Babies are cute, lovely, and we just want to protect them, watch out for them, and, most importantly, do what is best for them. It may seem strange to wonder why glass and mirror have become essential staples in interior decoration. However, these are versatile materials that offer numerous benefits for the home and home décor.
A mirror that is beneficial for the home should also be present in your baby’s room. I know you want the best for your baby, and it is for this reason that you should have a full-length mirror in your baby’s room to aid her development.
There are numerous benefits of having mirrors in your baby’s room and for your baby.
Is it suitable to use a full-length mirror in the baby’s room?
A mirror is a great accessory to have in the baby’s room. However, it would depend on whether the mom and baby spend enough time in the baby’s bedroom compared to other places in the home.
Mirrors are great for catching the visual interest and attention of babies. With mirrors, we introduce to them that they can concentrate visually on others instead of mommy’s face all the time. This motivates them to explore and to focus on other visual qualities as well.
A mirror placed on the wall where we have the baby’s bed will improve the baby’s sight by reflecting the image in the room. The baby does not only see himself but other items in the room.
The mirror also allows him to see others who come into the room apart from mommy and helps him to focus on their reflections and features. Apart from the image of others, the baby can also see her reflection. She begins to mimic her movements with the movements of the child reflected in the mirror.
If the baby spends time in other parts of the bedroom or other parts of the home, there should be a mirror in these places other than the bed space. It is a great option to separate where the baby sleeps and where the baby plays.
A full-length movable wall mirror placed alongside the playmat or the dedicated play area is encouraged. If the baby spends ample time in the living room, a wall mirror could be safely installed in there as well.
If you are bothered about the safety of your baby, you can have the mirror secured to the wall. Another option is to consider using an acrylic mirror. They are great and would get the job done right.
How strange is it for babies to see them selves for the first time in the mirror?
Babies love faces, and this is one of the main reasons why most babies love mirrors. As much as babies love to see themselves in the mirror, the first thought that comes to a baby’s mind when she sees her image reflected at her is that it is another individual right inside the mirror.
Yes, babies do not think that their reflection is theirs; they see their image reflected in the mirror as another baby that is looking right back at them. All the interactions, babbling, laughing, talking, and pointing are all done to interact with the other baby.
This is the reality for your baby until the baby is about twenty months old. At about twenty months, babies begin to understand that the image reflected at her in the mirror is herself.
How babies learn from full-length mirrors?
Mirrors are versatile décor accessories with multiple benefits, and for your baby, it is no different. Below are some of the important reasons why a full-length mirror should be present in your baby’s room and how the mirror helps your baby.
Fun and Play
This may sound cliché, but the top reason is that it is fun for your baby. When your baby sees himself repeatedly in the mirror, it fascinates him and arrests his attention. He is wondering who is on the other side.
For children, play is not just playing. It is how they learn and soak up all the bits and pieces of information around them.
Movement Tracking
Babies use mirrors to track their movements and repeat actions. At this point, babies do not know they are the ones reflected in the mirror. The baby sees his hand move up in the mirror, and he wants to do that over and over again.
Independent Playing
The mirror allows the child to play by herself without the need for an adult. The mirror grabs her attention, seeing herself in the mirror catches her interest. The movements and actions of the reflected baby keep here engaged, and the other items in the room she can see in the mirror raise her visual interest.
Improved Attention Span
The amount of time your baby spends looking at the mirror will help improve her attention span. Mirrors keep your baby gazing at the mirror for long periods, and this helps to grow her attention span.
Development Of Fine Motor Skills
Similar to movement tracking, the mirror encourages your baby to point, to reach out to other parts of the body and to pay attention to other parts of the body. All these help to improve the baby’s fine motor skills.