Why grandparents need to know about the latest research on early development.

In 310 BC Aristotle said“Give me a child until he is seven, and I will show you the man” – demonstrating that for centuries people have understood that the experiences a young child has during the first years of life provides the foundation for adulthood.  So, what’s changed?  Well, Aristotle was spot-on in his approach to early childhood, but now we know far more about the “why”.  We have science and data, brain imaging and research providing the reasons for what Aristotle had, through experience and instinct, noticed.

Grandparents are so important in a child’s life.  Not only as babysitters, but as a source of unconditional love outside (most times) the structure of their home and the family unit – whether that’s a single or two parent unit and with none or many siblings.  Grandparents have been children and have raised children, but those experiences, while valuable, can be enriched by gaining an understanding of science behind childhood development and how the right attitudes and activities can set your grandchildren on the path to a happy, fulfilling life.

So, what does the research say about how to raise resilient, rationale, regulated, happy and successful learners and adults? Here are some brief insights into several key influences:

Start with the pregnancy.

How healthy and well a pregnant mother is will affect the developmental and neurological health of the baby.

• Exercising during pregnancy improves a baby’s heart and lung health, improves muscle tone and responsiveness at birth. It has also been found to increase the capability of the newborns brain.
• Good nutrition is also key to a developing baby’s long-term health.
• Pregnant mums need to avoid severe, long term stress as this can impact on a child’s mental health and ability to regulate emotions.
• Research has found that babies who hear music in the womb (especially the human voice) respond with more alertness and physical movements at six weeks after birth.

Movement is key: Brain and Body learning together.

Motor development and early movement experiences play a key role in preparing a brain for learning readiness. In the first years, brain cells connect more readily and rapidly as a result of movement. Research tells us motor development in the early years of life is fundamental in the development of all social, emotional, cognitive and physical skills, affecting the lifelong outcomes of children.

• Tummy time as a baby allows for wriggling, squirming and the early reflex movements that start the child on the journey to controlled crawling and walking.  
• Toddlers know exactly what is good for them as they climb, run, swing, hang, spin and tumble. Lots.
• When looking after your grandchild – even for 10 minutes – get off the couch and get into active play. 

Hold on. Let go.  Balance freedom with regulation.

To develop mature emotional responses, children need to experience opportunities that enable them to try things out. Balance care and protection with the freedom to explore. When children explore, they learn by trial and error and how to find solutions for mistakes made.

• Offer your grandchildren the opportunities to attempt new skills and let them try and try again until they succeed. Success evokes incredible happiness and rewards effort. 
• Children who are protected too much are just as likely as children who are not protected at all to have emotional problems such as anxiety, depression and aggression and this translates to social problems in later years. It’s about balance.

Guts and brains are linked.

What children eat not only affects how well their body works, but it affects how their brain functions too.

• Not all ‘healthy food’ is good for every child (See Sue Dengate’s brilliant website www.fedup.com.au for more on this topic).
• Many children in today’s world have food intolerances and allergies that affect health, behaviour and brain function.
• Read labels carefully as many packaged foods have hidden additives, flavours and preservatives that can have a deleterious effect on children’s health and development.

Moving and singing are so important for language, literacy and numeracy.

Music, movement and language have many elements in common and, when combined, assist a child to build skills and the capacity to learn.

• Moving to music helps children learn how to control their movements and to maintain movement in time to a beat or rhythm.
• When children move to the beat of the music, for example clapping, jumping, playing rhythmic patterns with instruments, singing songs and rhymes, they are developing skills they will use for language, literacy, coordination, concentration and building a strong relationship between brain and body.
• The mathematical division of beats in music helps to develop children’s understanding of order, sequencing in terms of counting, placement and pattern recognition.

A good night’s sleep is essential for healthy development.

Sleep is when the body takes a well-earned break and the brain rests, cleans itself and lays down long term memories.

• Professor Matthew Walker[i], a physiologist and sleep expert, says babies need 14- 16 hours of sleep a day, toddlers 12-14, and pre-schoolers 12 hours a day and when deprived their behaviour and thinking skills deteriorate.
• Poor sleep can be the product of a lack of routine and rules, food sensitivities, lack of activity, or it may be a structural, medical or neurological problem.

This list is not exhaustive. There are many influences on early development. Furthermore, no single influence works in isolation, so if one is ‘out of whack’ the others are often compromised and this has a flow-on effect on overall development.  To find ways to help your grandchildren be the best they can be, why don’t you read Grandparenting Grandchildren? Contained within are lots of ideas and activities that explain the why and how of these wonderful early years.   

[i] Walker, M. (2017). Why we sleep. Unlocking the power of sleep and dreams. London: Penguin Random House.