Talking Early to Babies Helps the Brain (Research Article)

Study Shows Speaking Words to Infants Helps the Brain Form Categories
By Jennifer Warner, WebMD Health News, Reviewed by Laura J. Martin, MD

Words may have special meaning for babies long before they are able to speak.A new study suggests talking to babies as young as 3 months old influences their cognitive development and helps the brain learn to form categories.
Researchers found infants who learned to associate words rather than sounds with pictures of objects were better able to perform a simple categorization task.
“These findings offer the earliest evidence to date for a link between words and object categories,” says researcher Susan Hespos, associate professor of psychology at Northwestern University, in a news release.
Researchers say the results add to growing evidence that it’s important to talk to babies from an early age to foster infant development and cognition.

In the study, published in Child Development, researchers compared the effect of words vs. sounds on infant cognition skills in a group of 46 3- to 4-month old infants.
All of the infants were shown a series of pictures, such as a fish, that were paired with either words or beeps. Infants in the word group were told things like, “Look at the toma!” — a made-up word for fish — while they viewed each picture. Infants in the other group heard a series of beeps carefully matched to the word phrases for tone and duration.

Both groups were then tested on their categorization skills by being shown a picture of a new fish and a dinosaur side by side while researchers measured how long they looked at each image. If the infants had formed a familiar category in their brain with the fish from the previous exercise, they would look at one picture longer than the other.
The results showed infants who heard words had formed the category for fish, and those who heard sounds did not.
“We suspect that human speech, and perhaps especially infant-directed speech, engenders in young infants a kind of attention to the surrounding objects that promotes categorization,” says researcher Sandra Waxman, professor of psychology at Northwestern University, in the news release. “We proposed that over time, this general attentional effect would become more refined, as infants begin to cull individual words from fluent speech, to distinguish among individual words and kinds of words, and to map those words to meaning.”

Strategies to Help Children Develop Good Character

After reading  Dr. Helen LeGette’s book, Parents, Kids, & Character, which is a very nice book for every parent, here are  

12 Strategies I believe will help Children Develop Good Character:

1. Model good character in the home. It is critically important that those who are attempting to influence children’s character in positive ways “walk the talk.”

2. Be clear about your values. Tell your children where you stand on important issues. If we want children to internalize the virtues that we value, we need to teach them what we believe and why.

3. Show respect for your spouse, your children, and other family members. Parents who honor each other, who share family responsibilities, and who resolve their differences in peaceful ways communicate a powerful message about respect.

4. Model and teach your children good manners. Whether the issue is courtesy or other simple social graces, it is in the home that true thoughtfulness for others has its roots.

5. Have family meals together without television as often as possible. Mealtime is an excellent time for parents to talk with and listen to their children and to strengthen family ties.

6. Plan family activities. Involve your children in the planning. Family activities that seem quite ordinary at the moment are often viewed in retrospect as memorable bits of family history.

7. Model appropriate behavior regarding alcohol and drugs. Nowhere is the parents’ personal example more critical than in the area of alcohol and drug use.

8. Plan family service projects or civic activities. At the heart of good character is a sense of caring and concern for others.

9. Read to your children and keep good literature in the home. Great teachers have always used stories to teach, motivate, and inspire.

10. Help your children develop an appreciation for non-material rewards. In today’s consumerist culture, youth could easily come to believe that image—wearing the “right” clothes, driving the “right” car, etc.—represents the path to success and happiness.

11. Assign home responsibilities to all family members. Even though it is often easier to clear the table, take out the trash, or load the dishwasher ourselves than to wait for a child to do it.

12. Set clear expectations for your children and hold them accountable for their actions. Defining reasonable limits and enforcing them appropriately provides children with a sense of security.

COPY CAT

I have always been happy that I have two wonderful toddlers. There is never a boring moment with them. Every night as they hit the bed, I feel like I'd  been hit by a BIG TRUCK! My daughter is a girlie-girl with huge love for Horses. She adores Princesses, loves anything that comes in PINK. My Son is also boyish and from an early stage, I was quick to notice the difference between them in regards to their gender. He plays differently, climbs, doesn't have any fear jumping down from whatever. He has more energy than his sister and is always playing the Boss.

But lately, this little Chef  has turned to a COPY CAT. He copies his sister like crazy. He mimics her at the dinning table, does the things she wants to do, refuses the ones she says no to (especially foods), and so on. At times, this can be irritating but still manageable. What really got me worried is that he now takes to "Pink and Dresses". He always says: my pink, I want pink plate, I want pink cup. Any time we are dressing up for any occasion or going to church, it always breaks my heart to see him cry so bitterly because he wants to be dressed up too in a "princess dress" as my daughter calls it. How can you explain to a two year old boy that he can't put on such thing. It looks pretty to him though. We always try to assure him that  he is the Prince and I now tell them different cooked-up stories of brave and handsome Princes that saves Princesses or do whatever. I know that this is a passing phase (it has always been), but I want this one to pass so quick and never to come back again.

Do you have copy cat at home, what's your experience?

Children's Body Image Awareness

It's no longer a news that so many people (especially women and young girls) are not happy with their look or body but what surprises me is the alarming increase of the number of children who are found in this category. I was shocked when I heard of a 3rd grader who always snicked out to the toilet to vomit any food she ate because she didn't want to be called fat (by her mother and friends) like her elder sister. It is sad to know that our society through advertising and the effects of unrealistic beauty standards has made young ones not to be proud of themselves forgetting that beauty comes in all sizes shapes and colours. Parents should be good role models to their kids. When mothers who do not feel good about themselves say negative things about their body/look in front of their kids, it sends a wrong message to them and they may grow up to believe that physical appearance is more important than one's inner beauty.

