Posts tagged brain development
Hype vs. Reality for Developing Your Baby’s Brain
A few months ago, I attended a lecture from a speaker who talked to parents about the remarkable nature of brain plasticity. She was a Ph.D., well informed about brain anatomy, who told us that we could achieve almost anything with specific brain training for our children. Then about a week later I read a blog post written by a popular parenting educator that suggested the same thing. I’m sure it won’t be long before someone will be pitching a “Build-a-Brain” business on the ABC television show “The Shark Tank.”
At the opposite end of the spectrum I attended a scientific meeting of neuroscientists and developmental psychologists who are doing research on brain development. It was VERY CLEAR (more…)
Halloween: The tricks and treats of a fun filled day
Halloween can be a high point of fun for lots of families. School-aged kids and teens look forward to the treats, the costumes, and especially the opportunity to give, or get, a gigantic scare from pranks and ghoulish attractions created just for the occasion.
But all that terrible scary fun stuff for older children, teens, and adults is just plain terror for babies and toddlers. Most moms like to participate in Halloween festivities because it can start a family tradition and let’s admit it: it’s fun to dress up Baby in a costume. The photo-op for Halloween is irresistible. But there is also a down side to Halloween, and that is the potential impact of the holiday’s fear factor on your baby’s stress level.
Babies respond to stress just like anyone else; one part of the brain sends chemical signals to other parts of the brain that More >
