We’re toddler experts – the 6 annoying things your baby does that are good for them… yes, let them throw food around
A PAIR of baby experts have revealed that you should let your baby throw their food around and pull clothes out of the washing basket – because it’s GOOD for them.
Occupational therapist Britni Kelleher and baby speech therapist Kelly Goldberg empathised that some of the things our babies do can be “downright annoying”.
But they want parents to know that some of these things – like throwing food or random screeching – are really important to your little one’s development.
Taking to Instagram, the pair exposed babies’ top six most annoying habits and why you should just let them crack on.
The first was random screeching, which is particularly annoying when you’re tyring to watch something on TV.
“This is an important part of language development,” Kelly said. “Your baby is discovering that they have a voice and how they can use it to communicate their needs and get your attention.”
The second was making a mess, such as pulling all of your clothes out of the washing basket or emptying a basket of toys over the floor.
According to the experts, it’s an important sensory regulating experience for babies as they can begin to understand the difference between heavy and light objects.
Messing with pages when you read your baby a book is the third annoying quirk you should let them crack on with.
That’s because it’s an “important step toward reading and pre-literacy skills”.
The fourth annoyance they highlighted was your baby hitting you in the face while you’re trying to breastfeed them.
“This can be a form of self-regulation and soothing for some babies,” Britni said. “And it’s also a way in which they learn our faces and bodies, and bond with us.”
The fifth – and arguably most annoying – thing you should let your baby do is throw food.
That’s because self-feeding “allows them to develop fine and gross motor skills” which teach them about cause and effect.
The sixth annoyance the experts highlighted was your baby squirming during chances.
“Baby is learning that they can be autonomous and express their wants,” they penned in the informative post. “
It also gives your little one a chance to “practice mobility”.
Mums flocked to the comments to share that their babies do all nine of the things listed by Britni and Kelly, but they’ll try to be a little more patient now they know it’s good for their little one.
“The more I learn about child development the less annoying these things are and the calmer I am,” one said.
“The rolling during nappy changes though, especially when poop is involved, is a big thumbs down.”