Developmental stages Birth to 3 years

Wrote the Blog on 24 April 2019.

Hello All, today I was browsing through the very famous app “NETFLIX”, and yes installed it again to see some documentaries during my free time. So while browsing through the app, interestingly I came across a thoughtful and informative documentary series called “the beginnings of life”. Never looked at things that way , until I saw the episode 1 of that series. 

So what they really tell is that - the brain is in rapid development from birth to age 3, one major dialogue - “ it’s like making a framework of a building “.

What happens from age 0-3, literally defines you ! 

My elder son is 5 year old now and my younger son is 5 months old(right now 6 months), so basically I have an elder son who I can’t form the framework and a younger son who is right now building a framework, that made me think of all the things I did with my elder son during those very important phase of his life. 

As parents we try to give the best we can to our children, we get anxious about their development and we get obsessed with seeing other kids and their development. Many a times it leads us to making decision, some of which we would never make if not for being stressed out or anxious and worried about the development of our kid. I was a loving mom at the early stages of development, till maybe when Ian turned 6 months old, then I had to go back to work, there was stress at work, stress to travel, stress back home as parents were caretakers back then ! So it led me to be angry, irritated and frustrated most of the time for silly reasons ! 

Children are a brilliant way to define what you are , they imitate you, adore you and wanna be like you in every aspect, from a very early stage. Ian laughed, loved, consoled, cared and enjoyed life, from his baby stage to toddler stage. 

I just wish and so wish that we as parents didn’t shout at him as much as we did, I wish so wish that we didn’t laze around the house and not build the little brain that would define everything for him, I just so wish I didn’t start schooling as early as 18 months being over ambitious,  i really so wish that I wasn’t so strict like how I was, i so wish that I didn’t hit him or scare him with threats, I just so wish that I brought more laughter, joy and fun ! 

Keeping in mind all that I have done , good and bad for my elder son, the things I have personally understood out of experience is , the best thing you can give your children is “You” ! You are the beautiful window to their world, the way you respond defines response to them, the way you eat defines the love of food to them, it’s the way you speak defines language and speech to them, the atmosphere you create at home, defines the atmosphere they would create when they grow up, it’s what we value, is what they will further learn to value! Somewhere in google I read, the more you make the baby laugh, the more his brain gets brightened and developed, I am not scientist to figure out if the above is right or wrong, but my mind itself gets so refreshed the minute my 5 year old or my 5 month old begin to laugh or make me laugh! I get renewed strength , brilliant thoughts and a very calming happy feeling. 

Every parent out there stresses about making the right choices and being a great parent, but the best you can do is just let all of that go and just be there, hold your child tight in your arms, show the love you can, do to your children, what you would want to be done to you, don’t curb them, don’t leave them too lose too , there is a balance to be hit, anger can never solve a problem, it never has and it never will, always remember that for a child, everything is new, even obedience , even listening and even frustration, even anger , even sharing , even winning , even losing , every single thing is new .

Let them explore the world, let it be children driven learning at least till 3 years of age ! 

Like it was said in that series “Children are brilliant scientist” I would like to add , they are brilliant scientists, with crazy questions and curious minds filled with neurons to make unique creative connection and understand the new world they are living in !

Deal with them that way, explore how they explore, love what they love, enjoy the madness they create around themselves, be Children with them, i guarantee, the minute we master the above, life with toddlers and babies would never be so stressful as mentioned.