Baby play mats have taken the market by storm over the last few years, and for good reason. Studies show that it’s never too soon for babies to be exposed to a very stimulating environment. I am a father of two, and if you’re like me you’ll also enjoy the fact that many play mats offer a clean and comfortable area for your baby to play on the ground.
Play mats are usually constructed of soft yet durable material that is ideal for young children. They have bright vibrant colors that attract baby and stimulate their visual senses. Most play mats are also created to have different textures and make unique sounds to appeal to baby’s attention and help aid development of their tactile senses. When shopping for these items, try to find one that incorporates stimulation of as many of their senses as possible
Another great thing about play mats is knowing that it’s okay to have some time to yourself and put baby down for a bit. As it was for me and my wife most first time parents struggle with the guilt of putting their baby down for a bit. It helped quite a lot for me and my wife knowing when we did put our babies on the play mat, it was still healthy place for them. As you’ll learn, it’s just as important for babies to spend some time moving about by themselves instead of always being to their parents. Don’t worry if you feel this way to begin with, know that it is a good for baby as it is for you to spend some time playing on the ground. It will help your baby in the long run to take part in activities that aids in them gaining strength and coordination they’ll need as they grow.
Advice for choosing and using a play mat:
-Don’t skimp. While price may be an important determiner for your purchase, you should find a play mat that offers stimulation of the most senses possible. It may cost a little more, but you’ll get the most out of baby’s time on the mat, and you’ll save money and space.
-Buy a name brand product. Again, my advice is to go name brand here an not skimp. Name brand products usually are of better quality and have better phone customer support if you need to call them for whatever reason.
-Keep it clean. Even though your baby is the only one who uses the play mat doesn’t mean it doesn’t need to be cleaned. Just like anything else that comes in contact with the ground and baby, it needs to be washed. We always used organic/non-toxic cleaners to wash the mat and I’d recommend you do too.
-Alternate baby’s time on the mat. It’s a very good idea to switch between having baby on their tummy and on his back. Our son and first child, hated being on his tummy and as a result would spend most of his time on the mat being on his back. Though because babies skulls are still forming and growing, spending too much time on their backs can cause a flattened head as your baby skull bones are not sealed together. While the problem almost always corrects itself (as in our case), it was very stressful period for us as first time parents.