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'How to develop my baby's brain'


I had the honor joining a baby group with my little girl. She was 11 weeks old. It was a huge lesson for me to understand just how much information about developing a baby's brain is not very well known. Sure I went to the basic courses to understand about becoming a mother. What I found was that they offered basic practical advice, but most of the information did not speak about the emotional, mental and development of a baby's brain. I took for granted that I understood how to train children how to balance their emotions through creativity, but I had never thought that so many people still think that a 'baby would not understand' which is the term I hear quite often.

As a child, I remember having to meet my mom at her art college after I had attended school. I had heard about art so much that the last thing I wanted to do was art. I used to sit at the back of the room and do homework, or get on with my own personal hobbies. When I eventually decided to start the art program - it was extremely easy for me to grasp the techniques without much effort. I don't remember when I was 4 years old, but my mother told me how I would sit with her when she was creating pieces of art for her clients. At the time she was mostly doing graphic design projects.

When I started studying the psychology and especially investing into our research of art psychology, it dawned on me how much the subconscious mind absorbs without consciously being aware you are 'learning'. The reason I found it so easy to grasp the techniques in art, was because I had been subconsciously learning all the time whilst being in the environment. When I was ready to take part in the actual process, my subconscious came forward to remind me that I already knew what I would be doing.

This, having tried on my daughter as young as 11 weeks and our case studies showed me how babies will 'visually' learn, without speaking or participating. When I explained this to a lovely lady sitting next to me in the baby group, she asked me; 'But how do you do art with a baby?'

I replied that all she needed to do was sit and do the activity with her baby on her lap, or near her and explain what she was doing and why. This would trigger the subconscious brain to learn visually. Art is the creative side of the brain, the part that inspires, creates, problem solves, takes risks and finds a way to not give up. These traits are what we need most as an adult to survive in the big world. A simple activity of colouring in a book with pictures is just as important as drawing. I received a message from this lovely lady saying that she had bought a colouring book, and had done the activity with her child on her lap. She said that her child was noisy but paid attention. They both enjoyed the activity thoroughly.

Babies DO understand but because we think they cannot speak, we assume they are not learning. They are in fact constantly learning every second of the day. I can say that my daughter is very content and mentally as well as emotionally stimulated. This has helped me to know that she only will cry if she is hungry, tired, ill, has a nappy or not wanting to be near someone else.

What type of activities can you do with your baby to develop their brain?

- Any art project (as long as you explain what you are doing and why, speak to them as if they are intelligent)

- Cooking, baking or making dinner (explain what you are using or why)

- Singing/dancing with them

Treat them as if they are intelligent and they will be. All you need to remember is that they are storing information in their 'filing cabinet subconscious brains', that will be used when their time is right to access it.

What is the difference between messy/sensory play and using art for emotional/mental development?

As babies fine motor muscles are still developing, the sensory/messy activities stimulate and support babies with physical exercise to practise gripping, pulling and stimulating their physical senses. The art projects that are visually created with you as an adult, develops their mental and emotional abilities.


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