Issue link: https://fredparent.uberflip.com/i/1535185
16 Fredericksburg Parent and Family • May 2025 When you bring a newborn baby home from the hospital, it can seem like an eter- nity before that child will be walking into a school building with a backpack for kin- dergarten. But the reality is, the road to the first day of school starts in the critical first three years of a child's life. This is a time of exponential brain growth, with neurons laying a foundation for speech, language, movement and social skills—or the ability for your child to get along with other children—to be honed. Your child can't do this alone. Parents and caregivers are essential partners on the journey to kindergarten readiness. The time that you spend with your infant and toddler playing on the floor with toys, building towers with blocks, talking about items as you move them from grocery shelves into your cart, or being silly while exploring new foods is far more than just idle play. These interactions are helping your child to lay down important neural pathways that are the necessary precursors to kindergarten skills like following directions, sharing toys and transitioning between activities. TIME YOU DON'T GET BACK A baby is born with all of the brain cells they'll have for their entire life—but it's the connections between these cells that make the brain work. It doesn't take a brain surgeon to make these connections—the best way a child can build them is by hav- ing positive interactions and stimulating experiences with a parent or caregiver. WRITTEN BY EMILY FREEHLING sponsored material TIME IS Precious The Parent Education—Infant Development program of the Rappahannock Area Community Services Board empowers parents to seize the opportunity for growth in the first three years of life. QUALITY TIME Brain-building ideas for babies, toddlers and parents to enjoy together Sit down and take books off a shelf, or bowls out of a low cabinet, and put them back in. Get your hands into some play dough. Demonstrate for young children how to make different shapes and forms. Kids love watching YouTubers unbox toys. Why not create a real-life unboxing with everyday items around the house? • Play peek-a-boo • Sing songs • Make silly faces • Read books, and show your child how to flip pages from right to left • Eat together, and notice the taste, smell and feel of new foods. • Take your child out into the community—to the grocery store, the library, the park—and talk about what you see, hear and feel.