Key Messages
- Sensitive and critical periods of development impact lifelong development and achievements. Children need proper nutrition, good health, positive parenting through stimulation for sensory experiences and protection from abuse, neglect and toxins for the brain to develop.
- Young children need lots of quality interactions to build connections in their brains for learning and healthy development. Healthy environment that stimulates all the senses through singing, story-telling, reading, playing, smelling, tasting, listening, touching, interacting with adults and other children builds a healthy brain.
- Musical activities stimulate every part of the brain in all domains: physical, social, emotional, cognitive and language. Listening or singing songs makes the brain healthy and boost the mood of the child.
- The new born brain develops at an astonishing rate and is directly influenced by the quality of relationships and how he is cared in terms of body contact warm and loving care and stimulation of the senses- make child hear sounds, songs, music, see colours etc.
- Talk to the child by repeating and adding other words, and read to your child every day, tell stories to the child to help simulate the brain. Hum or sing to the child even before he or she is born or listen to soft and melodic songs every day when pregnant. Talk to the child during breastfeeding, feeding while maintaining eye contact.
- Take the time to have some contact and affectionate moments with the child while looking into his/her eyes, laughing and making the child to smile/laugh.
- A parent should interact for at least 30 minutes/day with their child, doing something together that will make the child feel happy.