A baby's brain, like most other parts of the body, takes a long time to develop after it is born. Neurons are already present but their connections are not, which will be formed over time, until well past adolescence (around 25 years of age).
Around 3 years of age, the infant brain has almost 1000 billion connections, of which the most unnecessary are lost from the age of 11, when neural pruning takes place to keep the most important ones.
Even so the brain throughout our lives will change and evolve with us, with our experiences and learnings.
What influences neural connections?
Babies receive many stimuli since they are born, which will configure those neural connections, in addition to their genetics. Their first years of life are essential for proper brain development.
Each baby is unique and will go at their own pace. It is not about reaching these stages earlier, but rather helping them, accompanying them to promote proper brain development. It is not a marathon, nor a race. That your child is slower in the development of some skill does not mean that he has a problem.
How can you stimulate your baby's brain development?
Although babies, especially the smallest ones, may seem that they do not relate to their environment and that they only eat and sleep, this is not true. They are like little sponges that absorb everything, and that of those interactions and exposures will influence their future neural connections that will determine your brain function.
The genes are also involved in this aspect, but since we cannot do anything there, we will focus on the stimuli that we can handle with our little ones. We leave you a series of tips to promote proper brain development.
Relaxing baths
When they are very young, we can promote their brain development through water. Most enjoy these moments, both children and parents. It is a time of games, new sensations, discoveries and a lot of love.
Respond carefully
Brain development is an interactive process. We must take care of the type of feedback we give children during their interactions. The important thing is to respond with eye contact and with words or gestures of love. Give them all the attention they need, even when they're just babbling. It is the way they relate to us and we should not ignore them.
It will enhance their social and communication skills, and they will feel safe and loved. In addition to creating a bond between you.
Practice reading
In our article on "Tips to encourage reading in children" You will find in addition to the advice on how to establish this healthy habit, the benefits that reading brings to the little ones. There is evidence that children who are read to from a young age are more successful in school.
Outdoor games
We saw it in our article "Benefits of playing children outdoors". The game should be the main activity of the little ones, especially outdoors and in new spaces that stimulate their explorer instincts. In this way we promote their imagination, reduce sedentary lifestyle, and improve their physical and mental activity.
Mediterranean diet
Despite the fact that we live in one of the countries where you eat the best, every time the children eat worse. The rush and lack of time make us want to finish quickly on the subject of meals and incidentally "reward" them for our little time available. Buns and sweets are a regular thing for children, but In addition to negatively affecting your physique, it is also negatively affecting your brain development.
It is very important to give them a varied diet, with fruits and vegetables. The sweets and industrial pastries must be something specific, not usual.
Talk to them
Even if you think they don't understand you, talk to them. Little by little he will interact more with you and with his environment, and will help him develop social and cognitive tools.
Control your stress levels
Raising a child is not an easy task. In addition to our many obligations, taking care of a child can destroy our patience and lose our nerves.
To be 100% with him, it is necessary to know how to stop and disconnect. Know when you need to get away from the situation, take a few deep breaths, and come back calmer. You cannot educate from stress, but from calm.
For remember… a child's brain will determine in part what it will be like as an adult.