Children live in the immediate, parents must not push them

“No!” you tell your child to make it stop, and it freezes, heeding your warning. But in the head, serotonin is secreted, shutting activity in its pre-frontal lobe.  Are you shaking your head because this doesn’t make sense? Okay, let’s simplify it.

Surely you have noticed that shouting out a “NO” gets you instant response from your pre-schooler. However, they do not follow through entirely.

This happens because the part of their brain that is needed to think  logically — the pre-frontal lobe — is deactivated. It is blocked by serotonin — a neurotransmitter that is secreted during stress. This is not the case with adults.

“The child’s brain develops from the back to the front,” says Dr Stephen Rushton, PhD, University of Florida, who specialises in brain-based learning, communication skills and interpersonal, socio-emotional relationships within the learning process. He was addressing parents at a seminar on ‘Parenting’ conducted by Podar Jumbo Kids, along with brain expert Dr Anne at the Chowdaiah Memorial Hall.

Dr Stephen and Dr Anne explained to the parents how the the spinal cord, cerebellum, occipital lobe, parietal lobe, temporal lobe, motor cortex and frontal/pre-frontal lobe developed, and how
it affected the growth of a child’s brain.

“Children don’t think as logically as we do, because their frontal/pre-frontal lobe that helps in logical thinking and planning isn’t developed fully,” says Dr Anne Rushton. It develops only by the age of 19, she said. “When your child is playing and you ask them to hurry up, they don’t understand,” Dr Anne says.

As a parent, then, you need to remember that your child’s brain is still developing. “Children think in more concrete ways — the ball they are playing with is right in front of them, unlike adults who think in abstract ways. When an adult thinks of getting late, the developed brain allows him/her to think of the future,” says Dr Stephen.

Both the doctors, who are educators and not neuroscientists, conducted a workshop to inform parents about the link between brain development and strategies for education. They believe that once parents know how their child’s brain reacts to a certain action, they will be able to facilitate their education better.

The kind of food fed to the child also plays an important role in brain development, they say. “Myelin sheath speeds transmission within neurons, and planned and proper diet ensures that it is built,” says Dr Stephen.

“Natural, fresh foods are the best, while processed foods and colas are harmful for a child’s developing brain,” says Dr Anne. They warn parents to “watch what you put into your child’s tummy”.

“The brain may weigh three pounds, but it consumes 20% of our energy,” says Dr Anne. “A candy bar may give instant energy, but it does not give energy to the brain,” Dr Anne elaborated.

“Natural foods stay longer. If you want to master the art of parenting, then you need to ensure what your child eats. Also, never hit the child on the head — remember it is fully developed only by the age of 19,” she says.

Dr Stephen says a child’s brain is full of mirror neurons. “It helps the child to imitate your behaviour, language and, most importantly, your moves.” Dr Anne gives another example on how sensitive the child’s brain is.

“When you meet a stranger and ask your child to ‘say hello’, your child hides behind you — that’s because he/she can feel the tension in the situation and is reacting to it.”