I have good news and bad news. The bad news is that babies that don't get stimulation during the day in the form of interaction, sounds, sights, and movement do suffer horrible brain trauma. We only need to look at Romanian orphans, who have had very little human interaction outside diaper changes, to see what happens to a child that has no interaction during the day. These kids have smaller brains; they often can't speak and can't create bonds with people. They suffer a lifetime of troubles, all for the lack of cuddling and nurturing as infants! It is essential that babies get loving, stimulating interactions during the day!

The good news is that for a one year old, so many things count as mentally stimulating and engaging, not just what we as adults see as a learning environment. Being held and rocked, being sung to, even if it's a little off key, being fed, are all intensely stimulating! Watching the clouds go by outside, swinging in a swing, listening to music on the radio are all things that help grow baby's brain. So, no, you don't have to sing the alphabet song all day, but singing a few songs, or playing a kid friendly CD is great. Crayons are fine if baby can hold them and make marks but why not just offer up some simpler things that he can explore? Dump a spoonful of pudding on the high chair tray and let him finger-paint with it. If you want to capture his artwork, simply lay a sheet of paper over the pudding, press lightly and then remove and let dry. You'll have a mirror image of his doodles! The feeling of the pudding, or any soft food, is exciting and fun and tingles a number of nerve endings in the brain. Plus, it's safe to eat when baby tries it out as most babies do! Buy a 10 pound bag of rice and some sand toys and make him an indoor "sand box" with the rice, which is easier to sweep and vacuum up than sand. Cover it with a lid to keep out cats and dust when playtime is over. Let him "paint" the tub walls with shaving cream then hose him off in the tub when he's done. When you go to the store, smell all the candles and squeeze all the sponges. Take him for a stroller ride over a bumpy sidewalk. Introduce new foods with different textures and flavors. Listen to a variety of music. Cuddle and rock him at bedtime. All of those things help create new neural pathways and strengthen others. You do need to stimulate his brain, but you don't have to prop him in front of "educational" videos or sign him up for classes just yet!

As for the bedtime book issue, kids do enjoy repetition and they do learn things faster when it's repeated but they also enjoy some variation. It's ok to skip "Goodnight Moon" for the odd night of Dr. Seuss if you're going insane! It's ok to read more than one book as well if you need to shake it up a bit. Start with a silly one like "Horns to Toes" by Sandra Boynton; slide into something educational like "A is for Angry" (sorry, I'm a big Boynton fan!) and then settle into the well known calm of "Goodnight Moon." One of the great things about having memorized a book is that you can turn off the lights, give baby the book to hold, rub his back in the dark and softly begin, "In the great green room there was a telephone and a red balloon" and then tiptoe out when he's asleep!