Babies are sponges.  Their brain pathways are forming little superhighways constantly throughout their first few months.  As certain stimuli are seen or experienced more or less often, some of the pathways become stronger and some fade into the background.  Repeating healthy, stimulating experiences for your baby can help you influence which pathways become strong.

Most of the neural pathways that will exist in an adult brain are formed during the first three years of life.  What an awesome responsibility we have as parents and educators when you think that how well a person does for the rest of his or her life could be determined by how much brain development is fostered before they are even 3!   Research is telling us that how easily a child learns in school could be a direct result of how many different brain paths are formed early on.  (www.childcareaware.org)   Parents who bring their children to The Little Gym hear regularly that all areas of development (social, emotional, intellectual, language, motor) are tied together, that each one is dependent on and influenced by the others–and they learn how The Little Gym can positively impact a baby’s development in all areas.

What Parents Can Do: “What parents have known for years—that good early experiences are good for our children—is now being proven by doctors and scientists at research centers and universities all over the country…In fact, science tells us that the right kind of experiences in their early years can actually help our children’s brains to grow.” (“New Research on Brain Development is Important for Parents” from www.childcareaware.org)

The number one thing we as parents can do is to give our babies a solid home base, full of love and assurance, where their needs are answered predictably.  Babies in this kind of loving environment learn quickly that the adults in their lives can be counted on to keep them safe and secure, that the world is essentially a good place, and that they are valued as individuals.  From this solid base of security, a baby is free to explore, which allows his brain to begin forming those oh-so-important pathways.

Beyond creating that loving environment, here are specific things parents can do:

• Provide lots and lots of opportunities and experiences for your baby from the very beginning.  Let her taste, smell, hear, touch, and see the widest variety of things, while offering physical and verbal reassurance throughout.  She will learn that other adults can be trusted, that Mom and Dad will keep her safe, that it’s OK and even good to try new things, and more.
• Play with your baby often, every day.  Building a deep relationship with your child sets the foundation for every relationship he’ll have throughout his life.  And the things YOU do to send the signal that he is likeable and fun to be around, help your child relate well to others and build his own self confidence over time. 
• Let your baby get to know other trusted adults–on her own terms and always within the safety and security of your relationship with her. 
• Encourage back-and-forth communication, through your baby’s gestures, facial expressions, and noises, and your response to them.
• Create sensory experiences through music, stories, movement, physical activities, and more. 
• Finally, provide problem solving opportunities, such as setting a toy just out of reach, putting her in different positions (back, stomach, sitting with support), putting her on an incline, or taking her gently into other positions such as upside down.  As a baby begins to feel more in control of her world, knowing what to expect and also experiencing success and validation for trying new things, and as she sees the world from different points of view and is allowed to explore and move in different ways, her intellectual development will grow.  Also, as she experiences cause and effect—that she can make things happen by what she does and “says”—her self-confidence and desire to take on new challenges will grow as well.

All of these important developmental experiences take place each and every week at The Little Gym, in our “Bugs” (4-10 month old) classes (and in all our classes), and parents go home with ideas of what to do at home, too.  To find out more about The Little Gym, or to sign up for a free introductory visit, go to www.thelittlegym.com. 

 (Below are some links to website that have additional ideas as well.)

www.thelittlegym.com

www.zerotothree.org

www.teachingstrategies.com

www.childcareaware.org