4 Things Your Children Do Not Need

I spend a little time each week looking for information to post on this blog.  When I find another blog post that I really like I save it to re-post on here.  When I came across this one, I was so excited!  This is from a post on the blog For Every Mom (link at the bottom) and talks about what children do and don't need to be happy, healthy, social and to grow up in today's world.  Of course this is the opinion of the writer, Karen duBarry.  My soapbox is built out of cardboard boxes, crayons, dirt, recycled containers, paint brushes, and imagination.  I don't like toys for little ones that have batteries and just require the pushing of a button.  Children need opportunities to figure things out and be creative.  Of course children also need guidance, experience, love, opportunity, nurturing and to be allowed to fail as well as succeed.  What else do you think children need?  Feel free to add to the list in the comments section!

4 Things Your Children Absolutely Do Not Need (and What to Give Them Instead)

Here are a few things I think children do NOT need:

1. They absolutely do not need hundreds of toys that light up, play “music” or require batteries.

2. They do not need the latest gadget, just because you know someone else (“everyone” else?) who has one.

3. They do not need many different pricey outfits, all color-coordinated from charming boutiques with French names.

4. They do not need expensive “enrichment” activities every night of the week.

So, what do I think a kid might need?

—They need physical nourishment. This means different things for different people, of course (especially around the world), but here in the U.S. it might mean lots of yummy fruits and veggies, some macaroni and cheese every now and then, some chocolate chip cookies for a treat, your favorite meal that your grandma used to make, and dinners inspired by different places around the world. It does not mean mom needs to be a short-order cook and make every child only their favorite foods every meal.

—They need classic, open-ended toys: wooden blocks, Legos, paper and colored pencils (markers, if you’re feeling brave), a stuffed lovey, a baby doll, and the encouragement to use their imaginations and play with anything. (Leaves for outside tea-party plates. A cardboard box can be anything. Old egg cartons and wrapping paper tubes seem to be especially prized.) They need a safe place to keep collections (buttons, rocks, leaves, shells, foreign coins, stamps, etc. Some children will try to collect all of the above.)

—They need clothes they’re allowed to get dirty. They need an outfit or two for dressing up on special occasions (this seems to be especially important for some little girls). They need aprons to wear so they can help you in the kitchen. They need your old dresses and old hats and scarves to play dress up.

—They need time with their parents and siblings. They need to play outside. They need to go to a zoo. They need to visit a farm (if they’re city kids) or the city (if they’re rural). They should visit an art museum or two. They need to see a great body of water. They need to get messy. They need to go swimming. They need to walk quietly on a nature trail. They need cuddling and tickling, joking and gentle teasing. They need to be around many different kinds, types and ages of people. They need grandparents or great-grandparents or an older family friend to spend time with.

—They need to ask questions. They need you to teach them how to find the answers in a book or by observation, and not just by “asking Siri.” They need to hear you say, “I don’t know. Let’s find out.” They need you to say, “That’s a great question, I’m glad you asked.” They need you to ask them silly questions like, “If you were an animal, what would you be?” or “If you were a color, what would you be?” or “If you could spend the night on the moon, what would you do?”

—They need to explore. They need to climb too high. They need to swing so hard the swingset rocks. They need to poke things with sticks and lift up rocks. They need to splash in some water. They need to ride something (a bike, a horse) that intimidates them at first. They need to be out of your sight part of the day. They need to solve their own conflicts. They might need to wrestle or jump on a trampoline. They need to run until they’re out of breath. They need to try a small business like selling lemonade or something they’ve made. They need to spend their own money, sometimes unwisely. They need to give to someone less fortunate. They need to take some object apart (an old radio? a clock?) and try to put it back together.

—They need sleep. They need to go to bed in time to be rested for the next morning. They need time with no screens flickering in their faces. They need to build a pillow fort. They might need to pitch a tent outside and sleep under the stars. They need to stay up late for a special occasion and then sleep in the next morning. They need a quiet time, when they can hear their own thoughts. They need the chance to be noisy, with drums and marching and exuberant singing (this should probably happen outside, for mom’s sanity).

