5 Tips for Building Babies Brains
1. READ together as a daily, fun, family activity
- It’s never too young to start reading with your baby. Reading to your child, research suggests, boosts activity in parts of the brain that form the building blocks of language, literacy skills and imagination.
2. RHYME, play, talk, sing and cuddle together throughout the day
- It’s no accident all cultures have nursery rhyme and ditties for kids such as “this little piggie”, “round and round the garden”. Grab a book of nursery rhymes from the library to expand your repertoire. Here are some great ways to do this based on your child’s age. Talk with them about things they see around them, at home, at the shops, or while traveling.
3. Build ROUTINES for meals, play and sleep
- This helps children know what to expect and helps them feel secure.
4. REWARD everyday successes
- Especially for effort towards helping others. Catch them doing something good and praise them for it! Praise from those closest to a child is a very powerful reward. Model the behaviour you want to see in your child and reinforce it by using techniques that build a child’s self-regulation skills. Children’s social, emotional, and behaviour skills help them in life.
5. Develop RELATIONSHIPS that are nurturing, respectful and consistent
- A strong parent-child relationship helps protect against adverse childhood experiences that can long lasting effects. As you teach your child about healthy relationships and choosing friends, don’t forget to model them in your own life. Demonstrating good relationships skills with your spouse or partner, and taking time to nurture close friendships with others, is as important as simply talking about these skills–if not more so.
With many, many years of experience as a midwife, child health nurse and lactation consultant I’m available for home visits for any breastfeeding concerns in the Perth area. I also do zoom consultations for interstate or regional families.
