How you interact with your child helps determine how her brain develops

If you had the choice of building your house with a foundation of strong pillars and concrete bricks, or rotten planks of timber and sand, which would you choose? It is obvious that you would want to build your house on a strong foundation to avoid it from crumbling in the future!

All children are born with over 100 billion brain cells, more than enough cells to learn almost anything! These cells can be said to be similar to a mass of unconnected electrical wires in which the brain constantly tries to connect through learning. No more brain cells are produced after birth and those that are not used eventually wither away in a process known as "pruning".

"Does listening to classical music increase my son's ability to play like Mozart?"

Playing classical music for your child to hear does not necessarily mean he will be able to play like Mozart. However, research has shown that complex musical sound help children develop the same areas of the brain that are required for math and spatial reasoning. Mazes, copying patterns as well as drawing shapes have also been shown to improve with music. Children often have good understanding and recognition of sound from the time they are born, thus exposing them to different sounds will help them learn to recognise various sounds quickly and easily.

Learning is life-long process, though there are certain "prime times" when the brain can be said to be a "super-sponge", absorbing new information easily and developing in huge leaps. The first 3 years of a child's life is very important, as he learns very , very fast, and this continues until he is about 10 years old. During this time, teaching music, language and other life-long skills will be easier as the brain is shaped the most during this period. Warm actions and encouraging words, maintaining good health as well as a good and balanced diet that is varied and rich in nutrients, provides the foundation to the basis of good brain development.

"My 7-month-old daughter likes to put things into her mouth and chew them, does that mean she's ready for solid foods?"

It is important to provide your child with a healthy and balanced diet that is varied, to ensure that she gets all the nutrients needed for ongoing and future brain development. Chewing on objects may be one of the signs that your daughter is able to start on solid foods, more so if she has already begun teething. As she grows older, let her feed herself using her fingers and a spoon. This will help further develop the part of her brain that is responsible for coordination and motor skills.