Understanding that every boy and girl is unique and special is one of the most important considerations that Paula García Otero, healthcare provider and lactation consultant, wants to share. “We live in a society where people are constantly talking about us and how we are, we are compared and we are expected to conform, because usually what is different creates distrust and fear,” explains García Otero. “Parents do this with their children and we are guided by developmental milestones (such as physical growth or cognitive development), which, although scientifically proven, are only indicative,” adds the expert.
As the specialist emphasizes, in her advice she teaches families that unnecessary identification of their babies or children can lead to them suffering from anxiety as adults. “Each child has specific characteristics and we must know them, respect their development, their rhythm and their moments and accompany them calmly in all their evolutionary processes,” says García Otero.
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The lactation consultant wants to remind parents with babies not to panic if this phase doesn’t go right from the start, which, she explains, could be because the percentile (weight or height) for their age is not being met. “For example, if the baby is very small, he or she may have difficulty sucking due to his or her condition. Failure to meet percentile milestones can raise alarm in many families, but it must be health professionals who personally assess each baby or child, each mother, each breastfeeding and each family unit and work on this basis,” he emphasizes.
García Otero emphasizes that it is appropriate to keep in mind the needs of the baby or child in terms of complementary foods and check whether he is prepared for it and tolerates solid food well, or whether it is necessary to offer a different consistency, that is Find the balance of the method you want to use. . “You have to think that everything is valid,” he emphasizes. “Babies experience everything as a change, as a sensory experience, and we must intervene positively and calmly, appreciating their maturation process and the growth of their skills, which will gradually strengthen them in all areas of their lives,” says the specialist in postpartum care.
Provide safety to children and be patient
This expert states that it can be counterproductive to read data or information that frustrates families and makes them feel like incompetent parents. “The baby/child doesn’t have to eat everything on the plate or walk around and talk in front of their roommates at daycare because they may not be ready yet. However, with our supervision, affection and disposition, they can familiarize themselves with different textures, tastes and smells,” he reveals.
Every day we name and compare in society, on social networks, with each other and with our children, without understanding the damage we are causing. “It is not correct as a professional to assign a name, trait, syndrome or disorder without scientific evidence. When it comes to talking about neurodevelopmental disorders or mental health problems, I notice that it is expressed lightly and spreads quite widely on social networks among lay people,” says Marta Márquez Barbosa, health psychologist and neuropsychologist. “We can notice in our circle of friends or acquaintances that some children give up the pacifier earlier, take off their diaper, talk or walk earlier. There is flexibility to achieve success without becoming something pathological, but those who are not specialists cannot express their opinion or find solutions when there is a problem,” he points out.
Parents should trust their children’s progress, congratulate them, encourage them, and not pressure them if they don’t feel confident. uchar (Getty Images)
Promote the child’s creative abilities
As the psychologist notes, parents should trust in their children’s progress, congratulate them, encourage them and not put pressure on them when they do not feel confident and become frustrated in their attempts, since they are the ones who know them best. If they need support or have questions, families should reach out to early childhood caregivers or medical professionals. “Don’t forget that mistakes are also a way to learn and improve,” he emphasizes.
Rosa María Aguilar, law graduate and coordinator of the training department of the Learn to Look Foundation, confirms that as a professional she is aware that parents do not adequately respect the neural and brain differences of their children in order to find out what is best for them. everyone. The professional, who works with her team on an early childhood education project called Guay-fi to help young parents, explains that the brain acts like a sponge that absorbs all kinds of information during childhood. “The brain from ages 0 to 3 is the moment when our entire history develops the most, then there is another peak in preadolescence between ages 12 and 14. At around 3 years of age, the brain itself performs synaptic pruning to remove excess neurons in order to achieve better growth and advance to the next phase, which occurs at 3 to 6 years of age, the school part where one learn to write or read. a more precise way,” he argues.
Aguilar shares that his team recommends not using screens for children ages 0 to 3, and that children ages 3 to 6 use them for half an hour a day, but do not watch all types of content, as these Type of devices that reproduce Partially more useless than the brain, in which the neural development of the five senses takes place. “If you give the child an apple, he sees it, smells it, bites it and all his senses develop.” If we show them the same apple on the screen, they gain all the knowledge only through a recommendation. The child smells and touches the screen,” explains Aguilar.
“Mobile phones or television give the child an excess of cortisol (stress hormone) and dopamine (addictive), which is completely counterproductive,” he continues. “Self-development is prevented between the ages of 0 and 3 years. “So when natural synaptic pruning occurs, a brain is found in which there is no excess of neurons,” adds this expert. Kids see their references on their phones and want to copy them. “Parents need more information and training and understand that it is better to spend time with their child, play and not use the cell phone as an emotional pacifier,” argues Aguilar. For the expert, the best thing would be to give him a pencil, paints and paper or a book and listen to music so that he can express himself: “So we can get to know them and develop their skills, always with them.” get involved and them accompany you on your path with firmness and affection.” .
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