The first few years of your child's life are the most
important for cognitive development. This is when the ever-important folds of
the brain that increase cognitive ability are created at astonishing rates. Neurological
research has shown that these folds increase due to external stimulation of the
child. Basically, when you interact with your baby your baby grows smarter. The
more you play with your baby the smarter she gets!!! Imagine that.
I personally believe that dual parenting in a child’s life
is immensely important for that child’s brain development. I am not saying that
a single mother or father attempting to raise a child on their own won’t produce
an intelligent child, all I am saying is that the most ideal situation for the
child’s development is a two parent house… and as taboo as this may be to say
these days… the most ideal situation is a dual gender household. Again, I am
not saying that single gender households will not produce an intellectually and
psychologically healthy child. I am just saying that EVERY child needs a strong
male as well as female role model in their lives in order to have the balance
of the two.
In this high tech society it is important to raise your
child to be tech savvy as well as to have an appreciation and understanding of
the natural world around her. This is sometimes difficult if you live in a
large metropolis, and if this is the case I implore you to find the time to
take your child out into the country. There is no state in the US that doesn’t
have national parks and forests. You can always find at least one weekend a
month to explore the wilderness and camp by a beautiful river.
Child development is a matter of common sense. If you want
your child to be smart then you must teach that child to be smart. If you want
your child to have great social skills then you must give that child a
social-friendly environment to live in. If you want your child to be the best
that she can be then you must encourage her good behaviors, not just reprimanding
her negative ones. I have learned much over the years. I have been around many
children and have independently studied all that I can about the best methods
to help ensure a child’s brain development. The rest is just intuition.
By all means, DO NOT YELL AT YOUR CHILD FOR BEING A CHILD!
If you find yourself getting frustrated with your baby, and you will (it doesn’t
make you a bad parent, it makes you human) then find a way to take a break for
a few hours. Ask your spouse or a family member to care for the child for a
day. It is OK to take a break.
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