
Child development quiz:
- The majority of human brain development is completed by a) birth b) age 5 c) age 26
- Talking to babies becomes a key step for cognitive development by a) the first day home b) 3 months c) 6 months
- Studies show that high-quality educational TV shows such as Sesame Street have a positive effect on babies’ learning abilities age 2 and under: True or false
We all know that showing love and affection to newborns are requirements. But what about long conversations? Playing Mozart? Watching Elmo sing the alphabet? Does any of it really matter or is it all part of the hovering, heli-parenting methods all too common today? Babies can’t understand what we are saying, and they certainly won’t have any memories of this period.
Turns out most of the brain’s core development happens after birth and continuing on up until the child’s 5th year. While our frontal lobe doesn’t fully mature until age 26, the core of “who we are” (personality, habits/behaviors, emotionality, physical health, IQ) is set by age 5, say the latest studies in child development.
That is why it’s so important for early cognitive and physical stimulation in the first few years of life. Every time you speak, express an emotion, show a behavior to a child (working out, brushing teeth, eating well, etc.) you’re building new synapses which become brain neurons: this is how they learn.
Think of your child as a blank slate or a sponge, just waiting to soak up limitless amounts of new information. Engagement should begin as early as day 1: your baby’s mind is waiting to be filled with everything you can teach them… good or bad!
Here are some examples of age-appropriate, cognitive stimulation from newborn to 6 months:

Talk: Speak to your infant constantly. Don’t worry about the subject; it is just important that you speak directly to your child. The more you are actively engaged with your child the better for their development on all levels: emotional, cognitive, physical, and intellectual. Studies show the number of words that your baby is exposed to is positively correlated to IQ. Many experts recommend that your baby hear ~20,000 words a day.
And unfortunately, according to countless studies, watching Sesame Street does NOT count! From guidelines published just today by the American Academy of Pediatrics:
Watching television or videos is discouraged for babies younger than 2 because studies suggest it could harm their development, a pediatricians’ group said Tuesday. …it also warns parents that their own screen-watching habits may delay their children’s ability to talk.
“This updated policy statement provides further evidence that media — both foreground and background — have potentially negative effects and no known positive effects for children younger than 2 years,” it said. “Thus the A.A.P. reaffirms its recommendation to discourage media use in this age group.”
From the New York Times
Bottom line: there is no substitute for live, human interaction. Mari tip: It can be difficult to keep up a one-sided conversation. To keep it going, I like to narrate what I am doing. “I’m making you some yummy breakfast now. I’m getting a spoon out of the drawer.” Once you get in the habit of it, it becomes very natural.

Read: It’s never too early! Even though reading may seem strictly recreational for a newborn, the stimulation you are giving to your child is incredibly rich and multi-faceted. Reading early to your child also helps to support earlier language and literacy in children as well as many other skills such as communication, listening, memory, and vocabulary.
Reading also helps to promote gross motor functions, such as pincer grasp, pointing, and hand coordination. Let your child turn the pages and handle the book themselves, giving them a chance to work on their hand-eye skills. Mari tip: I try to read at least 10-20 books throughout the course of a day. Sounds like a lot, but many children’s books take only a minute or two to finish.

Music: Classical music is a fun supplemental method for mapping new neural and cognitive pathways and aural stimulation, even during fetal development.
You may find it surprising to know that some babies after birth are able to recognize sounds, voices, and songs they heard while in the womb. Classical music is also proven to lower stress and blood pressure in infants.
French researcher, Dr. Alfred A. Tomatisin, in his 1991 book “Pourquoi Mozart?” explored the music of Mozart, coining the phrase, “Mozart Effect”. Similar studies have found that after playing four different kinds of music before people went in to take tests, some had silence and 20 minutes of other music while others had classical music, those who heard Mozart did better on the test. It’s kind of like warming up the brain. Brain is a muscle that needs to be constantly exercised, and classical and other more complex types of music are better for achieving higher brain functioning.
A 1996 study titled “The Effect of Selected Classical Music and Spontaneous Imagery on Plasma B-Endorphin,” explored the effect of music. What they were looking to determine was if silence, music alone, or music with guided verbal imagery could cause a decline of stress hormones. Their research found a significant decline in the hormone in the group of volunteers that used music.
Children’s brains between the ages of 0-5 are twice as active as our own. What they need more than anything is regular exposure to cognitive and physical stimulation via new experiences and allowances for exploration. Providing constant engagement and interaction is the best way to encourage your baby’s mind to reach its full potential.