Last update: December 02, 2016
The first three years of a child's life are crucial for brain development. It is the period in which a child's brain develops social, emotional, linguistic, cognitive and motor skills at breakneck speed.
Children's brains grow very fast. According to an essay by Dr. Jack Shonkoff of Harvard University, 700 neurons are formed in a child's brain per second in the first five years of life.
The weight of the brain triples at the beginning of three years and about 1000 trillion nerve connections are created. The way a child sees, hears, hears are factors that help brain growth. When a child uses any of these senses, a nerve or neuronal connection is established in the brain. New connections are also created when a new experience is repeated several times.
Data on children's brains
Hugs are important. The importance of physical contact with your children extends beyond their emotional health. A study carried out by the University of Washington, St. Louis, on the growth of the hippocampus, the part of the brain responsible for regulating stress and memory, showed that it was larger and more developed in children who had received frequent hugs from the their mothers.
At birth, the hippocampus, responsible for part of our memory, is only 40% developed. It stops developing completely when the baby reaches 18 months. Because of this, babies recognize the mother's voice and other sounds they may have heard in the womb. Gradually you will see that the child will begin to remember things that he usually sees, such as faces and objects.
Your baby's brain consumes a lot of energy. Since new neurons are developing at a very fast pace and brain size doubles every year during the first three years of life, it would be good for the child not to be deprived of stimuli, many of which can come through play. The hours of sleep are fundamental, just like for adults, for the consolidation of what he has learned.
Children's brain development is enhanced when parents play, sing, read, talk or tell a story to the child, feed him adequately, and give him attention, love and affection.
In the early years, children need a lot of love and attention. The caresses and cuddles, talking to them can stimulate brain growth and lay the foundations of their affectivity. Also keep in mind that babies cry to communicate their needs and, therefore, when parents respond, babies develop a sense of security and trust.
It must be emphasized that children love music and lullabies. These promote the development of language skills, spatial orientation, psychomotor skills and a sense of rhythm.
“The main goal of education should be to create human beings who are capable of doing new things, not just simply repeating what other generations have done: creative, inventive and discovering human beings. The second goal of education is to form minds that can be critical, that can verify and not accept everything that is offered to them ".
-Jean Piaget-
Feed your child's brain
The above tips will help you develop a wide range of skills that will be the foundation of your child's growth and development. These skills refer to:
- The ability to learn and visualize objects and activities.
- The development of positive social activities.
- The development of a healthy and self-confident personality.
- Building and developing empathy.
- The development of stronger and less dependent social bonds.
It is important for parents and guardians to participate in different activities to improve the child's brain development. It is vital to encourage them to explore and learn, to discover new things and to seek answers and solve problems on their own.
Children should be given the opportunity to be creative and independent and to explore the world around them on their own. However, don't forget to supervise what they do and make sure conditions are safe. By looking for their own answers and solutions, instead of always getting them from adults, they will get the most out of the stimuli and their brain development will be optimal.
