Brain Development 101

What is going on in my child’s brain?

Can you believe that scholars and researchers used to believe that babies were born with no mind as if they were blank slates? Many parents back then were perplexed by such conclusion, if not accusation. We see how capable our children are each minute we spend time with them. In fact, infant brains go through a noticeable change every two weeks! This article will shed light on how essential your everyday parenting is. That is, it is more than keeping your babies dry, fed, and comfortable because each interaction strengthens and shapes your babies’ brain. Interaction is one part of that shaping. The positions you place your baby in matter too, and playing in a variety of positions supports vision, spatial awareness, and social understanding.

Baby’s brain does not come ready to go. Baby’s brain come ready to learn. It needs all the stimulation it can get to grow stronger. Most of the brain cells babies need to develop are there when they were born; however, what is lacking is the connections among the brain cells (also known as neurons). The connection is important because we want all parts of the brain to work together seamlessly. Think left and right brain. If they are not well-connected or integrate, we might end up being too logical (left brain’s expertise) to put things in context (right brain’s specialty) and understand the situation fully and see the bigger picture. As a result, from birth to three years old, the main job of a baby’s brain is connecting, connecting, and connecting.

What helps the brain cells connect or wire together is the experiences babies receive from their environment. Guess what… most of the experiences come from you! When you speak to her, sing to her, and comfort her, she learns about the world through that relationship. Comfort repeated day after day teaches her brain to link mom and dad with safety and love. This is how positive attachment relationship grows. In short, what you do is going to shape the growth and physical structure of your children’s brain. Movement gives the brain that same input, which is why pediatric physical therapy in Chicago works on rolling, crawling, and standing.

Happy Playing!

Ordinary moments do the heavy lifting here. Singing, talking, and comforting your baby when she is distressed all shape the connections her brain is building. Keep doing those things, and pay attention to how she responds. When something about her development gives you pause, bring your questions to our team. You will hear what early support can look like and whether it makes sense for your family right now.