Essentials for optimal child development
- Loving interaction with at least one adult who thinks that they are the best thing in the world. A stable, loving relationship is vital to a baby’s well-being.
- Loving touch – this is crucial to development, as it provides the first feedback to the baby that it is loved. Baby massage is great as it is both soothing and encourages strong bonding.
- Movement and rhythm –rocking and hugging a baby stimulates brain development. This is why Rhythmic Movement Training is so successful in cases where there is neuro-developmental delay. The movements help with neural reorganisation.
- A safe and stimulating environment that encourages the baby to be curious, explore and learn through experience.
- Good nutrition – both in utero through the mother’s nutrition and after birth, brain growth depends critically on the quality of a child’s nutrition. Malnourished children do not adequately grow either physically or mentally.
- Communication – to learn language a baby needs to be talked to right from the start and the baby can communicate with you even though she cannot yet talk. Babies will pay close attention to your voice and love being talked to. Their early ‘babblings’ back to you are also crucial to the development of language.
- Play is a baby’s work and is vital for learning. Children are busy when they are playing, and, when they are playing with you, they learn that they are loved.
- Music – babies love rhythm and have an affinity for music from birth (or even before). They love to be sung to. Some studies suggest that a baby’s brain development can be helped by listening to music – Mozart is said to be very beneficial.