What's the most important thing I can do for my preschooler ?

As a working mother of two , I often find myself wondering about this question. What is the most important thing I can do for my kids . Also I closely observed that this is the one thing that's often ignored at the stage it is most required - " Fostering Serve and Return interactions with your child on daily basis "

Now for all those who don't know, it is the scientific term for -" Responsive interactions between the children and the people who care from them and how those interactions help children grow and reach their full potential " In plain language if a child is making a sound you respond, if the child is trying to reach out for any toy/ object you bring it closer to him. This fires a network of neuronal interactions in a child's brain which form the basis of cognitive and socio-emotional skills in future.

Also if you are wondering is it really so important to know about it - the answer is a resounding "YES" . Scientific studies prove that these interactions form the foundation of brain architecture upon which all the future development of a child will be built. For example- if a child picks up a cutlery you say-" that's a spoon " and may be you pick up another saying-" it's a bowl". Also if the child points out towards a person/pet/tree - talk about it in bit detail. If he coos you coo back with a similar sound.

Ok. I agree. That's easier said than done. We remain so busy with office / house chores and the balancing between the two . However this is something we can easily do if we are intentional about it-even while folding laundry/cleaning our rooms/chopping vegetables/walking/story telling. First, we need to be aware of the significance of these seemingly small trivial interactions with our children. Secondly , we should pay little attention to what the kid is doing while they are around and sensibly respond from time to time.

We often overthink what we want to do for our children. Planning for a trip to museum/ play zone/ their diets to their education. Amidst it all , we lose focus on what's most precious "NOW" - for their healthy development- fostering these simple verbal and non verbal interactions on day to day basis.

Let us not forget- "it is how we mould these beautiful minds at an early stage that determines their future" . SERVE & RETURN . Remember to play the game next time!