—They need books. They need adults to read to them. They need to read to each other. They need gorgeous books to admire and funny books to laugh at. They need rhymes to jingle in their minds. They need familiar characters who are just like family (Frances, Harry, Angus,Stuart Little, Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle) and historical figures who inspire (Laura and Mary Ingalls, George Washington, Florence Nightingale). They need tall tales (Paul Bunyan) and small creatures who make a big difference (Charlotte). They need to thrill over heroes and mourn over martyrs lost too soon.

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Christmas Shopping 101

This post is from http://preschoolexpress.com/learning-station07/toys-that-teach-dec07.shtml

 and was found by Vicki Kettenring, a developmental specialist.

TOYS THAT TEACH

Your child already has the most important toy he or she could want or need – YOU!
Other toys, however, can be very important for helping your child to learn through play.
Here are some things to consider when considering toys for your children.

 IS THE TOY SAFE?  Is it sturdy, with no small pieces to break off?  Will it become a dangerous toy in the wrong hands?

 WILL THE TOY LAST?  We often buy disappointment for children when we give them toys that will break in a couple of days.  All around them, children see that they live in a throw-away world.  Let’s give them some things that will last and upon which they can depend.

DOES THE TOY MEET A DEVELOPMENTAL NEED?  
           PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT--  Toys can aid in the physical development of children by encouraging coordination and the use of both large and small muscles.  Toy suggestions:  balls, toys that fit together, button books; toys to push, pull or climb upon.
           MENTAL DEVEOPMENT  -- Toys can aid in the mental development of children by encouraging reasoning, problem-solving and creative thinking.  Toy suggestions:  puzzles; games; blocks.
           LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT – Toys can aid in the language development of children by helping them learn new words, and word sounds, and sentence structure.
Toy suggestions:  Books, video’s, alphabet toys.
           SOCIAL (& IMAGINATION) DEVELOPMENT  - Toys can aid in the social development of children, by giving them opportunities to understand how others feel and act.  Toy suggestions:  Dress –up clothes; puppets, tea sets, doll houses.
           CREATIVITY DEVELOPMENT – Toys can aid in helping your child learn creative expression and to become problem solvers.  Toy suggestions: Open-ended art materials, play dough, dance costumes, musical instruments, blocks.
            DISCOVERY (CURIOSITY) DEVELOPMENT – Toys can lead to discovery and  foster experimentation. Toy suggestions:   Magnets, magnifying glasses, color viewers, toys for playing in water, mud or sand.

IS THE TOY APPROPRIATE FOR THE AGE OF THE CHILD?
            THE INFANT (0-1) is busy learning about himself, his body control and the use of his senses.  He responds to touch, sounds and smells.  Toys can provide an infant with the stimuli for motor and sensory development.  An infant needs safe, simple toys that he can master, toys that are easy to hold onto and toys that can be touched, felt and watched.  Toy suggestions:  mobiles, rattles, teethers, squeeze toys, musical toys, baby mirrors, water toys, washable stuffed animals and dolls.   

            THE TODDLER (1-2) has learned about herself and  now feels confident in learning about the world.  She is especially interested in learning how to control other people.  The toddler recognizes the existence of others but is still self-centered.  She generally plays alone, even when surrounded by others.  The toddler is busy developing large muscle control and learning to imitate the sounds and actions of others.  She is very adventurous and needs toys that can be safely pushed, pulled, climbed on and taken in and out.  Toy suggestions:  wooden blocks, sand box with scoops, small cars, trucks and people, large durable trucks to push, water toys, simple dress-up toys, such as hats and scarves, ball, hardcover books, simple wind-up toys, beginning puzzles, stuffed animals and dolls.

            A PRE-THREE (2-3) is concerned with self-expression and the beginnings of socialization.  Toys suggestions:  any of the toys mentioned above, plus small riding toys (not a trike), table top easel, creative materials, such as paper, crayons and marking pens, play dough, rhythm instruments, tapes, puzzles, simple storybooks, play phones, a small wagon.

