Seeing is one of the main sensory inputs through which we learn about our environment- it lets us recognize friendly familiar faces from new or hostile ones, warns us of impending danger, and enables us to interact with toys (for kids) and materials (for adults) to aid us in whatever endeavor or task we choose to do.
By the time your child reaches 1 month, your child is expected to look attentively at a human face, respond with a smile to other’s smiles or friendly voices and visually follow a moving person or object- all of which are important for your child’s normal social, emotional and cognitive development.
Eye contact is important in learning especially at the start because it is how we learn to gain control of our movement, acquire new skills and ultimately give us the capacity to master the environment we are in. However, it is one of the basic skills readily implicated by the use of gadgets, and its effects in the quality of life of your child will be perilous so long as we let it.
Think about it, when you first started to drive a car, ride a bike or your habit of quilting- you looked at the handle, the stick-shift or the tools that you held. You looked at it as you move until you became acquainted enough with the task that each movement or step became imperceptibly automatic. What do you think will the repercussions be if your child didn’t know how and where to look at all? How will your child learn the value of social interactions when she or he can’t appreciate the beauty of a human face?
Here are some tips on how you can improve your child’s eye contact to establish connection with people and to aid her or him to focus more on the tasks given:
- When playing or interacting with your child, make sure you are always at eye level so it’ll be easier for them to look rather than cocking their heads really high up just to look at you.
- When their name is called and they didn’t acknowledge you- you may guide them by pointing your eyes using your own or their hands
- While playing, make funny and exaggerated facial expressions and sounds.
- When you are showing toys or materials, put it on eye level.
- Put smileys or stickers on your forehead or between your eyes and make funny faces to make your child interested.
- Be creative! The main principle here is you want your child to appreciate the beauty of social interactions by gazing at a human face.
Until you read from me again.
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