Parenting can be tough and stressful. Especially if you are a new parent who has no idea when it comes to child care. What’s even more challenging is ensuring healthy cognitive development for your child. Taking care of a child is a lot more than just changing diapers and providing healthy nutrition. A lot of time and effort goes into making sure your child is healthy and happy – their physical, mental, and emotional well-being, are all important. The primary years of any child plays an important role in shaping their personality and brain development going forward. As a parent, you want to ensure the best for your child, and cognitive development too adds to that list.
Don’t forget to read with your child as often as possible (at night time too). Not only is it a great bonding ritual for the both of you, but it will keep their mind in motion, even when they are sleeping.
So, if you are a parent that is worried about what needs to be done to improve the cognitive development of your child to equip them with the skills needed in life, then you are not alone. Many parents struggle at getting it right. But, you have come to the right place! Here are a few tips and steps you can follow to make sure that your child’s cognitive development is on the right track. But first, there are a few key aspects you need to focus on before trying out any new activity. Ask yourself if the activity will help them improve their memory, concentration, observation, attention span, and perception.
These 5 features are how to improve your child’s cognitive development. So, read ahead to find out how to add these features via daily activities in your child’s routine.
- Visit Different Places – To Improve Observation
This is where you can help your child’s imagination expand and grow. Make it a point to take your child out on a new and exciting adventure every few days – even if it’s just a trip to the grocery store. Allow them to observe the aisles, fresh fruits, and colorful vegetables. Let your toddler roam around. If your baby is too young to walk, you can sit them upright on their stroller to give them a better view of the world around them.
Take your child(ren) to different places that are fun for them, but also has some sort of learning experience. A local farm or farmer’s market is a great place to introduce your child(ren) to new fruits and vegetables.
A stroll in the park can also help them get in touch with nature and their outdoor surroundings. Parks usually have other toddlers your child can interact with, which will help develop their social skills. This is an important aspect of communication and observation that can improve the cognitive development of your child.
- Give Them a Choice – To Instill Analytical Skills
Allow your child to make their own decisions by giving them choices. It can be as simple as giving them a choice between what they would like to wear after a bubble bath or what storybook they would like to read before bed.
This will help them become independent and develop their analytical skills. These two features are important once your child starts school and has to make their own choices. They won’t feel confused or flustered with regards to what to do when asked by their teacher which color chair they’d like to sit on. It will help boost self-confidence as well.
- Try Out Different Languages – To Expand Perception
Nothing helps sharpen the brain better than knowing how to speak more than one language. If you speak one language, then you can help your child become bilingual by making them watch cartoons for babies in another language. This will help them pick up on the language at a very young age and widen their perspective on situations going forward.
Speaking different languages helps rewire the brain to think in different dimensions and view things from different lenses. You definitely want this for your child. So, if you speak another language, make sure you teach your child how to speak it as well.
- Sing-Along – To Boost Memory
To improve your child’s memory, play different nursery rhymes and sing long poems as well as songs. Pick songs that are catchy, short, and lively. Try out a variety of different songs and see which one your child loves the most.
Make it a point to sing it without it playing in the background to help your child remember the words and sing along with you. This will not only make your child have a strong memory but will also kick start their cognitive development process at a faster pace.
- Ask Them To Do Simple Tasks – To Improve Focus and Attention
You can ask your child to do simple tasks such as putting away their toys or clothes. Completing easy-to-do tasks according to their age will help instill a sense of responsibility and improve their attention span.
This also helps them stay focused on fulfilling one task at a time while trying their best. From then on you can slowly expand to more tasks. Be sure to appreciate them and praise them for completing the tasks successfully as well.
The Bottom Line – Be Consistent
Every child is different – your firstborn may very well have different interests and habits than your second. Thus, it’s important for you as a parent to help your child explore their interests and make
them try out different activities. From painting to outdoor activities or reading books – make your child spend some time on all of them. It will allow your child to be well equipped to trying out new things and expand their abilities to grasp new concepts and ideas as they grow.
But, remember to be patient and watch your child’s cognitive development improve with time. It is a slow and tedious process but in the end, it is surely worth it! So, get started today and share this article with your friends who may be new parents as well. They will surely appreciate it! https://www.nutritionwithwellness.com/eating-while-pregnant/