            A PRESCHOOLER (3-5) is still experimenting with the senses, coordination and self-expression, but now he has more social awareness of others.  Toy suggestions:  any of the previously mentioned toys, plus tricycles, large blocks, balance beams, flannelboards, magnetic boards, pencils, paint, scissors, paste, collage materials, pounding toys, real tools, nuts and bolts, puppets and a puppet stage, dolls and doll houses, play centers, sewing cards, puzzles, learning games, magnets, magnifying glasses, storybooks.

DOES THE TOY HELP THE CHILD LEARN TO REASON?  In looking for toys that help children learn to reason, keep in mind that there are four different kinds of toys for this purpose.  Examine your child’s toys and see that she has at least one toy that fits into each of the four categories below.  Children need a balance of toys from which to learn different skills.
            COORDINATION TOYS – are designed to incorporate practice for a motor task that may be difficult for a child.  They enable a child to become self-sufficient in their  day-to-day environment.  Examples:  sewing cards, button frames, interlocking blocks, balls, putting pegs in holes.
            CONSTRUCTION TOYS -  are designed so that the end product is deliberately left undetermined by the materials being used.  Example:  Blocks and shapes.
            RECONSTRUCTION TOYS – are self-correcting materials that can be taken apart and reassembled.  These have degrees of difficulties.  Examples:  stacking toys, puzzles.
            CLASSIFICATION TOYS – are materials that require matching, patterning and grouping.  They include most games.  Examples:  lotto, dominoes, beads, board games, etc.

IN CONCLUSION – Children learn through play and the use of a variety of toys.  But as I stated at the beginning, nothing can replace interaction with adults, especially parents.

What Can You Do Now to Help Your Baby Later?

This was taken from www.adam-mila.com/brain-development-children-0-6-years/#brain-development-during-pregnancy  You can click on the link to read the complete article.

Stages of Brain Development from Birth to 6 Years Old (and How You Can Help!)

While we are not able to offer an exact brain development timeline, we will do our best to give you an idea of the different stages of brain development during early childhood.

When your little one arrives, a lot of work and growth has already been done. However, there’s still a lot more growing to do. At birth, your child already has almost all of the neurons they’ll need for the rest of their lives, even though their brains are only 25% the size of an adult brain.

Because your baby is rapidly creating and pruning out synapses, this is a critical period for learning things.

You’re probably familiar with the “soft spot” on a baby’s head. These soft spots are called fontanelles, and they exist because your child’s skull is not fully fused at birth. This serves the dual purpose of helping the head fit through the birth canal and allowing room for the brain to grow quickly during early childhood. At just three years old, your child’s brain will be about 80% the size of an adult brain.

Early in your child’s life, they will start to form synapses at a faster rate than at any other time of life. They’re actually producing many more than they need, and not all of them will make it to adulthood. This allows them to learn things more quickly than adults do.

Anyone with kids knows that they come with their own personalities, but brain development can also be heavily influenced by external things. What we understand about nature vs. nurture is that the genes fuel this mass synapse formation, while the the environment fine tunes the brain and helps it make decisions about which pathways to keep and which to get rid of. The more often a synapse is used, or the more often a skill or idea is practiced or heard, the stronger that synapse gets. This means that things that are used often, like language, and walking, stay ingrained in a child’s brain, while things that are neglected disappear. This process also happens in adult’s brains, but at a much slower rate.

Because your baby is rapidly creating and pruning out synapses, this is a critical period for learning things. It also means that without practice, certain skills will disappear. If you want to create lasting skills in your child (like a second language) it’s imperative that their exposure and practice is constant. Children’s “flexible” brains provide a unique opportunity to create a solid foundation on which to build for the rest of their lives.

What’s Growing?

A lot is going on in that little head! Here are a few interesting things to know about your baby’s brain development right now.

Visual Cortex

At birth, your little one can’t see very well. Baby vision is fuzzy and they can only recognize a few colors. But through the first six months, cells in their brain will specialize to make up the visual cortex, neurons will lengthen and axons will become myelinated. Along with physical improvement in their eyes, they’ll be able to see things more clearly by three months. At six months, rapid improvement brings depth perception and focus to your little one’s repertoire, and they can see nearly as well as an adult.

