All
of our babies have a specific potential to become happy, well-adjusted,
caring, achieving and productive grown-ups. And the beautiful thing
is that YOU play a role in influencing that potential.
Shortly after birth, a baby's brain contains more nerve cell connections
(or synapses) than it will ever use. By the age of 2, a child's brain
can contain twice as many synapses as the brain of a normal adult. Over
time, the brain eliminates synapses that are seldom or never used. By
providing stimulation through various experiences, caregivers can help
their children retain as much brain power as possible. For example,
infants who are rarely touched or lack a significant amount of play
can develop brains that are 20% to 30% smaller than average.
The most pivotal time for the retention of these synapses is between
birth and 3 years of age (the most important year being the first).
Ironically, this is the age when parents are "on their own," armed only
with the knowledge they pursue themselves and the training that has
been passed on to them from friends and family.
Babygarten provides you with the tools to help you entertain, comfort,
observe and perhaps understand your child in these volatile months.
The hour you spend each week at Babygarten will provide an environment
that nurtures and stimulates with a wide variety of experiences and
lays the groundwork for important skills your child will acquire.
However, this is not a "My Child Will Be the Smartest Kid in Kindergarten"
program; babies are pre-wired for learning and the way they learn is
through living - not "teaching." Singing a beloved nursery rhyme teaches
an infant more about language than flashcards or drills. Each time a
baby tries to touch a tantalizing object or gazes intently at a face
or listens to a nursery rhyme, tiny bursts of electricity shoot through
the brain, knitting neurons into well-defined circuits. When you discover
what they are learning through their ordinary "baby ways," you'll view
each new skill as a minor miracle. Babygarten will show you how to appreciate
and maximize these natural behaviors.
Basically, the environment you provide for your young child determines
the number and the quality of experiences your child has. The number
and the quality of experiences your child has influences his or her
intellectual, emotional and physical make-up thus creating a unique
individual. Babygarten's mission is to alert caregivers to this awesome
responsibility and show them the joy this responsibility can bring.
Most importantly, Babygarten is a place you and your child can come
to have fun together which is the MOST IMPORTANT key to your child's
healthy development.