Supporting the healthy development of the young child’s brain is both a tremendous opportunity and an awesome responsibility. Join me at noon on Wednesday, Oct. 16, at the Great Bend Activity Center, 2715 18th St. This program is based on a statewide initiative in the state of Georgia. The program will include what adults can do to support brain development and how play builds connections in the brain. 

All parents want their children to be the best that they can be. Parents, grandparents and other adults play a very important role in helping ensure healthy brain development. There are many things that can be done to support a child’s healthy brain development, beginning before birth and continuing until the child is an adult.

The developing brain needs two basics: safety and positive experiences. Parents who want to support their babies’ brain development should remember these two rules. Number one is to create a safe environment. It is the responsibility of the parent to make sure the baby is safe and not under stress. Consistency is key. If there is a predictable schedule, the baby will know there is someone there for them and they will feel safe. 

The second basic need is positive, enriching experiences. The brain learns best when it is challenged with new information and then relates the new information to what the child already knows. Exposing your baby to new things helps the brain strengthen old connections and make new ones.

Simple things such as talking to your baby and interacting face-to-face builds the brain connections needed for both language skills and a healthy emotional bond. Read to your baby beginning at birth. Hearing adults read helps the brain develop language connections. It also gives parents and babies a chance to spend time together. 

If you want your child to speak more than one language, start when he is a baby, and expose him to both languages regularly. Children growing up in bilingual homes often speak both languages fluently.  Join us at noon on Oct. 16, at the Great Bend Activity Center to learn more about the brain development of children.

Berny Unruh is the Family and Community Wellness Agent for the Cottonwood Extension District. She can be reached at 785-628-9430 or at bunruh@ksu.edu.