Love grows anywhere that someone cares

Baby and toddler brains need the 3 L's: Love, Language, Learning

Love:

• Lots of physical contact - pick up, hug, cuddle, pat, rug, tickle, and invent other ways to show physical affection
• Comfort when baby or toddler is hurt, frightened, or insecure
• Never shake, yell at, or strike a baby or toddler - or any child of any age
• Accept the baby or toddler's temperament - regardless if he's shy, easy-going, assertive, or outgoing (remember, temperament is like hair or eye color--it's something we're born with--we don't get to choose it)

Language:

• Respond to the baby's gestures - they're his first language
• Sing lullabies, children's songs, songs you make up; play soft inviting music
• Talk, talk, talk to infants and toddlers (remember, this doesn't mean non-stop talking--babies need quiet time too--but research shows that young children with chatty caregivers have a better vocabulary and learn to read mroe easily when they go to school)
• Read to the baby or toddler every day (remember a child's attention span is about one minute per year of age - so keep each reading session short, but do read to babies or toddlers many times throughout the day
• Have lots of books, magazines, and other "print rich" materials available for babies and toddlers to explore

Learning:

• Provide young babies with lots to look at - mobiles, posters, pictures, soft animals, etc.
• Provide older babies and toddlers with lots of safe toys that they can access easily
• Give lots of opportunities for safe exploration - such as climbing and running
• Encourage creativity and expression - not product or art work that looks like an adults
• Help toddlers explore concepts

Websites:
http://www.zerotothree.org/brainwonders
http://www.brainconnection.com/
http://www.futureofchildren.org/
http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/chmodel.html

Adapted from L Bratton KY 7/2004