Have you ever noticed that your little one plays and has fun in front of the mirror? If you have never before considered the option of having your child play in front of this element of the home, perhaps it is time to put one within his reach so that he can enjoy it and, incidentally, he can benefit from doing so.

Playing in front of a mirror reflects the image of your little one, something that is very beneficial for babies and young children. It helps them on a motor, cognitive and emotional level. When your child is very young he will not realize that it is his own reflection, but over time he will become more aware and will be interested in seeing what happens when he moves in front of the mirror. Why it is important to teach children to say “no”.

Playing in front of the mirror: benefits for your little one

It is much more beneficial than you imagine and for this reason, you cannot miss everything that we are going to tell you about the advantages that it has. Take note:

• If you put your baby face down, it will stimulate his motor development and the muscles of the neck and back. He raises his head to see what is in front of him, improving his reflexes.
• When the baby can sit up and look ahead, he will be curious even if he does not understand that what he has in front of him is his reflection. You will only see “someone” who moves and makes funny gestures. He will want to interact and it will be fun times for everyone, have the camera ready!
• When a baby cries and is placed in front of a mirror, it automatically stops crying because it is curious about what is in front of it, what happens to that baby who also cries? They calm down faster than if they are not put in front of the mirror.
• You will have a better understanding of yourself and your body schema. You will be able to observe the different parts of your body and you will be interested to see what happens when you move your arms or legs.
• Improves vision of what is happening around. When you are in front of the mirror you can see what is behind you without turning around. As they grow they can play with these perspectives offered by the reflection of the mirror. You will be able to see what is happening in any part of the room almost without moving.
• You will have a better development of the sense of laterality and spatial orientation through the different movements and postures. You will also notice how your reflex changes depending on how you move… so movement will be encouraged to improve your motor development.
• If you put a chair or a table in front of the mirror, your baby, if he has the ability to stand up, will do so and observe how his image changes. This will also improve your muscle development and may stimulate your first steps.
• When they are a bit older and have passed the age of one year, the mirror is a great tool to recognize their own emotions and improve facial gestures for a good expression of their moods.
• Interacting with your own reflection can also help stimulate language development.

What you should take into account

You already know all the benefits of your baby playing in front of the mirror, so it’s normal that you want him to do it from now on. But you should keep a few things in mind, for example:

• You can start placing him in front of the mirror from his first months of life, although at first he will not pay attention to it and it is normal. The ideal is to wait after four months when you already have better color vision and can see further.
• At seven months he has greater depth perception and may show more interest in what he is seeing, so he may show interest in his reflection.
• From 18 months it will be an excellent moment of entertainment.
• Position the mirror so that it can be seen when you place it in front of it.
• Make sure that the mirror is safety (that it does not break) and that it is placed horizontally at ground level and well screwed into the wall.
• You can place mats to put your baby so that he does not get cold while sitting or lying down.
• Spend some time each day playing with your baby in front of the mirror.

It will be a fun time for everyone, your baby will begin to develop almost without realizing it and having a great time in front of the mirror. As he grows he will show more interaction by his reflection and by what is happening around him.

There will come a time when he may lose interest, in that case, don’t worry, don’t force him to be in front of the mirror if he doesn’t want to. In case your baby is afraid of his reflection, try to normalize the reflection but without fear of any kind by putting him in front when he is not ready.