A Jumpstart on Smarts
At The Children’s Hospital, we want to help you raise healthy, intelligent children from day one. That’s why we partner with Colorado Bright Beginnings, a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating parents.
“Our goal is to support and empower parents so they feel confident raising their children,” said Kim Easton, program director of Colorado Bright Beginnings. “A confident parent has a better connection with his child, and a child learns best from a parent who spends quality, connected time with him.”
The most important time of a child’s development is from birth to three years. Parents can have a huge impact on their child’s intelligence during this time, and Colorado Bright Beginnings gives them a place to start.
“Parents don’t even have to learn new skills,” said Bonnie Camp, MD, PhD, professor emeritus of pediatrics and psychiatry at the University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine. “Colorado Bright Beginnings teaches parents that doing practical, everyday things more frequently, like talking to their children or reading to them, can make a huge difference in their children’s learning capabilities.”
Three keys to success
To start your child in the right direction, follow these steps:
- Create and maintain an emotional connection with your child. Spend time playing with her and holding her.
- Talk to your child. Research shows the more you talk to your child, the larger his vocabulary will be.
- Read to your child every day. Even if you are reading picture books, start habits now that will stick with her later.
To read more child-related articles, visit our KidsHealth Library of Health Information
