3 Effective Ways to Create a Nurturing Environment for a Baby’s Cognition

How the environment influences baby’s cognition?

In today’s post, I want to talk about the role of a nurturing environment on a child’s cognitive development. And share some easy ways to create a positive environment for your child. When I am saying environment, it includes both physical as well as the emotional environment.

We know how crucial are the initial years of a child’s life for their growth and development. A child’s brain develops rapidly during the first three years. It is the time of rapid physical, emotional and cognitive development.

If you have been following my posts on #FeedIQ, an initiative by Abbott, by now you know how nutrition plays a crucial role in a baby’s optimal development. As per a research from Abbott, 3 key nutrients i.e. DHA, lutein and natural vitamin E are essential to support brain development and encourage early learning skills in infants. Mothers can take care of their nutritional needs by including a good supplement like SimMom IQ+ in their diet.

But nutrition is not the only factor which influences a baby’s cognitive development. A positive, stimulatory, as well as a nurturing environment, plays an equally important role. In one of my previous posts, I have shared some of the age-specific stimulation activities for babies.

A study by neuroscientist Audrey van der Meer shows that neurons in the brains of young children increase in both number & specialization when they are exposed to a positive and challenging environment.

But do we parents really care about the environment our babies are exposed to?

Do we really focus on providing a positive & stress-free home environment for our babies?

Brain imaging research suggests that growing up in a stressful environment causes the brain to develop differently. Even pregnancy stress and postpartum depression are found to have negative effects on a baby’s cognitive development.

It is the responsibility of parents & caretakers to consciously create a warm, caring, loving & sensory-rich environment around the babies.

3 effective ways to create a nurturing environment for a baby's cognition

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Let’s see some of the best ways to create a nurturing environment around babies to have a positive impact on their cognitive development.

1- Cut out the stress and be a happy parent

We all want to raise happy babies but are you a happy parent?

It doesn’t take much to drop out the stress from our lives and focus on being happy beings. Children absorb all the sights, sounds, smells, textures and emotions around them. They can sense even the slightest tension in the environment.

Babies communicate their needs & emotions through their behavior. And if you want to understand their behavior, you should look at their environment.

I have shared a post on Instagram on how to be a happy parent. Check it out –

 

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Create a happy & positive environment at home. How? .

👉 Smile more…Laugh often! . 👉 Eat at least 2 meals together as a family. . 👉 Don’t complicate things, keep your life as simple as possible. . 👉 Do some crazy stuff together. . 👉 Don’t shy away from showing love n care to your partner. Say ‘I love you’ more often. .👉 Keep an unlimited stock of kisses n hugs & use them for no particular reason. .👉 Never take your fight to a level that it becomes abusive. . 👉 Show your child that 2 individuals who love each other can also have a difference in opinion & things can be sorted out by talking without getting highly aggressive. . 👉 Take care of yourself, do something for yourself without feeling guilty. . 👉 Remember memories matter more than money. . 👉 Throw out negative thoughts & people out of your mind and your life

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2- Create a positive nurturing environment at home

One of the best ways to create a positive nurturing environment for babies is by providing them with unconditional love and care. Even the simplest acts of cleaning & changing your baby, breastfeeding her, rocking her to sleep, soothing her, makes the environment nurturing.

3 effective ways to create a nurturing environment for a baby's cognition

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Also, be available for your child when you are present around them. Listen to their cues in understanding their behavior. Don’t neglect their cries because that is their way of communicating their needs. Allow your baby to spend time with each member of the family. And also encourage other people in the house to have a positive interaction with the baby. Try to adopt shared parenting as well as positive parenting approach.

3- Indoor/Outdoor Stimulatory activities

One of the best ways to help your baby achieve cognitive milestones is through stimulation. Play-based learning is the most fundamental in a child’s physical as well as intellectual development. It builds a range of skills that enable young minds to take risks, solve problems, imagine possibilities, negotiate, and much more.

3 effective ways to create a nurturing environment for a baby's cognition

Babies as young as a few days old are learning about their environment through their senses. Some of the fun indoor stimulation activities for babies are reading, giving a massage, playing peek-a-boo, talking, singing and responding to their coo’s.

3 effective ways to create a nurturing environment for a baby's cognition

Just like indoor activities, spending time outdoors is a great way for a baby’s physical and mental development. You can take your baby for a stroll, talk to her about the surroundings, show her the things around & let her explore the sights and sounds. Spending time outdoors also helps in a baby’s emotional as well as social development.


So, dear parents, these are some of the ways in which you can create a happy, healthy & nurturing environment around your babies to have a positive impact on their cognitive development.

Hope you find this post helpful and worth sharing. Do share your thoughts in the below comments section.

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15 Comments

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    Ritu Kalra December 14, 2018 at 8:20 pm - Reply

    A happy family raises a happy child..kid learns from what they see..so its important to be conscious about what we are making them observe

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    Deepa December 14, 2018 at 10:50 pm - Reply

    Nutrition, parents involvement and interaction all work together to boost cognitive development in babies. You explained all the points very well.

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    Jhilmil Bhansali December 15, 2018 at 4:54 pm - Reply

    Lovely post. Stimulation, parental behaviours matters a lot in a child’s development. Stress free environment is what we need to give to kids.

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    Akanksha December 15, 2018 at 5:45 pm - Reply

    Thanks for sharing such an informative post. It is essential to create a stress free environment for a child and it starts right from when a woman conceives. I’m sharing it with my friends who are expecting right now.

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    Paresh Godhwani December 15, 2018 at 11:23 pm - Reply

    I agree that first three years are really important for child’s development. And parents need to put extra efforts in those years. Three activities you have suggested are must for the parents today. Specially in this stressful life.

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    Nimmy December 16, 2018 at 12:08 am - Reply

    I swear I haven’t even heard about anything like this with my first born child. Now, with people like you, I get to know about all these and I’m extremely thankful. Now, the first thing I need to make a change is to cut out my stress and to become a happy and cheerful parent. I really home I can become one soon!

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    Dipika Singh December 16, 2018 at 5:48 pm - Reply

    These are the best ways to work on Kid’s cognitive development. Happy and healthy growing environment, parents involvement and encouraging words work like a magical wand for kid’s development.
    Your Instagram posts are always filled with happiness and positivity around the family.

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    Akshata December 17, 2018 at 11:32 am - Reply

    Unless a parent is happy, there is little possibility of raising a happy kid. These are some wonderful tips listed by you to provide a conducive environment in which a baby thrives

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    Princy Khurana January 5, 2019 at 9:39 pm - Reply

    i am so happy to read that all these things are followed by us as parents. we try and spend as much quality time with kids.

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    Pragnya Mishra January 6, 2019 at 12:01 am - Reply

    Nutrition and positive environment are base to raise a happy content child. What a great post Neha. Extensively informative.

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    Gunjan (tuggu.n.mommy) January 6, 2019 at 12:35 pm - Reply

    This is so true, Happy parents and happy families raise a happy child. It is so important in their initial years

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    Akriti January 6, 2019 at 7:47 pm - Reply

    Having a loving home environment does help guide the child’s development.. These are very good tips for nurturing a child

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    Snigdha Prusti January 6, 2019 at 9:02 pm - Reply

    Right nutrition and happy surrounding is really necessary to grow a happy child.. Love this post ..

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    Neha Jain January 7, 2019 at 12:58 am - Reply

    Thanks so much for sharing this with me, I am happy to see we are following the right way of parenting and learning from all..

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    Kavita Singh January 7, 2019 at 9:48 am - Reply

    I agree one has to be a happy parent in order to raise a happy human. Quality time spent with kids is also a huge plus to bring them up well.

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