Play: How It Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination

The first five years of life, children rely on their parents to guide them and support their emotional, intellectual, and social development, and keep them physically healthy. They also rely on parents to keep them safe and provide vital care. It was difficult for narrow down the most important factors of development, especially since so many aspects of a child's development are intertwined. Many of these supporting factors of development may overlap and rely on one another.


Nurturing Parents/Caregivers
Being a nurturing caregiver and providing the necessities for a child to develop is an important aspect to parenting. nurturing caregivers provide food, protection, warmth, and affection. Without nurturing parenting healthy development will not be accomplished and a child may not thrive. Children need to feel safe, especially since they are so vulnerable and rely so heavily on adults. Parents should keep children safe from physical harm, but just as importantly, from emotional harm. Children need to understand safety and how to remain safe as they become more independent. Introducing safety rules before other rules can help regulate a child's behavior as they develop.

Emotions
Children are in tune with parents' emotions and feed off the emotion being expressed. In a child's early years, parents should try to have positive moods around their babies, responding to them with love and affection, and encouraging happiness. A child will respond to a smiling parent with joy, and will being to model their parent's expressed emotions. A baby can sense a stressed parent who uses negative reinforcement and is unhappy. Being aware of emotions and what is being expressed around a child is very important. Providing children with love, affection, and happiness is crucial to their emotional development. Happiness is not going to rule out negative emotions, but a child who feels happiness and love is going to be able to better self-manage feelings such as anger, frustration, and fear. Often times, some parents disregard the child's emotions and this could create barriers. Surrounding a child with negativity, fighting with a spouse in front of a child, and exposing them to frustration and constant unhappiness can also be detrimental to a developing child. Children may not be able to understand what is being said or the context, but they understand the emotional tone and physical reactions.

Play
When parents read and play with children, it helps them grow intellectually and is crucial to language development. It also helps with social development and to expand the child's thinking in creative ways. Reading and play prepares a child for the entrance into school or social learning environments. Utilizing developmentally age appropriate games and toys will enhance healthy development in the following areas:

1. Social Development
Sharing
Taking turns
Cooperating with others
Leadership qualities

2. Language Development
Communications skills
Narrating skills

3. Physical Development
Gross and fine motor skills
Independence skills
Task completion

4. Emotional Development
Self-esteem
Self-confidence

Discipline
Discipline is essential to guiding a child through life, but some discipline methods can harm a child's wellbeing. Being patient and understanding that each child is an individual goes a long way. Remaining calm, together, and avoiding explosive, harsh, and physical discipline is the most effective way to guide a child through early development. There should be discussions and open communication about desired behavior, and rewards for positive behavior. Boundaries need to be created and reinforced, but in a way the child understands and is logical.

In Sum
It is amazing just how significant the first two years, and the first five years of a child's life are. The impact on the child's future during this time is monumental. Acknowledging the uniqueness of a child and respecting them, loving them, providing care, and supporting their emotional, intellectual, social, physical, and language development is essential. This phase creates an opportunity for a healthy lifelong bond between child and parent and shows parents just how incredibly important their support is in the process.

Shelly is a Certified Professional Life Coach and Parenting Instructor. Shelly graduated with honors from APUS with a degree in Child and Family Development. She is the owner and founder of Nurture Enhances Nature, a company based on the premise that all innate characteristics needs healthy nurturing. She is passionate about bringing a healthy balance in the family unit and working with men to achieve their personal and professional goals. You can contact Shelly at lifecoachsmith1@gmail.com lifecoachsmith1@gmail.com for further information.

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