Parenting Tips for Your 59-60 Month Old Child
1. Question - How much of the “wiring” in a child’s brain is genetics versus influences from the environment?
Answer - The connections between your child’s brain cells are developing constantly. About 30 to 60 percent of our brain’s wiring is inherited, while about 40 to 70 percent develops as a result of life experiences. A parent’s care and guidance are much more likely to influence certain aspects of the brain than what a child inherited.
2. Question - Do my interactions actually have much impact on what is happening in my child’s brain?
Answer - The brain is growing new connections constantly. Research has shown that experiences with new kinds of activities or stimulation can cause growth in the brain within only a few hours after the experiences begin. Activities such as exercise, listening to music or throwing a ball cause different areas of the brain to grow new connections, develop stronger connections or become more active. Frequent new learning experiences and challenges are like “nutrients” to the brain that enhance growth.
3. Question - Does a child’s food habits and nutrition affect brain development?
Answer – Yes! Specific foods that stimulate brain function and growth are leafy green vegetables, fish such as salmon, nuts, lean meats, fresh fruits and dairy foods. Drinking lots of water helps children learn, have energy, and pay attention.
4. Question - What are the most important ingredients in creating an enriched learning environment for children?
Answer-
- Children need new information and experiences that are challenging and allow them to solve problems. Challenges that are too hard or too easy lead to problems.
- Children need a variety of ways to learn, with different activities and different ways of doing things.
- Children need feedback about how they are learning that is specific and given soon after an experience.
5. Question - What happens to children who have poor care and few learning experiences during the early years of life?
Answer - The early years of a child’s development are tremendously important, but the brain is capable of overcoming many negative effects. During the first 12 to 14 years of life, a child’s brain can bounce back from a lack of care or learning experiences and develop capacities that were not nurtured in the early years. For example, children who have little chance to develop language skills early on still can make up much ground if they get a lot of help with language and reading between the ages of 4 and 10.
6. Question - What are the best activities to enhance children’s overall brain development?
Answer-
- Music engages and stimulates all aspects of the brain. Provide experiences with different kinds of music and especially rhythm, rhyme, and repetition in music and songs.
- Art helps children understand their feelings and develop thinking skills. Give children opportunities to draw, paint, and create using different types of art.
- Physical activity and movement stimulate brain growth. Regular exercise and participating in varied physical activities are critical for healthy brain development in children.
