There are a series of studies highlighting the importance of the first three years of a child’s life - many of us have read or heard of them. Researchers have discovered that the first 1000 days are far more important in creating secure, confident, successful adults than we ever realized. 

 

Once upon a time, scientists saw brain development as a fixed process, influenced solely by your genes and that “smartness” was just attributed to luck. Thankfully, we’ve come a long way from those days and we now know that the brain has plasticity - it’s continuously growing and developing as a result of experiences.  This process starts in the womb and lasts through a lifetime, but the biggest changes generally occur in the infant and toddler days. During this time, the human brain triples in size and grows vital connections that have far-reaching effects throughout their lives.

 

 

The good news is the key elements that these developing brains need are likely things you already instinctively provide for your kids. Take a look, here’s how to grow a genius in five easy steps.

 

 

Pretty simple. Babies need health and nutrition to grow and develop. Malnourished kids show learning deficits, less resilience, and a lowered ability to navigate the challenges of life. Don’t get hung up on breast feeding vs. formula or debating whether the Paleo diet is better than the Mediterranean diet. It’s not about finding the perfect balance of gluten and protein. Just feed your kids real food, full of nutrients. Fill your cupboards and tables with healthy options, take your kids to their doctor’s appointments, keep them hydrated and watch them thrive.

 

 

People are discovering more and more about the healing powers of touch - but really, haven’t you always known this on an intuitive level? Who can resist holding that sweet smelling baby or caressing the chubby cheek of your precious toddler? These days the maternity ward is full of signs touting the benefits of skin-to-skin contact with newborns. Touch promotes bonding, which creates security in little ones and security provides the richest soil in which the brain can bloom. Cuddling, kissing and holding hands reduces stress response and stress can be a major blocker in brain development. You can’t spoil a baby by picking them up too much. Baby wearing is more than a fad - it’s a tool in growing secure, resilient baby brains, ready to take on the world.

 

 

 

There is a now-famous study that followed families from high and low socioeconomic groups and looked at language development in their children. The researchers discovered that kids in the low-income group heard an average of just over 600 words per hour, while the children of the higher socioeconomic bracket heard over 2000 words an hour. The study showed that this had a huge impact on the achievement potential and the language development of the children at age three. They followed up with the children again in third grade and discovered that their abilities at age three strongly correlated with their performance at age nine. The message is to talk, talk, talk to your babies, to your toddlers and to family. Tell your kids what you are doing and why you are doing it. Ask questions, and answer their questions. Let them overhear you talking to your spouse, their grandparents, the family pet - just keep up the chatter! 

 

 

Talking, singing, clapping, peek-a-boo, stacking blocks, hiding toys under blankets - all those games you play and have played with your little ones are growing their brains. The more you play, the more your child’s brain creates vital pathways upon which they will later add more information. Laugh, make-faces, gaze into each others eyes. Have some fun with your under three set - it’s better than an ivy league education in growing their brain.

 

 

The stimulating play experiences and all those vital words have to come from a real, live interacting human. Screen time will not have the same impact. You can’t improve your baby’s language skills by sitting them in front of the tablet. In fact, researchers are beginning to understand that not only is screen time not helpful to these little ones, it may actually be damaging. The recommendation is to avoid screen time altogether for those under two and to use it selectively and wisely for older kids. 

 

So there you go - five easy steps that you are probably already doing to grow your budding genius. Oh, and by the way, although those early years show the greatest brain growth, it’s never too late to have an impact on a developing brain. The principals are the same throughout your child’s life.  

 

Check out this video for some more information on how to help kids reach their potential. Now go give your child, of any age, a cuddle and play a game together - their future depends on it!