Stanley I. Greenspan - Building Healthy Minds: The Six Experiences That Create Intelligence And Emotional Growth In Babies And Young Children

H ow does your child develop the miraculous abilities to love, think, communicate, and create, as well as to have self-control and feel compassion for others? Many child-development theories focus on only one part of this puzzle, such as a childs genes, cognitive skills, or a new way to set limits. But in fact what gives meaning to all parts of this puzzle and defines your child as a humane and intelligent human being is his continuing relationship with you. In the chapters that follow, we will attempt to demonstrate that all the wonderful things you wish for your child do not have to be left to chance, intuition, or genetic endowment. Nor do they require hours of flash cards, educational TV programs, or special computer-based learning exercises. Instead, youll discover that there are six essential types of experiences that simultaneously promote your childs intelligence and emotional growth. Some of these vital experiences are already likely to be a relaxed and enjoyable part of your daily life together.

High up on many parents wish lists is the hope that their children will be able learners who can master academic challenges and who are curious about the world. We also want our children to develop a capacity for warmth and intimacy and to enjoy many rich and rewarding relationships. In addition, we want our youngsters to have an awareness of what constitutes appropriate behavior, to have a sense of right and wrong, and to be able to make wise judgments in unfamiliar situations. We certainly want them to feel good about themselves, and to show persistence, flexibility, and creativity. Many parents and educators are searching for ways to raise the bar, or maximize childrens potential, without undermining their emotional vitality and well-being.

We now understand how to interact with children in ways that will foster these admirable goals. We also know how to minimize the odds that they will be side-tracked into negative behavior and feelings. We can help them learn to avoid acting in uncaring, overly aggressive, or impulsive ways, and give them the tools to limit their own behavior. Our children can develop a feeling for subtlety, and learn to perceive the grays in life, rather than becoming all-or-nothing-type thinkers. We can also help them be less prone to weak problem-solving skills, poor judgment, or depressionall of which can lead to risk-taking behavior and trouble with drugs, alcohol, and sex. Instead, they can learn to turn challenges into windows of opportunity that promote intelligence, morality, and emotional health.

The same vital interactions that help build a healthy mind also lead to the actual growth of neuronal connections in the brain. A childs brain grows most rapidly in the first three to four years of life, and will reach two thirds to three fourths of its adult size during this period. Recent research reveals that vital interactions with caregivers literally wire a babys brain, filling in the broad outlines of his genetic blueprint. For example, your loving smiles, sounds, and tender movements not only teach your baby to look, listen, and love; they also enable connections to form between neurons in the parts of his brain that support intelligence and social skills. Your soothing touch not only fosters your babys ability to feel close and intimate with you, but also releases growth hormones that enable his body and brain to grow. Pioneering studies by Nobel Prizewinners Torsten Wiesel and David Hubel on critical phases in early brain development suggest that providing your infant with opportunities to look and use his vision during certain early periods is necessary if he is to comprehend his world, and will also reduce the likelihood of his developing visual learning problems.