Building Brains and Bonds: Essential Activities for Infant-Parent Relationships

During the first three years, especially the first year, a baby’s brain develops rapidly, forming approximately 700 synapses per second. This period is critical for the development of sensory pathways, language, and cognition.

The three methods are: 1) Talking to your baby, 2) Massaging your baby, and 3) Mirroring your baby.

Talking to babies, including narrating actions and using “baby talk” or parentese, has been shown to strengthen expressive language skills by age three and typically leads to stronger academic skills in elementary school.

Baby massage can be incorporated during playful tummy time, before bedtime, and while changing diapers or clothes. It can be both stimulating and relaxing, and is effective whether the baby is calm or fussy.

Mirroring involves imitating the baby’s actions and expressions. It promotes attunement and reciprocity in the parent-child relationship, encourages eye contact, playfulness, and smiling, all of which contribute to secure attachment and brain development.