What I mean is:
Science
Technology
Engineering
Art
Mathematics
These are the core subjects that a child should be introduced to from as early age as possible. These fields contribute to developing analytical thinking, bringing creativity and thinking out of the box, and improving problem-solving skills.
Neural connections
Babies and toddlers interact with the world and try everything around them. This is how they learn about it. That is also why many things end up in their mouth. Millions of neural connections - or synapses - are formed in that early age. The more often they are in use, the stronger that pathway becomes.
After the age of three, a process called pruning starts taking place where redundant connections are removed. It is possible to form new connections in the future but not as easily as in a small child.
Then we wants as many as possible!
Well, so far it is believed that the number of neural connections is genetically determined. However, stimulation through play and interaction with the world affects how many of these survive, i.e., the analogy that the brain needs to be exercised just like a muscle holds.
So let your child experience as much variety as possible: bright colours; different textures; raise them bilingual of either of the parents is a non-native English speaker; music classes; art classes; science toys. All of these are beneficial.
Curiosity
Children have this innate curiosity that somehow vanishes at some stage. This is something I have been pondering about yet I still don't have the answer. Children want to know it all. They ask questions - sometimes way too many. Could it be that we, grown-ups, kill it? Do we try to raise a good girl or a good boy with excellent grades, conforming to all rules? Or is it forward thinking that matters more?
To what extent did you manage to preserve your curiosity? Do you ask yourself questions about how the world works? Let me know down in the comments.
Thanks for reading all the way to the end! Stay tuned for more.
