Early Childhood and the Developing Brain: What Parents Should Know

We’ve discussed the importance of eating right for children, and the national concern with childhood obesity, but what about how what children eat affects brain development in early childhood?

In a recent article from CommonGround magazine, the importance of healthy eating on the brain during early childhood development was explained, stating that from birth to age three is the most critical time in brain development, but healthy brain practices should be followed throughout life.

To ensure your child’s brain develops to its full potential, and to maintain your brain’s health, keep these nutritional tips in mind:

Eat Colorful Foods
Consume a variety of organic fruits and vegetables each day... the more colors, the merrier! Did you know that there’s organic baby food? I like Earth’s Best, but there’s a lot of different brands available.

Get the Real Stuff
Real food is always better than processed. If you think your low-fat frozen meal is healthy, think again. Look for whole grains, protein, fruits and vegetables, and avoid chemicals and refined sugar. Again, look for organic baby food to ensure there are no chemical additives.

Hydrate
Keep toddlers hydrated, slowly introducing them to water by adding juice. But be sure to use 100% juice that will add some nutrients, not just sugar and artificial coloring.

In addition to nutrition, nurturing touches, responsive interactions, direct language, playing and exploring different surroundings, predictability and love are all key factors to ensure proper early childhood brain development. Take a look at these brain scans of two different three-year-olds, one who had normal experiences, and one who was neglected. The child with the normal experiences clearly had a larger, healthier looking brain than the child who was neglected.

Share your experiences on how you provide the nutrition and nurturing conducive to healthy early childhood brain development by commenting below, or on our Facebook or twitter page.

Can Childcare Providers Help Stop Childhood Obesity?

Learn simple steps childcare providers can take in order to prevent childhood obesity.

Currently, approximately 60 percent of children under age 5 are in some form of child care, spending approximately 29 hours a week there. Over half of obese children first become overweight at or before age 2 and one in five children are overweight or obese by the time they turn 6.

First Lady Michelle Obama launched the Let’s Move campaign, releasing a checklist of best practices for reducing childhood obesity that child care providers could implement in order to aid in the prevention of it. The checklist includes:

Physical Activity
Childcare providers should offer 1-2 hours of physical activity throughout the day, especially outdoor activity if possible.

Screen Time
Children under 2 years of age should not look at electronic screens, but for children age 2 and older, screen time should be approximately 30 minutes per week during child care hours. Providers should work with parents to ensure that children do not get more than 1-2 hours of screen time per day, as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Food & Beverage
Childcare providers should serve fruits or vegetables at every meal, avoid fried foods and eat in a group when possible. Beverages should consist of water, which should be offered throughout the day, low-fat or non-fat milk and no more than 6 oz. of 100% juice per day. Sugary drinks, such as soda should be avoided.

Childcare Providers & Parent Involvement
While we’ve discussed how parent involvement is crucial in early childhood development, it’s also crucial for reinforcing these healthy habits. Even if childcare providers are following the checklist, it may not be enough unless they are actively pursuing parent involvement and engagement.

Engaging Parents
If parents are able to see that their child is eating and drinking healthy and getting a lot of physical activity, they may become inspired and thus more inclined to continue those habits at home. Childcare providers can easily do this by sending pictures and/or videos of their children eating healthy snacks and playing outside via childcare management applications. Seeing a video of their child playing outside, and how happy it makes them, may inspire parents to play with their children outdoors more—despite their busy days.

If you’re a childcare provider, let us know how you plan to, or how you already have, implemented the checklist by commenting below, or on our Facebook or twitter pages.