Tips To Build Your Child’s Brain Power
Centuries ago, midwives and mothers advised pregnant women to stay happy, listen to music, be within nature, and embrace good health. Advanced research regarding child development shows that brain development begins in the womb long before the child has been brought into our world. Hence there are factors that need to be taken into consideration during this process.
It is crucial for both parents but especially mothers, to avoid smoking, alcohol, and substance abuse when pregnant and to adopt a healthy lifestyle. It is just not about food and exercise. It is about staying positive in thoughts, keeping a happy frame of mind, exposing the child in the womb to pleasant happy thoughts and music. Many parents recommend speaking, singing and reading to their unborn child, as it allegedly allows the baby to become familiar with their parents' voices.
Babies, as well as toddlers and older kids, respond to the stimulus offered by experiences in their surrounding environment. Hence, it can be said that the brain of a child is stimulated by the variety of sensations they encounter each day.
So, you can set the wheels in motion by introducing activities within the house as well as outdoors. These will promote learning and interactive experiences. Talk to the child as much as you can. Maintain eye contact and allow the child to absorb your facial expressions. Savor every attempt at communication made by the child be it a hand extended towards you, a gurgle, or smile. Create a rapport between you and the child, and you will be surprised to see that the child understands and responds.
Food for Thought
It is not just brain-stimulating activities that boost brain power; the food a child eats affects their thinking as well. Did you know, a brain requires plenty of carbohydrates, fats, as well as proteins, vitamins and minerals for both repair as well as function? In fact, many mothers are witness to mood swings and erratic behavior in their children after the consumption of chocolates or junk sugar foods like candy, icing, syrups, and packaged baked products. The sugar highs and lows caused by certain kinds of foods can make a child fidgety, irritable, inattentive, and sleepy.
Sharpen the Intellect
The goal of education is to teach children to be capable thinkers ---as you know, this is what equips them to stay ahead in situations where solutions are required at the snap of a finger. So, it's essential to place heavy emphasis on cognitive development and higher-order thinking.
As a parent, there are a great many ways in which you can work towards the goal of practical thinking and higher reasoning. Technology has given us access to computer programs, software CDs, and DVDs that are fun to use and place the children in more and challenging situations, which they need to overcome. There are also educational toys and books that focus on entertaining as well as providing educational value to toddlers and children. Want some insightful articles to improve your parenting skills? Make sure to visit thestemkidz.com!