As parents, we should know that the most precious years for our child’s brain development are the years they’re learning how to talk and walk. But even after this stage is over, there’s plenty of things we parents should still be aware of regarding our child’s brain development. The importance of parental involvement in physical and mental activities for their child can not be denied. These activities can have surprising effects on how children think and act later down the line. So, to be there for our child and to understand them fully, we have to also understand their brain development.
Physical Brain Development In Children
During the first years of life, the brain grows and develops trillions of neurons. It’s estimated that at this stage, a baby has about 100 billion neurons. This means that the best time to form new connections is when their brain is developing. Physical activities such as teaching them to run, crawl and use their muscles are crucial to the development of their brains at this age. Moreover, they’re also very important for stimulating cognitive development and boosting memory formation.
Recognizing Shapes And Sizes
As children grow, they start to see the world in their own way. Their brains are flooded with new information and it’s essential that we parents help them process it all. The first step is by teaching them how to observe and understand their surroundings. This can be done by playing memory games with the child. You can ask them to point out the size or color of various objects. The point is not measuring how quickly they learn; instead, giving them enough time to look for the right answer.
The goal here is to help them process different shapes and sizes. By pointing out the difference between long and short objects, we help them understand the concept of size itself. For every task that we set, we must try to make them repeat it at least three times in order to reinforce in their memory.
Additionally, there are other ways in which we can encourage them to recognize shapes. You can also let them play with blocks of various sizes and shapes. By doing so, they’ll learn the names of different shapes and to process their environment more efficiently.
We can also play another version of this game with objects that they have already learned. This way, they can learn how to differentiate between similar objects. Trying to show them some different small objects and asking them to point out which is the larger one. This will help them understand the concept of size and make it easier for them to identify items that they’ve already seen.
Recognizing Sounds And Colors
The best way a child learns is through play. For helping them recognize colors, we have to make them observe how one color is different from another. We can ask complicated questions such as: “Can you find an orange banana?” It helps children develop their vocabulary, process new ideas and exercise patience.
The ability to recognize sounds is something that develops as children grow up. The point of games such as “Find the Bunny” is not to teach them how to find it, but to teach them how to listen. The goal of this game is to provide fun while the child is trying to identify sounds. To make things easier on our child, we can try playing the same game outside or by a running creek. The goal here is not to train them; rather, to use it as an opportunity for them to develop the habit of careful listening and understanding how different sounds affect their surroundings.
Communication
When it comes to communication with the children, we witness how their ability to express their honest thoughts takes definite shape. They are better at understanding and expressing themselves if we involve ourselves with them during these early years. In addition, they’ll also be better at handling disagreements and other issues that they come across later on in life as well. If we want to help our child develop, we need to impart such intensive care and guidance only we can give. Encourage them to ask questions when they don’t understand certain things. The point of these early years is to teach them how to process information and act accordingly.
We can also help our child develop their communication by giving them an open and safe space to express themselves. This can also be done through drawings or writing down words that come to their mind. Every child has their own perception and vision of things around them. The best help we can be to them is to let their imagination breathe.
A child’s brain development is very complex. It sure doesn’t stop after a certain age but the greatest learning of their lives are from the very first years of their lives. Being a parent, we have to understand this cruciality and act accordingly for the best development of our child’s brain.
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