Newborn Babies

As you get into your twenties, friends, family and colleagues (but alas not my own partners as yet) start giving birth to little babies. They are of course absolutely adorable- tiny, sleepy. I used to think that the most interesting part of a child's development was ages 4-7 when they are learning to read and getting more independent and you have the chance to communicate with them by voice quite meaningfully. But this was simplistic. We all have a tendency to underestimate children- they are very complex and very sophisticated- right from the moment they are born.

You can communicate with babies- one baby I know did so using her tongue. She started sticking it in and out. She did not seem to be able to wiggle her tongue around. She also smiled a lot- toothless, gappy grins. She spat out her pacifier dummy when she wanted to 'chat'. For about 15 minutes, our minds were kind of locked on and the rest of the room merged into nothingness. We were talking- communicating not about anything but there was a definite connection. She grasped hold of my finger which she liked because when I removed it, she grasped hold of her pacifier handle.

After pulling some faces at the child and sticking my tongue in and out a lot I felt really guilty because every time the child saw me she instantly started to contort her face and pull faces at me, something I am not sure her mother fully appreciated:) So the child certainly recognized me and remembered me.

Newborn babies have sensitive radars- they are very aware and interact very closely with and respond to the environment around them. They recognize changes such as when someone new picks them up, and they appreciate the reassurance of continuity- feeling much more comfortable when one of their primary ongoing carers is within close proximity. Babies are therefore by no means oblivious to their surroundings- on the contrary- they are much more tuned into their environment than the average adult is, making use of all their senses to interpret and communicate. For example, babies are very aware of all movement such as breezes or rocking or car motion.

How can you not love something so unassuming and so dependent? This was a life changing experience for me- once again I realized how important children are for perspective- my company had been threatened with a lawsuit the day before- and suddenly it did not matter anymore. But children are not just important of course, they are precious.



Author: Simon Buckingham

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