I have been known to call the first couple months of motherhood "circuit training." You have this new little person who you love so much...but who really can't do very much. And you also have all this...stuff. The bouncer. The swing. The bouncing swing.
The Tiny Gym. The Tropical Tiny Gym. The Tiny Tropical Tiny Take-along Gym.
You know what I'm saying. I remember spending hours upon hours transporting my little guys from one apparatus to the next...and then realizing that, even after I had exhausted every single thing, it was only 10 a.m. Especially with my second, I wondered whether I was engaging in all the circuit training more for myself--to show that I was "doing things" with my baby--or for my child.
This new study confirms for me that all that time on the various mats, and making funny faces at my newborn in his various baby-containers was worth it. In the study, orphaned chimps who received love and attention--including affection and 4 hours of playtime a day--were compared with orphaned chimps who only received food and basic necessities. Not only did the attended- to and played-with chimps outperform the other group on basic IQ and developmental tests--they outperformed human babies as well!
So keep on playing the silly games, no matter how silly they are. If you are lucky you may one day have a child who is brighter than the average...chimp...
Deepa is a wife, mother, writer and she sometimes masquerades as a lawyer as well. She revels in friendship, humor, champagne, and laughing at herself--often. She never ever reads US Magazine, thinks Rushdie is a genius, wishes she could write one sentence as funny as "Arrested Development," and lives in the Bay Area with her motley crew. She can be reached at deviswithbabies@gmail.com
Ha! NO WAY! I've always said that my goldfish is smarter than my newborn...! Thanks for the study, great motivation to keep on keeping on.
Lawd chimps never stop being cute! And they're smart too?? Who knew.
this is great news and i am going to forward it to all my childless-friends who ask what i do all day!
What an amazing study, thank you for sharing. This has implications not only for how we raise our children but for institutional care in general. And I have a feeling that the findings could be replicated even amongst older age-groups.
I can so completely relate to all of the " stuff.". My six month old has somehow amassed more things than my husband and I combined. Good to know some of it may be useful I guess :)
"Orphaned chimps": How sad! Interesting study.
Hey Hey Boo-Boo! Next obstacle in circuit training: finding baby some pick-a-nic bask-ETS!