5 Principles Of Brain Development For Your Child That You Should Know

Knowing what processes and stages the brain development of our children follows is undoubtedly one of the best tools that we can have at our fingertips to facilitate this magical advance.

We cannot forget that the psychological and emotional maturation of the little ones also depends on aspects that go far beyond food and that daily care that we offer them with infinite love.

Let’s admit it, not all of us are gurus in this child neuroscience and there is no day missing when we have some other questions. Am I doing it right? Would it be appropriate for me to start some kind of early stimulation with my baby if he is healthy? These series of questions are very normal, and for this reason, we want to  propose that you know a little more about the brain of your children through 5 principles that we now detail.

We assure you, on the other hand, that nothing is as fascinating as delving into that perfect and sophisticated organ that is the brain and that also has its most wonderful period in childhood, the one with the greatest plasticity and potentiality.

It is in our hands to facilitate good brain development in order to make our little people much happier.

1. 50% of our intelligence is determined by genes

Something that many parents want is to have intelligent children. This is explained because often, we associate a little lightly everything must be said, intelligence with personal success, without actually knowing that there are other, if possible, more basic skills to achieve success or rather, happiness.

• All of this leads us to a series of reflections: our baby comes with a series of dimensions that are, so to speak, “factory”. One part is intelligence, 50% determined by genes. The other is character, such as introversion or extroversion.
• However, Those genetic bases do not determine 100% what that little one will be tomorrow. The way we educate him, the context in which he grows up and the learning opportunities will mark the other half.

Therefore, you should not forget a key aspect: educate him in Emotional Intelligence.

2. A child’s brain development goes from the “inside out”

What do we mean by the fact that children’s brain development goes from the “inside out”?

• The basic architecture of the brain evolves through a continuous process that begins at birth and continues into adulthood.
• However, as María Montessori said, few stages are as important in a child’s brain development as the first 6 years. However, we want to point out something else, the key stage goes from 0 to 3 years.
• It is in this period where the brain experiences major changes, maturations that go from the innermost part of the brain to the outermost.
• Inside are all those structures linked to the emotional world. Later, and with the rapid proliferation, the connections are reduced to specialize and become more efficient.

• Thus, the last phases of the child’s brain development are located in the cerebral cortex, where the most refined processes are located and related to decision-making, analysis, attention …

This unstoppable and unique process encourages us to understand once again how important it is to take care of the emotional world of the child. Only in this way do we facilitate optimal and strong brain maturation.

3. Stress affects a child’s brain development

Neurologists warn us of something that undoubtedly many moms and dads already know: continued stress throughout early childhood, due to poverty, abuse, lack of attachment or even due to the mother’s depression, affects seriously to children’s brain development.

In fact, children who have suffered trauma are known to have a much smaller hippocampus. This brain structure is linked to memory and the emotional world.

4. 3 years, a magical age

However, how can we take advantage of this stage? These would be some basic keys to guide us:

• Development of the senses: makes it easier for your little one to interact with the environment, touch, feel with bare feet, explore the world of colors and sounds, textures …
• Development of language skills: read aloud to him, it makes it easier for him to learn songs …
• Development of motor skills : enhance the fine motor skills of the hands whenever you can and, above all, hand-eye coordination. Also, ensure that you always have free movement to walk, to move safely.

• Development of the emotional and social coefficient: 3 years is a more than ideal age to start working with Emotional Intelligence and key aspects such as empathy or the recognition of emotions.

5. Love, key in the child’s brain development

Love is the engine that moves the world and the seed that, in turn, makes the brain of our little ones germinate by feeling protected, valued, cared for … It is known, for example, that affection, as well as a secure attachment, facilitates the optimal development of the hippocampus., that brain structure mentioned above and that is essential when it comes to learning, memorizing and managing stress.

To conclude, we are more than sure that without being renowned specialists in child neurology, you have applied these same recommendations with your children from the beginning. Being parents, being mothers makes us know almost instinctively what is best for them …