Fredericksburg Parent

16 Fredericksburg Parent and Family • Fredericksburg Forward 2023 WRITTEN BY EMILY FREEHLING Medical approach to weight loss builds habits for a healthy life During the first three years of a child's life, the brain grows to 80% of its adult size, mak- ing more than a million neural connections every second. This is a critically important period for laying a foundation for future growth. For children who experience devel- opmental delays, this is a time when inter- ventions can yield results that help children gain the skills that will help them as they get older. The Parent Education – Infant Development program (PEID) is an early intervention pro- gram for children from birth to 36 months. The program, run through the Rappahannock Area Community Services Board, serves families in Stafford, Spotsylvania, Caroline and King George counties, and the city of Fredericksburg. PEID's team of speech language patholo- gists, physical therapists, occupational therapists, early childhood education special- ists, and service coordinators want to see Fredericksburg's children thrive. Based on years of experience working one-on-one with parents and young children, the PEID team offers these tips for new parents to ensure that the first three years lay a foundation for a lifetime of healthy growth. Provided by Parent Education-Infant Development, a program of the Rappahannock Area Community Services Board Routine benefits everybody in the house. The COVID-19 pandemic turned household routines upside-down. Remote work and schooling bled into hours normally reserved for fam- ily connection and sleep. Reclaiming a regular structure in the home is especially important for families with infants and young children. Infants need deep sleep to form neural connections and encode sensory memories that foster early brain development. Irregular routines can be an obstacle to deep sleep. There is no need to plan days to the minute, but having a basic struc- ture, with regular times when your family eats meals, goes to bed and settles down for nap times, will promote healthy brain development in your child, while also making your life easier. Take your baby places. Grocery delivery and pickup have made parents' lives easier, but tagging along on everyday errands is developmentally important to even the youngest children. "When children are not exposed to these kinds of experiences from a very young age, it can cause sensory integration issues when all of a sudden at age 2 they visit a big store for the first time," says PEID Program Coordinator Suzanne Haskell. Regularly bringing your infant or toddler along on simple in-person errands will help them build the skills to successfully interact with the world later on. You can still enjoy the convenience of delivery or pickup, but pick a day when you don't have a long list of groceries to lug, or a weekday when the stores aren't as crowded. Narrate what you see. Say the names of items as you put them in your cart. Talk about everything you are doing. Your child will have an enrich- ing experience while you are stocking your pantry. 1 2 Keys to Unlocking the Magic of Early Childhood 5

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