1. Nurturing Parenting Program
Week 2: Nurturing Parenting;
Children’s brain development
Facilitator: Alicia
Phone: (916)
Date/time: Monday & Friday pm
video

2. WELCOME AND CHECK IN
“To nurture is to promote growth and development of all of one’s positive traits, qualities, and characteristics. To nurture is to respect and care for yourself, for others and for your environment.”
What Nurturing Parenting skill do you feel is your strongest?
Give them each the chance to talk about which one of these is their strongest if they want to
Attachment
Empathy
Discipline
Expressing Feelings
Gentle Touch
Expectations
Nurturing Yourself
Table of Contents

3. WEEK 2 - COMPETENCIES
Parents are able to describe the seven concepts and practices of Nurturing Parenting.
Parents are able to assess the degree of skill and ability in each of the seven nurturing parenting areas.
Parents are able to define their philosophy of parenting.
Parents increase their understanding that children’s brains are shaped in the manner in which they are treated growing up.
Parents understand the importance of the “critical windows of brain development.”
Table of Contents

4. NURTURING PARENTING CONCEPTS
ATTACHMENT
Having unconditional love for your children.
EMPATHY
Helping children meet their physical as well as their emotional needs.
NURTURING YOURSELF
Finding time for themselves as individuals and as couples.
GENTLE TOUCH
Massaging children, holding them and rocking them.
DISCIPLINE
Techniques other than spanking and yelling at kids.
EXPRESSING FEELINGS
Being able to express their feelings in appropriate ways.
EXPECTATIONS OF SELF AND CHILDREN
Having appropriate expectations of themselves and their children.

5. CHILDREN’S BRAIN DEVELOPMENT
Child Development and Trauma.  I hope these are helpful. 

6. CHILDREN’S BRAIN DEVELOPMENT
GOAL: to increase parents’ ability to promote healthy brain development in their children.
Three Major Concepts
Children's brain are a work in progress. How they develop depends to a large extent on the experiences they have growing up.
There are prime times called, “critical windows” when parts of children’s brain acquire certain skills.
Parents play a major role in affecting the way children’s brains develop by the parenting practices they use, and the way they treat their children.
Children’s brains develop through nature (genes) and nurture (experiences).
It is important to know when the critical windows happen so that we can promote healthy growth.
If we model nurturing parenting with our children then they will grow up to be nurturing parents themselves.

7. CHILDREN’S BRAIN DEVELOPMENT (draw/takes notes along with me)
The brain is made up of five major parts:
Brainstem – Responsible for our heart rate, blood pressure, breathing and other bodily functions.
Cerebellum – Responsible for balance and movements such as dancing, kicking a ball, and coordination.
Midbrain – Responsible for sleep, appetite, and general movement.
Limbic System – Responsible for emotions and long-term memories.
Cortex – Responsible for hearing, speech, language development, problem solving and other complex “thinking” functions.
Primary motor cortex
Primary Somatosensory cortex
Premotor
cortex
Primary auditory cortex
Color!
Limbic System
Midbrain
Primary visual cortez
Cerebellum
Brain Stem
Spinal Cord

8. CHILDREN’S BRAIN DEVELOPMENT
Critical Windows of Development:
VISION
Birth to 6 Months
What can you do to stimulate a baby’s vision?
VOCABULARY & SPEECH
Birth to 3 years
What can you do to enhance your child’s vocabulary?
EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Birth to 18 months
What can you do to enhance your child’s emotional development?
LOGIC AND MATH
One to 4 years
What can you do to enhance your child’s logical and mathematical development?
Vision: Have them give examples
Hold your baby so they can look around
Hang mobiles above your baby’s bed so they can look at something
Decorate babys room with colorful objects- high contrasting colors. …. NOT TV (overwhelming)
Vocab. & Speech: have them give examples
Talk to your child in full sentences
Read
Use animated, fun, high pitched voice when talking
Sing to your baby
When you are with your baby explain the things that you are doing and what is going on around you.
Emotional Development: have them give examples
Pick up your baby when they cry. Talk to him. Comfort him. Reasure them.
Babies enjoy having same ppl in their lives every day. Stick to same caregiver as much as possible.
Establish nurturing parenting routines. Babys love consistency
Logic & Math: have them give examples
Infants begin to become aware of cause and effect, location and function of objects, very early in life
Explain purpose of household items. Turn on and off light switches. Open/ close containers.
Help children explore their environment in a safe way.

9. WHAT EVERY CHILD NEEDS (handout)
Interaction
Touch
Stable Relationships
Safe, Healthy Relationships
Positive Self-Esteem
Quality Care
Play
Communication
Music
Reading
Table of Contents

10. CLOSING ACTIVITIES Home Practice Competencies
Do something to nurture yourself
Competencies

11. NEXT CLASS Friday, March 17th Nurturing as a Lifestyle;
Building Parent-Child Bonding and Attachment