19/03/2024
Did you know that the first 3 years of your babies' life, their brain grows and develops faster than any other stage in their entire life?
A 3 year old brain is 80% of their adult brain size and 90% by age 5! Crazy right!?
Our babies have all the neurons (brain cells) they'll have for their life, and at least one million new neural connections are being made every second. It's these connections that make our babies' brains really start to switch on.
Connecting these neurons will support our babies as they learn to communicate, move, and form trusting relationships.
These first few years of our children's lives are crucial for making positive and healthy connections that will build the foundation for the rest of their life.
While it may not seem like our babies will have memory of their early life experiences, through repetition, these interactions are beginning to form their worldview.
Both positive and adverse childhood experiences will have a lasting impact on our child's brain development. It's true what they say that our body stores memories, this is especially true in those early years of life while these connections are being formed.
How we respond to our babies' needs will shape their worldview. By offering a loving and nurturing caregiver/child relationship, we are building a foundation of secure attachment as their brain learns they are safe and loved.
Some things we can do to support the developing brain:
• Nurturing touch and closeness
• Play, play, and more play!
• Smiling and talking with uninterrupted eye contact
• Calm and loving tone of voice
• Music and singing
• Responding to our child's needs in a timely manner
• Offering positive new experiences and opportunities to explore the world around them
• Meeting our own needs! The first few years are so challenging as a parent... This is why it's so important to schedule some time out for oursevles so we can be more responsive and attentive with our babies during the difficult moments.
Can you think of any other ways you are building positive neural connections in your babies brain?
Have you found this information helpful?