New Initiative Promotes Basic Activities for Child Success
Parents and caregivers who incorporate five basics principles into their caregiving routines can help their children achieve better outcomes related to brain development, learning, joy and resilience.
This is the motive behind The Basics Nipissing-Parry Sound, an initiative launched by the North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit (Health Unit) aiming to help children from birth to age five reach their full potential. “Eighty per cent of brain development happens within the first three years of our lives. This period is critical for a child’s growth, development, learning, lifelong health and success,” says Tracey Hall, public health nurse in the Health Unit’s Healthy Families program. “Fortunately, there are ways parents can support their child that don’t require extra time, money or fancy toys.”
Grounded in scientific evidence, The Basics principles include: • Maximize Love, Manage Stress; • Talk, Sing, and Point; • Count, Group, and Compare; • Explore Through Movement and Play; • Read and Discuss Stories.
According to the Early Development Instrument, senior kindergarten students in the Nipissing and Parry Sound districts struggle more than the provincial average when it comes to their physical health, well-being, social competencies and emotional maturity status.
“As adults, we have the power to change this path by engaging children in positive, nurturing interactions and activities. The Basics Nipissing-Parry Sound helps by providing practical resources for anyone looking to apply these parenting strategies, and breaks through systemic barriers to children's lifetime success,” says Hall.
The initiative comes with a variety of convenient resources for community organizations to share with the parents and caregivers they serve. “Our goal is to create a Basics movement across the region to support families, organizations and whole communities,” says Hall. “Whether you connect with families in a clinic, a child-care centre, a place of worship, or anywhere else, you have a role to play in ensuring all children get the best possible start.”
