Your happy baby: Temperament and toys

Babies seem to experience stress, contentment, pain and happiness from birth, if not before. They each have their own unique personality and temperament.

Temperament

Appreciating your baby's uniqueness and responding to his or her signals will help you help your baby feel content. For example, some babies are much more sensitive to sound, light and voices than others. Too much stimulation and they become fussy. Others thrive on the same level of stimulation that makes another baby fussy.

These tips can help you learn about and respond to your baby's temperment:

Follow all the safety recommendations.
Respond to your baby's needs as quickly as possible. This can help him or her learn he or she is loved and can trust that his or her needs will be met. Allowing a newborn infant to cry longer than necessary before you change, feed or hold him only shows that sometimes people don't respond to his or her legitimate needs.
Spend some quiet time just talking to and holding your newborn.
Establish routines. For example, bathe him or her in the morning, followed by a feeding, swaddling and a nap. Just holding a baby in the same way for each feeding can help babies eat better and feel secure.

Toys

Toys entertain your baby and help him or her use newly acquired and fast-developing skills.

Babies like bright colors and contrasting patterns. Although they can only see about 8 to 12 inches away, they can hear quite well and will respond to music, voices and other sounds. Some toys you might consider:

mobiles with contrasting patterns and colors
unbreakable mirrors attached securely to the inside of the crib
music boxes, CD and tape players (soft music)
soft, brightly colored and patterned toys making gentle sounds