Page 3 - The First 60 Days Magazine - February 2025

THE BRAIN ADAPTS TO

EXPERIENCES & THE ENVIRONMENT!

Due to the extremely rapid growth that

takes place in the earliest months of life, the
brains of babies, are especially vulnerable to

and are significantly impacted by their
environment and the people in it.

The foundational needs of safety, security,
loving experiences, caregiver responsiveness,

adequate amounts of sleep, healthy
nutrition, a lack of chaos, and safe

opportunities to learn through movement,
singing and time in nature are all critical to

developing a brain well.

These early experiences are physically
shaping the way in which a child's brain

.influences their self-worth, learning,

behavior, physical and mental health in life.

The brain carefully creates neural
connections based on frequent and

repeated experiences. They will continually
adapt to what they are exposed to most

frequently, and their brain will actually wire
itself based on these experiences—whether

those experiences are positive or negative.

This means that each interaction, each

moment of care, each environment a child
experiences is literally helping to construct

the architecture of their developing brain.
The brain is not just learning; it is physically

changing and forming connections that can
last a lifetime.

By Deborah McNelis T H E F I R S T 6 0 D A Y S | 2