“As young children develop, their early emotional experiences literally become embedded in the architecture of their brains” – (Harvard, National Scientific Council on the Developing Child, 2011)
Pretty deep statement huh? Makes you think about how delicate it is to have a soothing environment where your baby can grow and turn into the best human being they can. Regrettably, emotional development is not as popular as other ‘baby topics’, but honestly this should be given way more attention.
Think of it on the long run; by doing simple things not only can you aid your baby’s emotional development, you can establish the foundation of a lifetime bond with your son or daughter! The activities and emotions you and your baby share in the beginning, will be present in their adult social skills. That involves the way they make friends, how they hold a job or work well with others!
This doesn’t mean now you have to role-play with your son and start preparing them for a job interview. It means they should be able to grow in an environment where they can start making little decisions and know how to express themselves; even if they can’t talk yet!
Babies’ cry when they are hungry, wet, cold, sleepy or just uncomfortable. Because they don’t know how else to relieve their need! Once mommy starts feeding them, changing the dirty diaper or even just holding them, the world is good to them again. This is how babies start to associate between positive and negative emotions, and with time they will learn how to modulate them.
Many activities can help the purpose of babies modulating their emotions. Spend one-on-one time with your baby playing, dancing, singing, learning, reading and experiencing things to know how to react to them. Anything involving a storyline to tell is perfect for you to teach your baby what is ok and what is not!
As a parent, your role is to support and care for your baby; she literally needs you for EVERYTHING right now! Be patient, be loving, be supportive and be her everything! Hold her by the hand and show the world to her.
