The age of 0-5 years old is a golden period for your children’s development, including their brain development. However, has their brain developed to its optimum?
Children’s golden period lasts from the age of 0 to 5 years old. However, the golden period of their brain development happened from 0 to 2 years old in which nearly 80% of the brain development took place rapidly during this period. After the age of 2 years old, the brain will continue to develop until the age of 5 but won’t be as fast as the earlier period.
When they were born, the children carried billions of nerve cells along with its systems which are very important for their future. This is a potential that we must help them to develop by giving them the right and optimum nutrition and stimulation.
Here are some nutrients that can help to optimize your children’s brain development:
- Protein and Fiber
According to research, food that high in protein and fiber can help to improve the brain performance up to 20% as well as increasing the memory capability.
- Choline
Choline plays important role in maintaining the brain function, improving the ability of thinking, speaking, motor movement, and memory storage. Some food that are high in choline are eggs, milk, and meat.
- Essential Fatty Acid
Omega-3 (alpha linoleic acid/AAL, EPA, and DHA) and Omega-6 (linoleic acid/AL) are some important fatty acids in forming the nerve cells. ALA can be found in linseeds, walnuts, and soybeans. EPA can be found in salmons, mackerels, and sardines. While soybean oil, corn oil, and sunflower seed oil are the sources of Omega-6.
- Iodine
Iodine can also help in the development of brain’s nerve cells. This mineral can be found in salt, seaweed, potatoes, and cow’s milk.
- Glucose
Glucose helps the brain in performing its overall functions, so that the children can easily process information and store it in their memory. Rice, noodles, potatoes, and pastas are rich in glucose.
Aside from giving the best nutrition to the children, giving stimulation is also important. Without stimulation, the brain’s nerve cells won’t be developing to its optimum which can result in the reduction of the brain size compared to the same age children who received stimulation.
There are 4 aspects of children’s brain development that require the parents’ help, they are:
- Cognitive Development
Children’s intelligence can be improved by playing. Some games like recognizing colors, shapes, sizes, and functions of an object, as well as solving problems can help in improving their intelligence.
- Motor Development
Here are stimulations that can be done for the children’s motor development according to their age: put them in a supine position so they will learn how to lift their head (strengthen the neck muscles). Give them toys with attractive colors that can make sound to stimulate them to reach for the toys with their hands or feet. Moreover, children could also be stimulated to move to the left and right, sit, and walk. Of course, these stimulations should be done by adjusting them according to their age. Meanwhile, fine motor development can be done by training them to hold an object, putting food into their mouth, and doodling.
- Emotional Development
To stimulate the children’s emotional development, Moms and Dads could be their buddy in sharing things, show your affection by hugging or kissing them, and do not forget to always say some loving words to them.
- Linguistic Development
Talking frequently with your children is the important key to their linguistic development as they will learn to know some sounds and words. In addition to this, Moms could also sing for them.
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