Parents Are Their Children’s First Teachers

SUPPORTING YOUR CHILD’S DEVELOPMENT

Parents are their children’s first teachers

Children learn from the moment they are born. They are learning all the time, at greater speeds than at any other time in their lives. More than 80% of brain development happens before the age of three. Imagine if your child grew to be five-feet tall before his or her third birthday!

When wondering about how to help promote your child’s development, or looking for programs for your child, keep the following in mind:

Play Children learn through play. Through play, children learn to follow directions, take turns, solve problems, and learn about the world. Engaging your child in the routines and activities that make up a normal day are terrific ways to help your child learn. Children also need lots of different people to play with them.

Relationships Loving and caring relationships with the people in their lives are critical for children’s successful development. Children need lots of different people – parents, caregivers, brothers and sisters, friends – to talk to and play with. Through relationships with other people, children learn about themselves and gain the confidence they need to try new things. Making friends, expressing anger through words, working through conflicts, showing concern for others, waiting patiently, and having fun with others are all part of healthy emotional and social development. As with any skill, children learn how to do these things in small steps, with the help of those around them.