spend HOURS in that and it makes her work and kitchen work very easy. I totally did not judge her at all, although I felt a bit envious, but then I wondered about the child’s development. I did not know if she was walking yet but she was not fussy.
Sometimes, we rely on gear to babysit our children especially if much is required or if you have more than one child, like I do. Now my 8 month old baby is in discovery mode and she wants EVERYTHING and to DO everything that my toddler does. She is learning to crawl and loves to reach out for anything in her way, especially books.
The book encourages making homemade toys from recyclable items in order to encourage everything from tummy time, range of motion, and observation. Not only that, but it also encourages time with our little ones. Truth be told it is easy to leave your child with toys but in reality it is the time spent with our children that develops their whole self.
There were other things that I had already read in other books like the overuse of baby carriers and making sure parents are using slings correctly to prevent injury. There is also discussion on how a baby should sleep or rest to prevent skull deformities.
The book is another information book for new moms but not to obsess about the ways we are doing things incorrectly but to inform about possibilities. I have learned that reading too much can sometimes make me worry more than I should. I loved seeing the activities provided and was happy to know I had already started using some of them for both my children.
This book is published by Anne H. Zachry, PhD, OTR/L, is $16.95, and is available through Amazon, Barnes and Nobles, and bookstores nationwide.
Here is a press release: IT’S TIME TO GO BACK TO BABY BASICS WITH RETRO BABY!
Incorporating the latest recommendations from the AAP, Zachry – also a professor of OT at The University of Tennessee Health and Science Center – bases the book on her over 20 years of experience and extensive research by her and other experts in the field. RetroBaby Covers how an infant’s brain, body, motor and sensory skills develop, explains the negative impacts of overusing certain baby gear and provides specific instructions for play positions and activities that are appropriate for each developmental stage, giving parents both a starting point and guidelines to help them properly invest in their child’s future.
Retro Baby arms parents and caregivers of children birth to 24 months with important advice including:
- Activities, tips (and even homemade toy suggestions) for building a solid sensory motor foundations throughout various stages of a child’s development;
- The proper and healthy daily amount of time to use various types of baby gear; certain baby gear to avoid;
- Tips for practicing Tummy Time;
- Preventing Positional Skull Deformities.
