Breastfeed. Studies indicate that children who receive breastmilk do better on intelligence measures later on in life.

Hold your infant close to your body as much as you can. You can not spoil an infant by holding him/her a lot. A feeling of security is one of the best things a mother can offer her child.

Talk to your baby. A LOT. Not just in baby talk but in real grown-up language too. The important thing is for your baby to start hearing language. As you are doing chores around the house have your baby in the room with you and just narrate what you’re doing. Make sure to use your grown-up vocabulary. Do not try to dumb down your narrations to make them simple enough for your baby. Babies have incredible processing power.

Make sure to engage all of your child’s senses. Babies like to see bold prints and colors and lots of contrast. Give it to them. Also, take them places, make sure they are around people other than you. Family members and close friends will love to help you out with this. Make sure your baby gets to experience the feel of different materials and textures and smells different scents.

Read to your baby. In as many languages as you know. Make it a daily ritual to read together before bed. Make sure to involve your child in the reading activity by encouraging discussion about the story, about the pictures in the book, or just about anything that comes up by free association.

Spend time with your child. Make sure to bestow on him your full attention. Play games that would stimulate your child. Puzzles, look&finds, building blocks, pretend play, and all kinds of silly made up verbal games. I had to make up a game one day to keep my son engaged in the car (I had an hour long commute with him in the back seat and I had forgotten his backpack that had his books and toys). I asked him what he wanted to be and then depending on the answer I came up with reasons why he could or could not. He was a little over 2 at the time and the first time I asked he said he wanted to be a cat. I asked him if he had whiskers. He said no and I told him he then could not be a cat because cats have whiskers and he does not. He just loves this game ever since. He tells me he wants to be anything and everything he can think of and I just go along. It does not even have to make sense. He tells me he wants to be a sweater and I tell him I would wear him if he were a sweater. What is even greater is that after a month or so he started initiating the game by asking me what I wanted to be. And then he answers me in a few sentences with his own reasons and/or comments.

Make sure your child receives proper nutrition and care. This is very important. A healthy diet, a good amount of exercise & play time and enough sleep is very very important for little children.

Interest your child in the world. Do this by exposing him to the wonders of nature: animals, plants, the rain & snow & wind. Interest your child in other people and cultures by exposing him to those things directly or through books or pictures or through your stories. Sing and dance and listen to music and paint with your child. Provide your child with information and facts. A child is never too small to start learning about the world.

Have fun doing all these things! They are this age only once. Make good memories and remember to take lots of pictures. Also, please leave comments and tell me what it is that you do to stimulate and engage your child.