The ‘Three Ts’ That Build Your Baby’s Brain, Says Pediatric Surgeon
I knew that in the first few years of a child’s life, “the majority” of brain development occurs, but I didn’t know how incredibly fast this process happens. Given that an infant’s brain doubles in size by the time they are a year old, their newborn neurons make “at least a million new neural connections every second,” according to child development agency First Things First , and a baby’s brain is 90% fully developed. by the age of five. All of this means that how parents nurture their child’s brain during these early years is critical.
According to Dr. Dana Suskind , a pediatric surgeon who studies children’s brain development, one of the best ways parents of toddlers can help in this process is to create a language environment full of “case-and-return interactions” and lots of “Speak, Smile” , point, answer, sing, talk about your day” to help young children develop cognitive skills such as reading, memory and language, as well as soft skills such as resilience.
Suskind recommends that parents use a simple “3T strategy” to develop strong bonds: Tune in. Talk more. In turn.
Tune in to your child
As parents, we are unfortunately often distracted by work or household chores, even in the presence of our babies, toddlers and preschoolers. One of the best ways to create an optimal environment for a young child’s social development is to tune in to what they are focused on and build a conversation around it.
Think of it like a child’s conversation (even if they can’t talk). Pay attention to what they are watching or listening to; direct your attention there and start asking questions. If they are fascinated by a squirrel on deck, you might say, “Are you looking at a squirrel? Wow, this squirrel has such a fluffy tail!” Likewise, if their eyes brighten at the sound of a train, “Do you hear the train? Trains make loud whistles. According to Suskind, “your mission is to match the conversation with what interests them at the moment.”
Talk, talk and talk again
Once you’ve tuned in to what caught your little one’s attention at any given moment, it’s time to flex that small talk muscle. Think of it like a freestyle poetry slam where you can say pretty much whatever you want on the topic at hand. Use the rich variety of language to add words to your child’s memory bank and expand their vocabulary. “Keep engaging them in talking about it using different languages that encourage focus and engagement,” Suskind says. For example: “Look what this squirrel is doing. She stands on two legs. What does she eat? Is it an acorn? I bet she’s going to take a nap after this!
(It reminds me of the time when, fresh on how to entertain my six-month-old daughter after a long day of being together, I sat her on my hip, turned to the spice cabinet, and started reading the labels, telling her what each spice was used for. It killed a good 5-10 minutes – that’s a lot when you’re in that last countdown before bed. And hey, now she can pronounce cardamom correctly.)
Take turns while talking
The best conversations are those in which both parties are equally involved, and that goes for even the smallest chat buddies. Whether it’s a flourishing vocabulary, elementary words, or gurgling and finger-pointing, it all matters. In the final step, “engage in conversations by asking questions that encourage your child to describe the world around them or their feelings.” Start with your own observations and emotions to encourage them to participate. “Wow, the garbage trucks are so colorful. I see green. What colors do you see? Where do you think this is going? It’s great when a garbage truck drives down our street!”
Why you should adopt a 3T strategy
This study from the University of Chicago showed that enriching the home language environment can improve the quality of child-caregiver interactions. (“Used more praise, explanation, and open-ended questions, but less criticism, physical control, and intrusiveness than their control counterparts when interacting with their child.”)
Parents can continue to use the 3T strategy long after their children are five years old to develop a lifelong service-and-return relationship. It does not require research, devices or special training. Just a conscious effort to notice what’s got your child’s attention, focus your verbal attention on it, and start a conversation.