“While most systems mature in utero, brain development occurs mostly in the first two years after birth and is strongly shaped by a child’s social and physical experiences.” (CCCH-The-First-Thousand-Days-An-Evidence-Paper-September-2017.pdf
In our modern age, we are lucky to have an abundance of research that points to the first 1000 days of life as being an instrumental indicator of development, learning and growth to come. The experiences and environments that a foetus, and later newborns and toddlers are exposed to, are known to have long lasting impacts on the emotional, physical and cognitive domains of a child’s ongoing development.
At Folkestone St Infant and Childcare Centre, we specialise in the early years from infancy to toddlerhood, around 3.5 years old. We understand that our actions, from the simplest cuddle before sleep for our youngest pepe (see our last blog) to patiently holding space for an emotionally overwhelmed 2 year old to an expertly-framed question to a curious 3 year old, have implications far beyond the immediate moment.
In our earliest days on earth, our learning and development is occurring at a pace that will never happen again in our lifetimes. We move from being completely dependant on our parents or caregivers to perform actions that keep us healthy and secure, to being running, jumping, questioning toddlers with minds and ideas of our own. Young brains at this time are driven by emotion and biologically wired for connection to ensure that these developmental leaps occur (CCCH-The-First-Thousand-Days-An-Evidence-Paper-September-2017.pdf).
Studies show that emotional wellbeing must be a primary consideration when understanding physical development and health: “We are not used to thinking of affection and stimulation as necessary for healthy physical growth but they are just as vital as food” (Berk, Laura. E. (2003) Development through the lifespan, 3rd edition). By creating a ‘home away from home’ atmosphere at Folkestone St Infant and Childcare Centre, wherein both tamariki and whānau feel welcomed as soon as they walk in the door, we are deliberately cultivating a calm and nurturing environment, reducing stress and setting the tone for a settled day of exploration and discovery. As part of our recent parent survey, our community shared that fostering emotional regulation is a key aspect of their child’s learning. With our small group numbers, strong ratios and highly qualified staff, we know that this is an area of learning that we can work closely with our families on. In line with the research around the positive outcomes associated with warm, responsive caregiving practices in the first 1000 days, our kaiako at Folkestone St are supported to ensure routines are unhurried and tailored to the needs of the individual child. As each child is also connected to a key teacher who documents their learning and development, our kaiako become attuned to the unique ways in which our tamariki
share their needs from non-verbal cues as small pepe to various behavioural indicators amongst our tuakana/older children.
Learning and development over the first 1000 days is also significantly impacted by the social constructs around a child’s family. In our modern world, the ‘village’ we were often surrounded by is not as strong as it might have been in the past which can sometimes lead to stress and anxiety in the home. This is where an early childhood centre that demonstrates an authentic desire to work in partnership with parents and whānau can act as a support for families. This positive impact on the mental health/wellbeing of parents has a flow on effect to the emotional stability and health of tamariki. “The global evidence suggests ECE services with parent and community engagement yield more beneficial outcomes for young children”. Final_Evidence-from-the-Next-1000-Days-of-Life_Aisha_Soana.pdf Central to the philosophy of Folkestone St Infant and Childcare Centre is that of partnering with parents and whānau to ensure we mimic rituals of care between home and centre, understand parents aspirations and learning goals for their child and wherein parents feel comfortable giving input to our curriculum or asking advice around parenting tips or tricks! We felt very honoured when a parent of one of our recent graduates shared that she was very grateful to our centre for becoming that village for her, her husband and daughter.
Research is also demonstrating the importance of ‘green space’ and being in nature on development, both in those all-important first 1000 days and beyond. Not only is physical health positively impacted by breathing in fresh air and moving freely, nature is known to have an impact on cognitive and emotional development (CCCH-The-First-Thousand-Days-An-Evidence-Paper-September-2017.pdf). Danielle Cohen, of the Child Mind Institute states that children “who spend time playing outside are smarter, happier, more attentive and less anxious”. Folkestone St Infant and Childcare Centre is lucky to have its very own ‘forest’ with mature trees and constant visits from birds on the grounds. Our tamariki love this area of our garden where they get to go on bug hunts, quietly listen to the bird calls and collect leaves every day. Our centre provides wet weather gear so that we can get outside, rain or shine!
At Folkestone St, we understand that choosing an early childhood centre for your child is one of the most difficult decisions you may make as you enter parenthood, trying to decide what should impact your choice. The first 1000 days are so important for future learning so choose a centre where your child is known, where you are known, where the kaiako your child will spend their days with becomes an extension of your own whānau and where we value nature and its positive impact on all aspects of child development. Choose Folkestone St Infant and Childcare Centre who specialise in those first 1000 days so that you can feel comfortable knowing the first chapter of your child’s life was written with care, attentiveness and warmth ensuring the best springboard for the following chapters to come!
Written by Jessie Tucker