Dawn.

Faith is the bird that feels the light and sings when the dawn is still dark.

RABINDRANATH TAGORE

I returned home from a week long training on Infant and Toddler Development, the 0-3 years. We spent days discussing brain development, attunement, and attachment. Why is understanding the magnitude and components of these foundational years critical for care providers in early childhood centers?

Because in the first three years of life children develop:

• • Mental model of self – becoming an “I” from a “We”
  • Mental model of relationships – how parents treat each other
  • Stress management – self regulation
  • Ability to pay attention – pull back from distractions
  • Motivation to achieve – drive
    • Taken from Dr. Becky Bailey, Conscious Discipline Materials

Video below from Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University:

How Children and Adults Can Build Core Capabilities for Life

Keep on the good work, it’s worth it.