Boost your Baby’s Brain
Here at Nanny Harmony, we want to set our families up for success to boost their little one’s development. There are tons of activities and simple habits to bring into your routine to help power up your baby (and toddler’s) brain!
Turn up the baby talk:
Respond to infant babble with animated vocalizations, and slowly draw out your syllables in a high-pitched voice as you exclaim phrases. This way of speaking is called “parentese”, and the exaggerated facial expressions and drawn-out vowels help your child absorb all the sounds of our language.
Label everything your baby sees and ask tons of questions.
Don't forget to give baby or toddler a chance to respond. What would you like for lunch? When should we go for a walk? Do you see the puppy outside your window? In addition to asking questions, ask baby to make choices when possible. Would you rather play with the train or the stacking rings? Would you prefer spinach or bell pepper? What color shoes do you want to wear today?
By giving weight to baby's opinions, you are fostering the self-confidence baby needs to develop cognitively, socially, and physically. Plus, recent research explains that exposing your little one to as many spoken words as possible is one of the crucial elements in developing the brain in early childhood. Keep talking!
In any case….Talk to your little one. All day, every day!
Hands-on games.
Play games that involve hands. Activities like patty-cake, peekaboo, this little piggy, or even puppets engage your baby and capture her attention. Using your hands shows young children how we physically interact with our world — plus, hands-on activities are more fun for both of you!
Foster an early love for books.
Choose books with large and colorful pictures, and share your baby's delight in pointing at certain images or even making noises that correspond with the book —plenty of animal sounds are encouraged! Modulate the tone of your voice, simplify or elaborate on story lines, and encourage toddlers to talk about books.
Enlist help from your toddler.
Interactive daily tasks can be the most helpful learning tool - while you or your nanny are cleaning up toys, cooking, and doing simple tasks - involve your little one in chores, but make it fun. Playing with the laundry basket as you fold clothes, stacking Tupperware as you’re cleaning up lunch, etc. While you’re cooking, say the names of foods out loud as your baby eats and “assists”. Express pleasure as he learns to feed himself, no matter how messy the initial attempts may be. This will create pleasant associations with mealtime and eating.
Nutrition Tips:
Many of the best brain-boosting nutrients are found in brightly-hued fruits and vegetables, seafood, nuts and whole grains, including:
Beef
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Blueberries
Blackberries
Raspberries
Strawberries
Salmon
Shrimp
Tofu
Flaxseed
Chia seeds
Walnuts
Omega-3 enriched eggs and yogurt
Whole grains (bread, cereal, pasta, crackers, brown rice)
Amazing, simple recipes/ways to get nutrients to your growing child:
Smoothie: Toss some Greek yogurt and fruit, along with some milk, flax and chia seeds, into the blender to make a smoothie.
Toast with fruit slices: Bored with PB&J? Try making your child an open-faced sandwich on a slice of toasted, whole grain bread, topped with omega-3 enriched peanut butter and strawberry slices.
Stir-fry: For a choline-packed meal, try making a stir-fry with cubes of tofu or lean beef, broccoli and cauliflower served over buckwheat soba noodles.
Trail mix: If your child is not allergic to nuts, you can make a brain-boosting snack to go with walnuts, whole grain cereal (such as Kashi or Cheerios) and some dried fruits like blueberries and cranberries. Along with being a source of omega-3s, nuts, seeds and nut/seed butters are good sources of the antioxidant vitamin E, which protects brain-cell membranes from damage.
We hope this helps to inspire parents, caregivers, and nannies to give those growing brains an extra boost. :)
— The Nanny Harmony team
