The right stimulation does not only stimulate children’s intelligence, but also will affect their development in the future.
It is undeniable that optimum development is every parent’s wish. Stimulation is one of the ways to achieve that wish. Parents should know the right stimulation for the children according to their age and development stage in order to be optimal.
There are 4 things that Moms should keep in mind when stimulating the children:
Time
Do you know at what age that the children’s brain grows most rapidly? Brain develops rapidly since your children are still in the womb until the age of 2 years old. So stimulation is very important during this time. Moms could do it when children are feeling comfortable, like when they are not hungry or sleepy.
How
Stimulation can be done while playing. Make this activity to be fun and exciting that your children will not feel that they actually are learning something.
Aspects of development that should be covered
Moms should know that there are several development aspects that should be stimulated, which are sensory, gross and fine motor, language, cognitive, social independence, emotional and spiritual. Each aspect should be proportionally stimulated so they will have a balance development process. Moms should also be able to develop the ability of their left and right brain in balance.
Gradual stimulation according to the age
- 0-3 months: Get your children used to listen to the voice, such as your voice or music. Touch, hug, and smile will also help. Moms could also show them some toys with light or black-and-white color that can move.
- 3-6 months: Moms could call their name when playing. Train them to be able to lay on their stomach and lift their body to a sitting position.
- 6-9 months: Teach the children how to wave, clap, shake hands, point at an object and sit.
- 9-12 months: During this age, Moms could teach the children how to say simple words like ‘mommy’, ‘daddy’, and ‘bobo’. Children are also able to stand, hold their cup, and drink from the cup, or imitate movements.
- 12-18 months: Teach them to point at pictures, combine words, arrange cubes vertically, and use the spoon to eat. Gradually, they can be taught to walk, climb the stairs, as well as run and kick a ball.
- 18-24 months: When playing, you could teach the children name of body parts. Starting from the simplest and have a clear position like the nose. When doing daily activities such as taking a bath or eating, Moms could teach them as well.
- 2-3 years: As they get older, the stimulation given to the children are more complex. At this age group, children can be taught to mention the names of their relatives or friends, colors, recognize some adjectives, calculate their toys, make a vertical line by following some examples, brush their teeth, and help with the house chores.
- 3-5 years: This age group is perfect to be taught the toilet training, how to draw a circle or square, and be introduces to letters and numbers. Let them to express their own opinion, don’t speak for them as this is also a stimulation, Moms.
How is it, Moms? It is not difficult, isn’t it? You might have done some of the above activities at home. Always remember that proper stimulation will optimize your children’s development.
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