Why house tours are your baby’s No. 1 favorite activity

As parents, we’re trained to think that babies get fussy because they must need to eat, sleep, or have their diaper changed. Sometimes, they just want their world to get a little bigger. This is why giving your baby a tour of your home as you talk slowly to them will be their absolute favorite activity in the first year ❤️

Something as simple as getting a snack or doing laundry can be a fascinating experience for your baby. In these moments, your baby’s senses are teaching them what things are and how they work.

Speak slowly as you tour your home. Your baby is just beginning to understand that some words represent actual objects and events. To a baby, adult conversation sounds something like this: “Areyouhungrywanttoeat?” The adult brain can insert boundaries between these words, but baby brains can’t do that yet.

When you speak at a slightly slower pace about what’s happening in the moment, your baby can hear the separation between words and sounds. Enjoy your “conversations” by responding whenever they vocalize back to you.

Here’s what you might say during a house tour with your baby

• Going outside “Now we’re going over to the door…” (at the door) “I’m going to touch the handle and open it. I’m opening the door with my hand. Oh, do you feel that? There’s a little breeze outside, do you feel that on your face? I can feel it on my face. The sun is shining, too.”
• At the sink “I’m going to turn the handle… look, here comes the water out of the faucet. Now let’s put our fingers under the water. The water is cold, isn’t it?”
• In the laundry room “Ding! I heard the dryer. It must be done drying the towels. Look, when I open the door, the light goes on. Do you feel the warm towel? It’s so cozy and soft. It smells good, too, like lavender.”