What you can do to ensure holistic brain development of your child...

Your child has just started walking and you are dreaming how big she will make a name for herself when she grows up? Your imagination is fuelled by how fast she is learning and embracing all the firsts in her life. These activities of your child not only help her bloom into a talented individual later but also are concrete proof of your child’s learning abilities and you play a huge role in helping her adopt new ways.

Ever wondered how your child is less cranky when you are around to help her build blocks than when she is forced to eat and sleep on time? This way, you actually manage to make her eat all of the nutritious food in record time too. This is because your involvement with her while she plays provides the right stimulus. According to Dr Raja Lahiry, professor of paediatrics in Kolkata, “Function of most nerve cells is evident in children. With repeated stimulus a particular function is enhanced. If parents sing and show interest in singing children learn it better. If parents read story books with children even when they don’t understand they develop more interest in reading.The receptivity of brain is very high in early childhood and interest in structured learning is best developed at the age between 2 and 6 years.”

Moreover, brain development is a holistic process that reveals the four critical areas – cognitive, motor, social and communication – of your child’s brain at work. So you need to keep a close tab on how your child processes information and solves problems by learning to name basic shapes and colours, how she walks and moves by hopping, skipping or does somersaults, how she emotes and imitates by being demanding and cooperative or by wanting to be like her friends and how she uses speech and gesture to interact with others like rhyming words, using future tense etc.

Your spending quality time at home is a definite plus and it makes her excel in all activities that are a result of brain development.Besides, learning classes for parents help a lot to coordinate better with the children at home. Anisha Singh Motwani, a working mother, agrees, “I started taking my daughter to an activity centre along with me since she was 9 months old. Now she is 2 and a half years old and I am more aware of her likes and dislikes. I have noticed that she likes reading and responds beautifully when interacted with. I have memorized the poems she learnt in class so that I can repeat them at home. I believe attending the learning classes have strengthened the bond between my daughter and me.”

It is important that you go out for work to secure a bright future for your child but to expose her to the right stimulus and see her grow is as much her need as it is yours. But all this is good as long as you also provide the right nutrition through DHA-rich fortified milk formulas for holistic brain development.

  • Spend quality time with your child
  • Attend learning classes to update yourself
  • Closely observe your child’s activities
  • Get involved with her to influence her brain development