Developing Your Baby's BrainWritten by I Bansal
Have you ever wondered why toys for babies tend to have so many bells, whistles and lights? Or why they have so many different textures, and materials and colors? It's almost as if we want to provide young babies with a whole world of stimulation and we can't quite get it to them fast enough.Play gyms or activity gyms as they are sometimes called tend to be a firm favorite with babies from newborn up to about 12 months. These play gyms and activity nests mostly come in form of comfortable, quilted or softly padded playmats, sometimes raised at edges with a space in middle for baby (like a ring doughnut). And these play gyms can be either brightly colored or in soft, pastel shades. But don't be fooled by thinking they are just snug and comfy resting places for babies to fall asleep in! These activity gyms can provide a plethora of visual, audio and tactile stimulation for fast developing young inquisitive minds. Often decorated with well known and lovable characters, Winnie-the-Pooh, Tigger, Eyore, or farm and zoo animals as well, they can consist of detachable, hanging parts for small babies to try to grasp. They tend to have parts that are crinkly, soft, scrunchy textures for baby to touch, squeeze and stroke. Some come with bright twinkling lights and bells and others make funny sounds, or musical sounds, and some even do both. You will often find mirrors attached to these activity gyms, so that your baby gets to find and see its own reflection, often providing hours of fun for babies and carers alike. All of this is extremely important for developing young minds. Babies are like a sponge, they are ready to absorb whatever information they can - and boy - they can't grasp it fast enough! A lot of new research points to first three years of life as being critical to a baby's developing brain. It is a known fact that during this period, not only does brain triple in weight but it also establishes thousands of billions of nerve connections. Astonishingly,
| | Build Character Now! Practical Tools for Busy ParentsWritten by Jean Tracy
“To educate a person in mind and not in morals is to educate a menace to society.” -Theodore Roosevelt, U.S. PresidentTeddy Roosevelt hit mark with his words. To educate a child in reading, writing, and arithmetic, and not about living is to raise a menace to society. How do we as parents, teachers, and mentors help children build character? Below you will notice five character-building goals to instill in your children. Using questions as practical tools is an easy and excellent way to promote these goals and build character too. Imagine that a boy named Harold recently moved into your neighborhood. He constantly causes trouble. The school principal just sent him home with a note addressed to his parents about his acting out in class. You and your child discuss Harold’s problems. You center your discussion on five key goals listed below. To instill each goal, ask your child following practical questions: -Goal 1: Empathy-Being aware of and caring about others' feelings. Question: If you were Harold, how would you feel? -Goal 2: Role Taking-Putting oneself into another’s shoes and understanding where they are coming from. Question: What do you think Harold wanted by acting out in class? -Goal 3: Social Awareness-Being aware of other’s opinions, their needs, their likes, and dislikes. Question: If you were a classmate of Harold’s, what might you think of Harold?
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