For Parents

	*Better Beginnings* *A Helping Hand Toward The Future*
	*The First Years Last Forever* As a mother feeds her child, she gazes lovingly into his eyes. A father gently talks to his newborn daughter as he changes her diaper. A caregiver sings a child to sleep. These everyday moments, these simple, loving encounters provide essential nourishment. Just as their bodies need food to grow, science now tells us that the positive emotional, physical and intellectual experiences that a baby has in the earliest years are equally necessary for the growth of a healthy brain The brain is the part of the body that allows us to feel joy or despair, to respond to others in a loving or angry way and to use reason or simply react. These capacities don't just magically appear - they result from the interplay between a child's heredity and the experience he/she has during childhood. Research in brain development and school readiness suggests the following ten guidelines that can help parents and other caregivers raise healthy, happy children and confident competent learners: Be warm, loving and responsive Respond to the child's cues and clues Talk, read and sing to your child Establish routines and rituals Encourage routines and rituals Make TV watching selective Use discipline as an opportunity to teach Recognize that each is unique Choose quality child care and stay involved Take care of yourself The relationship between caregiver and child in the first five years of life is vital. We have a wonderful opportunity to enrich the lives of our children and help them realize their full potential. The First years truly last forever. I Am Your Child Foundation