Loving Touch One of the most powerful ways to connect with your child is through touch. Hugs, holding hands, the sitting-in-lap connection, wrestling, and floor play all have benefits for parent and child. Human touch is vital to healthy brain development. In a Psychology Today post titled “The Neuroscience of Calming a Baby,”1 Christopher Bergland writes of the role that the cerebellum plays in proprioception –
Young children live and learn through their bodies. Without the distraction of verbal language and with immature cognitive development, young children live and learn through their bodies. They grow and learn about the world through their developing senses: vision, taste, smell, auditory, tactile (touch), vestibular (sense of balance), and proprioception (body awareness). We can help children to integrate what is received through these senses. Learning to have
Look at the adorable Minion. There are so many cute movie-themed toys. Or toys with given names and personalities. Or toys that do something when you push a button. Toys that flash and move and give temporary delight. They all scream, “Buy Me” and children cry, “I want them.” Irresistible? Seemingly so. The message to the parent is, “Don’t deprive your child. If you
