When your baby was born, most of her/his major organs were fully formed, although in miniature. The heart knew that it had to beat two billion times in a lifetime. The lungs, the liver, the kidneys were doing their jobs & then growing in steady pace along with the rest of the body. But, the story was not so for the “little brain”.
At birth, a baby’s brain weighs about 340gms and it continues to grow during the first year. By first birthday, it has already more than doubled in weight to about 1100gms. By age five, brain weight will have reached to 90% of its eventual adult brain weight.
Does that mean that 90% of the information a person will ever know is learned in the first five years??
Not exactly! But, it means that in these early years, the way information flows through the brain’s structures and gets processed is mainly established. These pathways & structures will be used & reused as learning continues throughout life. Imagine these pathways in brain as roads. When we need to go from location A to location B, there are many roads we can take. But, with experience, we learn which route is the easiest & fastest, and we go that way more often. Similarly, you as a parent lay these roads (neural pathways) in your baby’s brain by providing them with rich, stimulating experiences right from the start (0 day) and by being consistent in using and enriching them, you strengthen these paths. Thus, you are laying a foundation for their strong social and intellectual future.
So, you as a parent are the primary source of structuring your very dependent infant’s world in ways that will provide his/her brain with the excitement and energy it craves. “You are your baby’s first interactive toy”.
Sing him a song – a connection or a path is made in his/her brain, you tickle his/her toes and there goes another, you show a picture – brain circuitry grows stronger. At every age and at every stage, your positive participation & a happy interaction will foster your baby’s brain development. We now have scientific evidences that shows that early experiences are literally brain shaping. Thanks to the latest neuroscience - combined with related research in paediatrics, psychology & child development, we now have clarification about what very young children need most & when they need it.
Needless to mention, that the very basic nurturing things that most of us routinely provide to our little ones, turns out to be the most important in wiring a healthy brain:-
• Spending one on one time loving your child
• Playing with your child
• Responding quickly & predictably to your child
• Touching & cuddling with your child
• Providing routines that establish patterns of caring response
• Talking to your child
• Reading & singing to your child
Sounds easy enough?? In fact, it’s easy – and proven gateways to a bright beginning.
One additional task, if I may suggest is to “BE INFORMED”. Acquiring knowledge and keeping yourself informed about how you can stimulate your baby’s little brain & by what means like, reading books or doing google – it will surely make you feel less stressed, less guilty & less confused about your role in your baby’s development. As its always said that - Good Parents Are Informed Parents!!
Comments