During our health and wellbeing lecture, we were learning about relationships and how important these relationships are to children. I have been asked to write about the importance of children’s early years and what this means for us as practitioners.
Dr Suzanna Zeedyk discusses how human babies are born much earlier than other mammals this means that their brains aren’t fully developed and are therefore ‘premature.’ This causes the human brain to be more fragile. The brain then starts to develop as they are outside the womb and this is susceptible to the their environment and relationships and therefore the first 3 years of a child’s life are crucial.
Suzanne further develops the link between the babies’ brain and the environment they grow up in. Sadly, not all children grow up in a happy, safe and nurturing environment and this can ultimately have a major effect on a child’s brain development and later life. Suzanne states how domestic violence in a home can have an adverse effect on a child’s brain development. A young child that is constantly around violence, their brain will adapt to help them cope with that situation. The brain does this by constantly monitoring for threats and therefore this means that the child cannot focus on other important aspects of their life, such as education. For a young child experiencing domestic abuse in the family home, this leads the body to produce cortisol which is a hormone to help cope with immediate stress. However, that child’s brain is developing to cope with constant stress and their brain will always look for the ‘threat’ in a situation. Moreover, due to this constant threat children cannot form close relationships which can have a damaging impact.
John Carnochan talks about how important the first three years of a child’s life are and how they can have an impact on their future. Both videos agree that if a child grows up in a threatening environment this can hinder their development. John Carnochan talks about how young children need consistency in their life and if they can’t get this at home then as practitioners we must provide consistency and continuity of care. It is vital that children feel like the classroom is a safe space for them.
It is very important as a teacher to build relationships with your pupils. These videos have made me more aware of how a young child’s brain develops, how vital the early years are and how environment can have a major impact on their future if they do not have consistency. Every child has a different set of needs and as practitioners we must ensure they all receive the same care and education. These videos have shown me that I should ensure to create a safe and nurturing environment for the children in my class in case they do not have that at home.
