When your baby is born, they have billions of neurons in their teeny tiny brain. These are all the neurons your child will ever have throughout their life.

In he beginning, the little brains of these little people have to work extra shifts since they are absorbing an unfathomable amount of information that will pave paths for many of their behaviors and thought patterns as grown ups.

Now let’s come to the real question:

How significant are the first 3 years of a child’s life?

Well, the answer is the first 3 years will essentially determine the mannerism and most importantly thought patterns of your child. In the first three years, their brains act like a sponge, absorbing not only words but actions, behaviors and tone of voice.

In the first few years, your child’s brain will make about a million neural synapses in their brains. At this point, your little sponge is the most moldable. Baby’s first three years lay the foundation for lifelong health and well-being, dramatically influencing brain development, social-emotional, and cognitive skills

Here is an interesting fact about baby brains: By age 5, a child’s brain is 90% finished growing.

Now that we have established the significance of the formative years in the child’s life, lets overview how parents can aid this essential period positively.

Parents as Responsive & Loving Figures

As a parent, constant observation and appropriate positive responses have been proven to be extremely healthy in child’s development.

They learn trust, affection and develop a sense of security through loving parenting.

Nutrition

Evidence suggests that children who do not get proper nourishment suffer from lasting behavioral and cognitive deficits.

In order to avoid an unbalanced diet, here are some key diets that aid in healthy brain development.

• Breast Milk
• Iron
• Whole Milk (After 1 year of age)

 

Playtime

Playtime is an integral part of growing up. Read about the most healthy &  constructive activities for your child’s cognitive & psychological development here.

 

 Sleep

Babies sleep A LOT and that is actually good for their little brains. While they sleep, their brains take that time to grow. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health states that the most effective way to aid this time is by setting a predictable sleeping schedule for your baby.

 Final Thoughts

The first few years of a child are extremely important, but that does not mean if a child was unfortunately exposed to a series of negative events, they will make non-functional adults. However, it is ideal that children experience positive upbringing.

For children who are unable to receive love during their formative years certainly struggle but are fully able to process their grief and trauma through healthy interventions.