Little Ones

The ideas listed below are meant as ‘primers’ for little ones (zero to four years). You will, no doubt, need to tailor some of the potential actions for the unique nature of the children you love, and for your particular relationship. You can find more ideas for little ones, as well as for other ages and stages, in the ‘Ideas For All Ages’ section of Commitment Three and throughout the other Four Commitments.

General

Please remember to ‘baby proof’ all of the ideas below, including by removing all choking hazards (for example small photos or small pieces on arts and crafts) or sharp edges (for example with laminated photos).
In particular, with babies, in terms of fostering, strengthening and maintaining a loving connection, or staying connected, think about ideas that cover all five senses – not necessarily at the same time, but collectively: sight, sound, smell, taste and touch.

Ideas for Action

As for all ages, hold as many fun, video-chats as possible. For babies, try a range of props: puppets, colourful pictures, high-contrast black and white images (read more about the importance of these types of images) and lots of music. Oh, and Peek-a-boo has never been easier on a tablet! Remember to keep your face nicely bordered by the screen (when you’re not playing peek-a-boo!), so the baby you love can see as much of you as possible (read more about how a baby’s eyesight develops).
It’s never to early to start reading to the baby you love. Don’t expect a whole lot of focus (excuse the pun) on baby’s behalf, but do know that the sound of your voice will have a significant impact in the baby you love’s development – and in terms of their familiarity with you.
Make a large, soft, tactile photo album for the baby you love, with lots of big pictures of your smiling face. Purchase this ‘Baby Einstein’, baby-friendly photo album on Amazon. Or, purchase this soft, baby-friendly photo album on Amazon.
Leave a mommy/daddy doll behind. Visit daddydolls.com for more (note: ConnectedApart/its founder is neither affiliated with daddydolls.com nor receiving a reimbursement for this referral).
Leave some of your perfume or cologne (don’t over do it!) on one of baby’s favourite stuffed toys or on one of your favourite t’shirts or caps (remember to avoid choking hazards).
Gift a hand made photo ‘memory quilt’ to the baby you love, for example like these from the US Award Services YMCA. For a great ‘how-to-guide’ to make your own Memory Quilt, read Wiki-How for more.
Think about items 13 to 19 listed under ‘The Head’, Commitment Two, Prepare (listed again below for your convenience):
- Add a picture of you and the kid/s you love to his/her/their bedside. You can leave pictures in frames behind, which are easy for the children you love to carry around, and/or leave small passport photos, which they can add to the inside of their lunchboxes, to their wallets or purses, or simply in their school bag.
- Create a ‘coffee-table’ photo book, which includes lots of photos of you, the children you love, and the immediate family (it won’t stay put on the coffee table for long!). For some great ideas, check out snapfish.com (note: ConnectedApart/its founder is neither affiliated with snapfish com nor receiving a reimbursement for this referral).
- Create a virtual folder of photos, which includes lots of photos of you, the children you love, and the immediate family, and add it to the home computer, tablets, and/or the home hotline.
- Create a virtual folder of videos with special messages to the children you love. Include video messages for day-to-day ups and downs, for special occasions, and to mark major milestones in your time apart if for a long duration. Include videos of you reading books and/or singing their favourite songs, and doing regular things with them.
- Make recordings (voice or video) of you reading their favourite stories.
- Make a recording for bedtime – a message, a song, or a special story – which the children you love can play before they go to sleep. Listening to this message every night before bed could become a fun routine while your away.
- Make some playlists to leave behind: one including your own favourite music, and one including music that both you and the children you love enjoy.