Under stimulated baby: is it concerning???
- Thread starter momof2napril
- Start date
@momof2napril Some of the best behaved kids I’d ever met were raised by a friend with a doctorate in animal behaviorism. She raised her kids as close to media-free as one could — zero tv / YouTube, only intentional music media, and no phone / tablet time. These were some of the brightest and literate kids I’d met (of course it helps that both parents were brilliant themselves).
There’s a lot of info about the benefits of raising kids Media-free. It doesn’t mean depriving them of stimulation but providing them with self guided activities, sensory toys, physical movement, and lots of verbal interaction to build vocabulary.
Just sitting down and making eye contact with your baby while you sing / talk is worlds better than a barking toy with flashing lights.
No offense to your SIL, but that’s my personal belief and I feel very strongly about it. However my spouse and I are ambiverts and we thrive on the jam packed outdoor activities & socializing but then we come home to a quiet home and create lots of downtime. I expect our kid will be able to switch it on / off same as us.
There’s a lot of info about the benefits of raising kids Media-free. It doesn’t mean depriving them of stimulation but providing them with self guided activities, sensory toys, physical movement, and lots of verbal interaction to build vocabulary.
Just sitting down and making eye contact with your baby while you sing / talk is worlds better than a barking toy with flashing lights.
No offense to your SIL, but that’s my personal belief and I feel very strongly about it. However my spouse and I are ambiverts and we thrive on the jam packed outdoor activities & socializing but then we come home to a quiet home and create lots of downtime. I expect our kid will be able to switch it on / off same as us.
momof2napril
New member
@momof2napril She’ll be just fine!!!! 
Love hearing that about you.
My spouse and I have siblings with some diverse personalities, but we’re both the eldest, both super level headed, thoughtful, both ambiverts. It makes for a nice life together, even if we do burn ourselves out sometimes on special occasions or overbooked travel itineraries.
We like to do ALL THE THINGS.
But most of all we value our quiet time together, our books, pets, time spent in nature.
We just became parents and are hoping this resonates with our child, because.... it is very much who we are and we’re both pretty determined to live the life we want! Hope they like it!
Noise and chaos works for some people, but I hold a private belief that more intellectual folks don’t roll that way. I need to hear myself think — and babies do too!
Love hearing that about you.My spouse and I have siblings with some diverse personalities, but we’re both the eldest, both super level headed, thoughtful, both ambiverts. It makes for a nice life together, even if we do burn ourselves out sometimes on special occasions or overbooked travel itineraries.
We like to do ALL THE THINGS.
But most of all we value our quiet time together, our books, pets, time spent in nature.
We just became parents and are hoping this resonates with our child, because.... it is very much who we are and we’re both pretty determined to live the life we want! Hope they like it!
Noise and chaos works for some people, but I hold a private belief that more intellectual folks don’t roll that way. I need to hear myself think — and babies do too!
momof2napril
New member
@gust Yesss I totally agree and we are very similar. We’re both the eldest… haha ok I’m an only child so I’m also the youngest, but I think hubby grew up being very over scheduled between him and his sisters doing sports and friends etc that when he met me that’s when he realized how nicr it was to be busy doing… calm things! We both work extrovert jobs so we can both do it, but we agree - quiet at home time or outside time is most valuable.
@momof2napril Every family is different.
You mentioned SIL has KIDS. More than one? And do you only have one?
I'm asking because my life/schedule/activities as a mom of 3 (6yo,4yo,1 month old) is VERY different now than it was with just my one infant. My newborn will definitely be more stimulated because because of the older two - their TV time, their schedules, their likes and activities and just... From them themselves. My house is always noisy - the big kids, the dog etc. We definitely have lazy days but there's always some sort of stimulation just because of the big kids. Luckily the newborn can sleep like my husband and could sleep through a freight train passing through my living room
The good news is that babies typically adapt.
Do what works for you guys. Every baby's stimulation will be different.
You mentioned SIL has KIDS. More than one? And do you only have one?
I'm asking because my life/schedule/activities as a mom of 3 (6yo,4yo,1 month old) is VERY different now than it was with just my one infant. My newborn will definitely be more stimulated because because of the older two - their TV time, their schedules, their likes and activities and just... From them themselves. My house is always noisy - the big kids, the dog etc. We definitely have lazy days but there's always some sort of stimulation just because of the big kids. Luckily the newborn can sleep like my husband and could sleep through a freight train passing through my living room
The good news is that babies typically adapt.
Do what works for you guys. Every baby's stimulation will be different.