Do newborns like stuffed animals?
Do newborns like stuffed animals?
When a baby comes into the world, the most natural thing in the world is to run to the store and find the most beautiful and meaningful gift you can find for the newest member of the family, to show not only the baby
but also the parents that you’re happy for this blessing and that the baby is more than welcome into the world.
While some people like to give tiny baby clothing, others prefer to buy milk bottles and others even opt for buying something only the mother can enjoy.
But there’s a huge amount of people who want to give a more classic and timeless gift, which are baby stuffed animals.
Baby stuffed animals are very cherished items, and they’re also very popular because they make the perfect gift for a newborn who needs all the softness they can get.
But do newborns actually like plush toys? Are they even safe for babies that small?
In this article we’ll explore how do newborns react or interact with stuffed animals and what exactly are the benefits of giving a cuddly friend to a newborn.
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How do newborns react?
When a baby is born, they have very limited skills and abilities, not to say their bodily functions and reactions are not nearly developed enough.
Some people say newborns do nothing but sleep, eat and get their diapers changed;
but the truth is, while you watch them do nothing and lay around in their cribs, their tiny brains are actually changing and developing by the minute, and they never stop learning new things and growing in front of your eyes.
Newborns have very limited attention spans, so they can only pay attention or notice you for a few seconds.
Their eyes are still getting used to seeing at longer distances, so if you’re far away they might not even notice you that well, only see blurry colours and shapes.
In fact, newborns are colour blind, which means that the first months of their lives they only see in shades of gray, and at about 4 months old they start to fully develop the colour vision.
As for sounds, newborns are very sensitive so you must be very careful not to make any startling noises or they’ll get easily scared.
You should never yell or shout near a newborn since their sight is not that well developed and they’ll be scared because they won’t know where the sound is coming from.
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What to gift to a newborn
Now that you know how the tiny body of a newborn works and what are the skills that they still need to develop over time, you might have realised that big, flashy and noisy toys might not be the best idea for a baby yet.
Newborns don’t recognise flashy colours yet, and a noisy toy may frighten them to the point where they’ll cry their lungs out until you comfort them and remove the stimulus.
And sure, blankets and clothing are a safer choice but they’re also a pretty boring one since the parents of the baby will most likely get their child everything they need for the first months of their life.
That’s why baby stuffed animals are the easier and cuter choice for a newborn gift. The baby and the parents will thank you for this because nobody thinks of the fun things when it comes to newborns,
and even when you see them be pretty “static” all they long, there actually is a chance that they’ll enjoy greatly their stuffed animal when they’re holding it between their tiny little hands and suckling on their paws and fluffy little ears.
Benefits of newborns having stuffed animals
While some people think that newborns don’t really play with anything or they don’t even notice they have a stuffed animal near them, certain development experts say having a plush toy nearby can greatly help babies with their growth.
A newborn that has a baby stuffed animal nearby can start to learn earlier about textures, shapes and size, they could start developing their colour vision a bit earlier than usual while in a safe environment.
Probably the best benefit of a newborn having a stuffed animal is that they’ll feel greatly comforted by it and accompanied at all times, helping ease the separation anxiety babies sometimes suffer when being away from their mothers.
You should be very careful not to leave the baby stuffed animals with your newborn in the crib or bassinet,
because if the plush toy were to fall on your baby’s face it could possibly smother them.
That’s the main reason why people don’t feel like stuffed animals are for newborns, but as long as you're responsible and only hand them their plush toys when they’re awake and playing under your supervision it can be a safe and fun experience for them.