Did you know that from birth to 5 years of age, your child’s brain develops faster and more connections than at any other time in their life? Your child’s early experiences shape their learning capacities, behaviors, and their physical and mental health. The impact of early experiences and your relationship with your child is an invaluable investment in their future and wellbeing.
When we first decided to take a one-year sabbatical to travel the world with our young kids, the first thing people would say was “but they won’t remember any of it.” I had many reasons to respond to such a statement, but one of the most important was that our travels and time together as a family before our kids are old enough for school will help to shape their interests, behaviors, and personalities through one of the most important periods of growth in their entire lives.
The importance of the first 5 years is something that really stuck with me from studying education and childhood development and I’m writing this article to bring awareness to this incredibly important window of time and what you can do as a parent to make the most of it.
On this page:
About Development & How Brain
Connections Are Built
The word ‘development’ means the changes that are taking place as your child grows. These changes can be physical, but also social, emotional, behavior, thinking, and communication skills. All of these areas of development are connected, and each depends on and influences the others.
Starting from birth, children develop brain connections through their everyday experiences. They’re built through positive interactions (often referred to as ‘Serve & Return’) with their parents and caregivers and by using their senses to interact with the world. A young child’s daily experiences determine which brain connections develop and which will last for a lifetime. The amount and quality of care, stimulation, and interaction they receive in their early years make all the difference.
“At birth, the average baby’s brain is about a quarter of the size of the average adult brain. Incredibly, it doubles in size in the first year. It keeps growing to about 80% of adult size by age 3 and 90% – nearly full-grown – by age 5 – Firstthingsfirst.org
It is for this reason that it’s crucial for parents and caregivers to be aware of what you can do to help support this important time in a child’s life.
Relationships: The Foundation For Development
Relationships are the most important aspects of childhood development and they are how a child learns about the world around them. Through warm and nurturing relationships, your child learns about trust and empathy, builds confidence and imagination, learns vocabulary and memory and so much more. They learn through meaningful interactions with you and other caregivers, and the earlier and more often you share them, the better.
In these early years, your child looks up to you and your relationship with your child is one of the most important relationships they will have in their life. As your child gets older and goes to school, there will be other outside influences to compete with, but at a young age, you are the primary influencer.
Learning Through Play
Play is fun for your child and gives them an opportunity to explore, observe, experiment, solve problems and learn from their mistakes. They’ll need your support and encouragement to do this and it’s important to find a balance between helping your child and letting them try things on their own.
"What if I was to tell you that a game of peek-a-boo could change the world?" asks seven-year-old Molly Wright, one of the youngest-ever TED speakers. Breaking down the research-backed ways parents and caregivers can support children's healthy brain development, Wright highlights the benefits of play on lifelong learning, behavior and well-being, sharing effective strategies to help all kids thrive by the age of five.
Other Important Factors That Shape Development
Healthy Eating
Healthy food gives your child the energy and nutrients they need to grow and develop. It also helps develop their sense of taste. It’s important to develop healthy family food and eating patterns in the early years to establish good habits for life.
Physical Activity
Being physically active is vital to your child’s health. Physical activity develops motor skills, helps your child think, and gives them an opportunity to explore their world. Be sure to provide plenty of opportunities for active play, both inside and outdoors.
Health
Minor childhood illnesses like colds and earaches generally won’t have any long-term effects on development, but disability, developmental delay, and chronic or long-term conditions can affect development. Health and disability professionals can help you understand your child’s condition and how it affects development. It’s important to remember that children usually develop in the same order, but that skills take time and can develop at different ages and times.
Neighborhood and Local Community
Your child’s development is supported by positive relationships with grandparents, relatives, friends, and neighbors. Having access to playgrounds, parks, shops, and local services like child care, playgroups, kindergartens, schools, health centers, and libraries also plays an important role.
What Can You Do As A Parent To Help?
Connect & Be Present
We all live very busy schedules and it has never been easier to be distracted on the phone or with work. It’s important to be disciplined and make it a priority to be present, interact and play with your child. Make it a priority to read together daily, talk to your baby, sing songs together, play music and games. A screen is not a substitute for your time and attention. Children are hardwired to seek out meaningful human connections, not simply receive them. So be sure to interact as early and as often as you can.
Be A Positive Role Model
The saying kids are like sponges is true on so many levels. You are the example for your child and they will copy your behavior and learn from your habits. They learn everything from your communication, how you interact with your partner and others, and the lifestyle you lead.
A Healthy Home
Creating a healthy home should be part of your everyday routine and lifestyle. Remember, your child learns habits from you, so if you hope to instill healthy eating habits, it’s important that you model this by taking time to eat together whenever possible and that they see you enjoying fruits and vegetables. To encourage physical activity, make it part of your daily routine. Go for daily walks, hikes, bike rides, etc. It’s important to start healthy habits early and stick to them - as it will pay off later!
Get Outside!
It’s Okay To Ask Questions Or For Help
Raising a family is not always easy and we put a lot of pressure and expectations on ourselves, which at times can seem overwhelming. The good news is that there are helpful, trustworthy resources to help guide you along the way. There are countless government websites, resources, and organizations that are available to support new parents and families. You’re not alone and remember that your own mental and physical health is an important part of raising a family.
Some helpful online resources:
Thrive By Five The Minderoo Foundation’s Thrive by Five initiative advocates for positive community-level change based on evidence, prevention, and collaboration. I love that their goal is to be able to translate research into effective policy, practice, and service delivery by bringing together families, clinicians, educators, policymakers, practitioners, and researchers. This initiative is incredibly relevant for many countries and their “Ideas Hub” section provides practical tips and activities for parents and caregivers.
Positive Parenting Tips and Resources, CDC (Center For Disease Control) The CDC has a great online resource pool where you can find helpful tips for every stage of development from 0-17. Here you can learn about developmental milestones, tips for healthy bodies, child safety, and much more.
Harvard University, Center on the Developing Child If you’re interested in learning more about the science behind early childhood development, Harvard has an informative and easy-to-understand guide with videos and resources that break down the research to make it easy to understand and apply.
Investing in Your Child’s Future
Every child is different and every family has its own unique preferences and needs. As a parent, it's up to you to find a way to best support your child’s development and create a healthy home and lifestyle.
For our family, prioritizing our time together in the first 5 years has had an incredible impact on our relationship as a family and our girls’ development. We’ve been fortunate enough to share so many incredible experiences and memories together, and they’ve helped shape their views of the world around them and connect with different people and cultures. Through it all, we’re reminded of life’s most precious gift of all, time.
Every moment together is an opportunity to connect, talk and play - so make the most of it!
I hope you’ve found some useful information in this article. Feel free to share the best advice you’ve ever received as a parent in the comment section below.
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