While they can’t see a whole lot in the beginning, they recognize bright colors, interesting and dramatic patterns, and human faces during early brain development. Engage their developing sense of sight by looking into their eyes, making funny facial expressions, and exposing them to different objects and patterns.

Cerebellum

During baby’s first year, their cerebellum triples in size, allowing for rapid development of their motor skills. Your child will quickly progress from rolling over, to crawling, and then to taking their first steps. Encourage them to use their arms and legs while you play with them, and allow them the space and time to practice their new skills. For more information about these baby milestones, you can read more in our fine motor skills and gross motor skills articles, which include fine motor activities and gross motor activities.

Myellination

Myelination of nerve cells allows for faster transfer of electrical signals, meaning baby’s brain can receive and transmit messages faster, and deal with multiple signals more effectively. Myelination is incomplete in many parts of the brain after birth, but rapidly develops during the first year of childhood. This explains why older children have an easier time processing and reacting to input than young infants, and can determine what kind of activities are age appropriate activities for infants.

How to Create an Enriched Environment for Brain Development

So now that we know how important environment is for your child’s early brain development, we can discuss how to promote optimal brain development through environment. Here are a few things you can do to help encourage good brain development in your little one.

Social Interaction

Humans are social creatures, so it’s not surprising that social behavior has a profound effect on our brains and is important to child development. Social activities where a child is actively engaged by their parents or other children help encourage healthy brain development and social skills and are one of the most effective ways your little one learns. Talking to your little one directly not only encourages growth in the language center of their brain, but it also helps them become a better learner through making and strengthening connections in their brains.

Pre-Kindergarten Programs

Whether or not to enroll children in a pre-kindergarten program (also known as Pre-K or sometimes even PK) is a tough decision for many parents. While it’s a very personal choice and there are many factors that go into the decision, research compiled by Urban Child Instituteshows that children enrolled in pre-kindergarten class have improved cognitive skills, decreased risk of developmental delays, and improved kindergarten readiness.

Diet

Although the brain’s relationship with food is complex, it is clear that proper nutrition during early childhood is an important part of proper brain development. Our brains require immense amounts of energy and nutrients in order to develop and run properly, and at no time is this more important than during the rapid development period of early childhood. A diverse, healthy diet full of things like irons, proteins, vitamins and minerals helps leave lasting effects on your child’s brain.

Proper nutrition during early childhood is an important part of proper brain development.

If your newborn baby is being breastfed, you’ll want to use a vitamin D supplement to avoid vitamin D insufficiency. This is because breastmilk does not contain adequate concentrations of this vitamin and because babies usually experience a lack of sunshine in their early life. Try to maintain proper nutrition while breastfeeding, slightly inadequate nutrition will likely affect you more than your baby, your body is prioritizing the nutrition content of your milk. Some great foods to serve your toddler to help provide them with baby brain building blocks are eggs (for protein), leafy greens (for vitamins), and fish (for Omega-3 fatty acids).

Physical Activity

The health of the brain is tied to the health of the rest of the body, and vice versa. Studies suggest that exercise in early childhood can improve cognitive function and even contribute to a bigger hippocampus. You can exercise with baby from a young age with activities like tummy time, which also help him develop muscle strength in his stomach and neck muscles and improve head control. You can encourage a more active lifestyle in children by getting them involved in sports and other play activities that they’ll enjoy. Fun summer activities and fun outdoor activities are great places to start.

Novel Experiences

A creative environment where children are exposed to a variety of new ideas, objects, and experiences helps them develop healthy, curious baby brains. In animal studies, the effect of a more experience rich environment was most prominent when the subjects were exposed earlier in life. Interactive experiences that are appropriate for a child’s age are most effective and enriching.

Avoiding Toxic Stress and Developing Positive Relationships

Toxic stress constantly triggers the stress response in a child. Stress, is a natural part of our biology that allows us to respond quickly to potential dangers, but when the stress response is engaged constantly, it starts to damage the mind and body. Toxic early life stress is triggered by things like family poverty, exposure to violence and neglect and can become truly toxic when the child does not have recourse and strong, comforting family bonds.