Who doesn’t want brainy babies? Even children as young as three have to prove their mettle today to compete for seats in good schools. However, only 30-40% of the children who apply get chosen. Parents, too, are under immense stress to make sure that their children perform. But like everything else in life, success doesn’t happen overnight and needs consistent effort.
Young children grow at a rapid pace. It is a fact that 90% of brain development happens by the age of 6^. Don’t let these precious years pass you by without timely intervention. Make sure you give them the right start for proper growth.
Here Are Some Tips To Encourage Cognitive Development In Your Toddlers:
1. Get The Basics Right
Introduce your child to numbers, alphabets, shapes, and colours through their everyday actions. Doing so is likely to make them aware of their surroundings. You could start by helping them recognise the alphabets of their name or count the number of apples in your shopping basket. Action songs and rhymes also help cognitive development. The repetitive actions and tunes not only enhance their motor skills but also boost memory power.
2. Encourage Your Young Explorer
If you want your child to be successful, don’t limit their learning to the four walls of the house. Camp outdoors with the kids, go on a fishing trip or set out on a nature hike. Point out anything new that you see with enthusiasm. Encourage them to explore the things that fascinate them. The chances are that they’ll return from their trip wanting to learn more about all the things they witnessed.
3. Let Them Wear Their Thinking Caps
It is a good idea to give children choices and let them make their own decisions. Let them pick the clothes they want to wear or choose the food they want to eat. Questions encourage children to think and react, and to answer them gives them a sense of independence.
4. This Is No Child's Play
Many games can stimulate your child’s mind. Open-ended play tools such as blocks and modelling clay help develop a child’s creativity and problem-solving skills. Apart from being a lot of fun, jigsaw puzzles get them to think strategically, make decisions, and develop motor skills.
5. Little Bookworms
Read to your kids from a young age, even as early as six months old. As toddlers, they will bring books for you to read to them. Fill your home with books and reading material and set an example by reading in your free time. Books, no matter their content, are full of information and help fuel your child's imagination. Reading is a skill that is at the crux of learning, and an avid reader is bound to show more interest in studies.
6. Don’t Forget The Right Brain
The right brain plays a crucial role in developing imaginative and creative skills. Activities like music, dance, and sports help stimulate the right brain and increase IQ and concentration. Encourage your children to pursue the hobbies that they show interest in.
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7. Eat Right
No matter how much you might focus on the external influences to develop your child’s intelligence, you cannot overlook their nutrition. As long as they are infants, breast milk compensates for any dips in their nutritional levels. However, as toddlers, with fussy eating taking over, undernutrition and deficiencies become a significant concern for most parents. A trusted and recommended health drink like Junior Horlicks helps support #A-Z nutrition for the child. It contains nutrients that support brain development, such as choline, iron, and iodine, as well as calcium, Vitamin D, Vitamin K, and protein, which promotes physical growth.