THIS IS HOW CHILDREN'S BRAINS WORK: KEYS OF AN EXPERT TO FAVOR THEIR DEVELOPMENT

During the first years of a baby's life, its neurons form new connections at an amazing speed, between 700 to 1,000 per second, a rhythm that will never be repeated. The future of the child will depend on these connections, so it is very important to favor its correct neuronal development from the first moment.

Parents are a key part in this development, and Dr. Manuel Antonio Fernández, a neurosurgery and director of the Andalusian Institute of Pediatric Neurology, explains how we can positively influence through contact and interactions with our children.

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Dr. Fernández insists that we do not need to be experts to correctly stimulate the neurological development of our children. Just be aware of the importance of children naturally develop their maximum potential from the first months of life, while we enjoy by your side.

And it is that the routines of our daily life are the perfect framework to incorporate activities that reinforce the neuronal development of children, while strengthening the bond between parents and children.

According to the neuropediatrician, these are the routine areas in which parents can act, promoting a positive development of the brain of our children:

Time to eat: make it a pleasant time

Infant feeding is one of the activities to which parents spend more time during the first months of our baby's life. Turn it into a pleasant and fun experience for everyone It is the best way to enjoy together, while favoring your neuronal development.

To promote a pleasant experience at the table, Dr. Fernández recommends the following tips:

Babies usually want to eat as soon as they wake up, so to prevent hunger from making them cry or make them nervous it is advisable to organize ourselves in time to keep them from waiting.
Create a nice and peaceful environment It is key to enjoy the meal time.
Each child has their own rhythms and needs, so we must be flexible and adapt to what is marking us.
Eating should not be a boring activity and when sitting at the table should be a motivation for the child.

Physical activity: from babies and in company

Moving the muscles of the body stimulates its proper functioning and activates the nervous system. Thus, physical activity is an essential part for the correct neurological development of the child.

The neuropediatra offers us the following tips to physically stimulate our babies:

Perform physical activities and common games since our children are young, and of course continue to do so as they grow up.

"If while we are small we choose the practice of exercises in which the arms are free to the movement, we will be favoring the motor skills of the upper limbs. While if we choose exercises with freedom of movement of the legs, we will be facilitating the beginning of the first steps "- explains Dr. Fernández.

The facial muscles are also very important, and therefore we should not forget to work with vocalization exercises, expressions and encouraging chewing.

Contact with other children: source of learning

When it comes to learning there are many things that children acquire more easily by imitating other children than by learning from adults. Therefore, the neuropediatra insists on the importance of encourage our child's social contact with other children, both their age and older and smaller.

"By feeling identified with their peers, the child will be stimulated and willing to learn new things by imitation. Also, be exposed to situations that they bring you new perspectives and ways of being and acting, will help to enhance their maturational development, to recognize the emotions of others and to express their own feelings "- summarizes the neuropediatrician.

Stimulate your emotions: key to brain development

The emotional and the social are present in the child's life from the first moment, so contact with others is not only an excellent source of learning, but also a way to transmit messages, stimulate emotions and enhance their development.

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"There are some cognitive skills, such as short-term memory, which requires a high emotional component to develop to the fullest. Precisely for that reason there is so much interest in the educational model being oriented to learning with emotions" - emphasizes Dr. Fernández.

Playtime: essential in the child's life

Games are also another excellent source of learning. There are games of all kinds, although Dr. Fernández insists that the type of game is not as important as the way to develop it, promoting fun, participatory and stimulating activities for the child.

"In some cases the physical game is recommended. In others, a mental game may be more interesting. When your child is small, anything can become a game. A light, a shadow, a box ... You have to know the tastes of each child to find the type of activity that he loves most, although the important thing is that we play with them as much as we can. "

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Family time: show it is important to you

Spending family time also stimulates childhood neurological development. The fact of interacting directly with your child, since he is a baby, and doing so in an affectionate, close, and direct way, is positive for both.

"Spending time with the family, in the broadest sense of the word, is essential. It doesn't matter what kind of family you are; what a child wants and needs is love, care, love and time with his family" - recalls the doctor Fernandez

So, Dr. Fernández advises us free time from our agenda and dedicate it to the children; but not as an obligation, but because we wish so. In doing so, children will realize that for us they are more important than the rest of the things we have to do and that they can be postponed.

Self-knowledge and self-perception: let them explore

Children need to be aware of themselves and their environment, both physically and emotionally. Therefore, it is important to teach them to recognize the parts of their body, as well as the bodies of others. Children love to touch everything, touch the face, beard, hair ... They need to feel the textures of objects and people.

Adults should play an intermediary role between them and the environment, because children expect stimulation from us:

"Our children count on us to touch them, take them in our arms, move or swing them, give them support to walk ... We are the intermediaries with the environment and the essential tools for their purposes. Therefore, we must get involved and help them reach his objectives"

Bedtime: no tears and kisses

The neuropediatra insists that When it is time to go to bed, the child should do it with smiles and caresses, because this is another of the key aspects for its correct neurological development.

In addition, we must promote proper rest, being clear about how sleep patterns work during childhood and not forcing situations that may become unpleasant for the child.

"An important recommendation is to strive to make the moments of sleep and wake up calm, relaxed and pleasant situations for children. In addition, it is advisable to avoid intense lights, loud noises, sudden movements or anything that can interfere negatively at the time of going to sleep. "