When, where and how to install the felt baby mobile?

Where and how to install the Balberg Shop felt mobile?

As you can see, mobiles are reserved for playtime. You can then hang the felt baby mobile above the play corner. Ideally, it should be installed above baby's chest, at a height of around 30 or 40 cm, so that baby's eyes are at a good angle to observe the mobile (i.e. not above his head). Imagine being able to set it up and take it down easily, so that it becomes a plaything rather than a decorative element. You can then change the mobile week after week, taking into account your baby's needs.

You can also install a very high mobile to decorate the bedroom or living room, and then you can introduce him to it as you walk or rock him in your arms across the room, showing him and explaining things calmly and slowly. Always leave enough time for baby to make his observations at his own pace.

What do we think of the mobile above the changing table?

The mobile above the changing table is a bit like above the cradle. The mobile will stimulate the baby, so he'll wriggle and wriggle, and rightly so! What a joy to see this mobile move! 

As a parent, what you want during a diaper change is for your baby to be calm and relaxed, so that the clean diaper can be put on easily, right? Haha! The best thing is to spend this time in a calm atmosphere, explaining each step of the changing process to baby, so that he's fully aware of his body and its sensations. Touch is a hyper-developed sense from birth, so imagine the sensory impact of our actions on this little human being who's discovering himself day after day.

I hope this blog post has answered your questions. You can find inspiration in the book by Charlotte Poussin Montessori de la naissance à 3 ans published by Eyrolles in 2016. This book accompanied me through my motherhood, and Maria Montessori's entire philosophy continues to inspire my creative approach.

///

March 10, 2025

You often ask me how to install your Balberg Shop baby felt mobile so that it can be used to best effect. One of our customers told me that they were co-sleeping with their baby and didn't know where to put the mobile.

That image of the mobile above the cradle is a hard one! We think that the mobile will hypnotize the baby and that we hope it will fall asleep on its own. On the contrary, a mobile above the crib is anti-sleep! Mobiles are superb objects for visually stimulating your baby. Let me explain:

When should I offer my baby a mobile?

Before three weeks of age, your baby's main need is to sleep, and to connect with you during his waking moments: hearing your gentle voice, touching your face, observing your face closely, exchanging glances eye-to-eye... All these stimuli enable him to awaken all his senses and create a strong bond with you. The mobile is the first object we can offer a newborn as early as three weeks of age. This is the time when newborns need to develop their eyesight. Mobiles can play an important role in supporting a baby's natural development.

It's important to offer mobiles that come to life with the movement of the air in the room, or a movement prompted by the adult. We're looking for mobiles with no motorized mechanism, which would have a regular, artificial movement and give a false impression of the laws of physics and the environment surrounding the little human being in the making. Babies need to form an accurate image of the world, to be able to understand and apprehend it correctly. Babies need real, authentic, natural sensory experiences.

Observation of simple, minimalist, identifiable suspended objects helps to develop visual acuity and concentration. The mobile is a real object of curiosity for the baby. Its material, colors and movements are all important factors. For example, the felt swallow mobile is adapted to the eyesight of babies, who can perceive the strong contrast of black and white, and then red, as early as 3 weeks old.