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Touch...what A Priceless Gift
Studies of babies in orphanages show that lack of it can result in sickness or even death. Preemies gain more weight more quickly when they receive touch therapy. And for the child who is blind, it is one of his windows to learning. However, there are children who are tactile defensive. If you suspect your child has tactile defensiveness, just enter the words “tactile defensiveness” in your favorite browser to locate more information. With that caveat aside, let’s turn to ways to use this sense to increase and enhance your child’s development. As a newborn, he’s cuddly. The warmth of his body nestled in your arms or next to your face comforts, calms and reassures him. It conveys your love for him. Rhythmic, firm pressure as you rub her back soothes fretfulness and you both fall asleep! A light, skimming touch alerts him. Strangely enough, she senses textures more with her mouth in the early months. Now you know why everything goes to the mouth! She probably won’t be able to actually tell the differences tactually until he’s about 6 months old, and even then it will not be well-developed until later. Soft textures comfort the new born. So a colorful quilt can also be tactile. Make your own using a dark fleece and a white or light nubby or loopy fabric. Stitch those two together and you have a high-contrast quilt that is tactually pleasing and captures her visual attention. When her parents moved our granddaughter to her own room, my daughter-in-law asked if I could make a very simple doll to comfort her. So I made a pattern, purchased the “Here Kitty” flannel, stuffed it and there was the doll. Add teddy bear ears to the doll pattern, buy some fleece (or faux fur), and a Teddy Bear results. It’s okay to expose her to different tactile experiences before she’s six months old even though she won’t be able to distinguish them well. Her first tooth is about to erupt, so…she’ll enjoy a cool, textured teething ring. As she adds solid foods to her diet she learns still more textures and temperatures. Board Books with Textures are available. Children love these books. When they know a book is tactile, they often rub their hands across other pictures expecting that they will also be tactual. Design your own colorful tactile book. Fabrics yield themselves nicely to this creative enterprise. Use solid colors of corduroy, fleece, faux fur, net, satin and sparkly fabrics. Best of all…it’s washable! Begin to name them for her...soft, smooth, slick, rough, hard, etc. You can even do this in the early months. She continues to explore her physical world through touch. She also explores her emotional world through touch. She enjoys giving and getting hugs, and proper touching is life giving and enriching. Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com Beth is a retired teacher of the visually impaired, who lives in Nashville, Tennessee. She has created a web site www.child-enriching-gifts.com drawing on her experiences as a teacher and a grandmother. To learn more about sensory motor development and ways to enhance it check out |
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