It's the work of the parents to raise a happy and confident child. A mother with inferiority complex and a very low self esteem will definitely influence (to a great extent) her child negatively. I've heard mothers call their children all sorts of names or say some bad things about their body, hair, size, colour, etc. This is disheartening. Speak bad about your child, that will be the bitter truth she will grow up to believe about herself.

Parents can start as early as possible to teach their little babies/children how to appreciate their bodies. This can be done through bonding with the child right from the infant stage. Touching, stroking, kissing, hugging, cuddling, and telling them how beautiful and special they are. By doing these, you are teaching them happy and confident body language. Lack of acceptance of one's own body in the first two years of his life is thought to be a reason for low self esteem. Touch, stroke, hug, cuddle,etc , give and show love. It's the essence of life. It's the child's spring board to an emotionally balanced future. It holds baby's temperature stable and breathing rate constant. 

Parents must know how essential their ability to give love is to the child. All they need is for the channel to open. Let the gates of love open and waves of love fill their lives and they will grow up to have a very high self esteem, be confident in themselves, love and accept their body and know that beauty comes in all colours, shapes and sizes.

"This post is part of the 2011 Love Your Body Day Blog Carnival"
http://www.now.org/news/blogs/index.php/sayit/2011/10/19/lybd-blog-...

How to Help Children to Develop Good Manners

In our society today, the issue of good manners cannot be overemphasised. It's a value that has eluded so many adults and children. Sad to say that this virtue is slightly and steadily slipping away. Today, Parents and Caregivers are busy in pursuit of others things that interest them most than properly raising their kids. Good mannerism needs to be revisited by most adults but since children are the future and the leaders of tomorrow, I'm more concerned about them. 

Good manners are essential for every child's self confidence and success in life. The early years (formative stage) of a child's life is the proper time to start teaching him about the world and the importance of his relationship to the people around him.

They have to be taught the importance of good behaviour.

Manners are about:

° How to speak nicely to others

° How to be generous.

° Helping out in daily tasks.

° Caring for other people and caring for the environment.

° How to respect people and their feelings

° Showing kindness

° Sharing

° Politeness ( learning to say: please, thank you, sorry, excuse me, etc).

Don't forget that the family is where it all starts. Setting a good example is the best way to make these virtues stick with them. Develop a warm and caring relationship with your children, respond to their clues and cues, respect the child, do not criticize him/her in public for nothing, it can be demeaning.

Respect others, children may end up treating others the way they see your treat those in your life/around you.

All these do not happen all of a sudden. It happens over a period of time but you have to remind the child constantly about the manners. Be patience because at times, things may not work out the way you want them to but don't give up. As a parent, remember that you are their number one role model. To play your role as a good model, you must not forget to take very good care of yourself, that's when you function best.

Cheers. 

Always Nekky.

What Lessons has Motherhood taught You.

Did motherhood take me by surprise? The answer is No with capital N. I planned having my children. I longed to become a mother. I started reading some parenting books when I was pregnant. I didn't expect to be a perfect mother or to have perfect children and neither was I expecting a stress free life while raising up my children, but when the reality of motherhood hit me, it was as if I was taken by surprise. In parenting, so many things are easier said than done. What works perfectly well for one may be a joke for the other. In all things, I've always counted myself blessed. Motherhood has taught me and will still be teaching me a lot. Just as parents want to shape their children, I will admit that my children have shaped me. I have grown up, I think differently, talk differently,act differently, all thanks to motherhood and my wonderful children.
These are some lessons motherhood has taught me:

1. PATIENCE, PATIENCE, and more PATIENCE: Tell me where they sell this virtue and I'll order a truck load of it. With children, you will be dishing out dozens of patience daily and it's never enough. We all know how it is with meltdowns, tantrums and the rest of them. Only patience will make you overcome such stages and still keep your mind intact.

2. NEVER SAY NEVER: I could remember blaming parents for not doing enough when their children throw tantrums in the public places. I always watch as some toddlers throw themselves on the floor and cry (in public). I believed that would never happen to me. My children will know how to behave themselves in public. Now, with all my attempts to model good behaviour and teach good manners to my kids, public tantrums have become a way of life.

3. FORMING FAMILIES IS SERIOUS BUSINESS: You have to be committed, you need to plan thoughtfully ( even thinking of the right menu to put on the dinner table is not that easy). Some parents have emotionally abandoned their children to fame, work, personal pleasure, money etc. I have given a higher preference to my family over my career.

4. THERE IS NO PERFECT MOTHER: Super Woman simply died of exhaustion. One mom blogger wrote "show me a perfect mom and I'll show you a broken nose". In my struggle to have everything done right, I've learnt to compromise. At times, I forget about preaching table manners and let the kids sit down on the floor and eat their launch. I'm lenient at times when they come out from their rooms in the middle of the night to join us in our bed. We break some rules once in a while and they are not taking advantages of that. I'm not perfect and it doesn't disturb me and I'm very happy my children accepted me the way I am.

I want to hear from other mothers, What Lessons has Motherhood Thought You? Please share with us.

Always Nekky.