Babies appear to be helpless little bundles of fun. They are cute, cuddly, loveable, and don’t do that much. Yet, over the first two years of their life, they learn to talk, crawl, sit, and even walk. In that space of time, their brains process a huge amount of information.
It’s believed their brains work like sponges, capable of absorbing everything going on around them. To understand why this makes the first two years so important you need to understand what children learn during this two year period.
Understanding what they learn and why this will help them will also help to ensure you choose the best possible child care for them? It’s surprising how the right place can make a big difference in their life.
Co-ordination
A baby first learns to lift their head and support it by themselves. They then move onto crawling ad eventually standing up by themselves before trying to walk.
All of these steps build their coordination skills. Establishing these is essential to their ability to understand what their body can do. In turn, this leads to the ability to coordinate much smaller actions, such as grasping and holding an object.
Obviously, coordination is essential throughout life.
Talking
Babies learn words almost straight away, they learn from you talking to them. Although they may not say their first word for six months or more, they will absorb everything you say. The more you talk to them the easier it will be for them to build a good level of vocabulary as they grow up.
Social Skills
This is one of the most important lessons any baby can learn. As a baby and a toddler, they will integrate with other children. This creates an opportunity for them to understand the importance of sharing and when to divulge their own opinion.
Children that learn these skills from a young age are better able to adjust to new situations and are likely to have more confidence n their own abilities.
This is important as they develop through school and into their own career paths.
Alongside confidence and the ability to interact with others, babies will also start to earn about emotions and their own feelings. While they may not fully understand the emotions they are dealing with, an awareness of them will help them to control their feelings in the future and develop empathy for others.
How They Learn These Skills
Children learn through their interactions. This starts with how you interact with them and continues with other child care providers and meeting other children. In many cases the lessons don’t need to be specifically taught, children will learn by watching or through playing.
All you have to do is be a good role model and ensure they have plenty of chances to play with other children.
Encouraging them to explore their own personality and physical abilities from a young age increase their chance of success in life. That is the aim of every parent.
