When do we start to educate our kids?

When do we start to educate our kids? A big question with a simple answer. Our kids’education begins at their birth.

Is there any pace?

Each child has their own learning pace and we must respect it. During their first two years of life, their brain evolves very quickly. This evolution can be witnessed with their development: their first steps, their first words…

But there are also other internal changes, which are difficult to observe, such as what they hear, see or think. There are different stages of growth and development and every child develops at their own pace reaching different milestones.
Is early stimulation beneficial? Early stimulation is a good things as long as it is not aimed to push your child to become a “genius”. It is important for parents to enjoy their kid’s childhood by playing with them and showing them love and respect. It seems quite basic but I often meet parents who forget to just enjoy their child for what he is.

What is early stimulation? They are a set of techniques aimed to develop children aged 0 to 6 years old.  They are generally used with children that have some type of development issues (motor, cognitive, sensory, communicative, emotional …) or might have difficulties acquiring some of the functions.

What’s the goal? The main goal of early stimulation’s techniques is to develop intellectual, physical, emotional and social skills during the children’s first years of life. By stimulating neural connections in their brain through sensory techniques, kids can explore their full potential and expand their possibilities in future learning.

And how does a baby’s brain work? The brain is a complex organ that gives meaning to experiences through emotions and thoughts. Neuropsychological development is the process associated with the growth of the brain structure and the brain’s functions in relation to behaviour. This development starts when the baby interacts with their environment.

The development of the nervous system occurs in different phases, following the brain’s growth.

Before all these steps … Let’s talk about what kind of education we will give to our baby! Crying, sleeping, feeding and education are four subjects that may bring confrontation between the 2 parents. It is essential that parents act as team and reach an agreement about how to educate their children.

Education is key for a healthy development. Parents need to learn how to guide their baby without sabotaging their creativity. Early stimulation helps in many cases but the most important thing is to go to a good professional and give loads of love and understanding to your kid.

By Natalia Martín de la Huerga,