Early childhood matters to Sisters

As we begin a new year and look back to the holidays, we can't help but think of the horrendous act of violence that happened in a small Connecticut town, one not unlike Sisters. It isn't hard to relate to the parents and community that suffered such an unimaginable loss.

What in a person's upbringing, make-up, or life could cause anyone to commit such an act? Of course, we don't know. What we do know is the importance of positive interactions between caring adults and their children in the development of a child's brain in the early years of their life.

Research has determined that it is an ongoing process that begins before birth and continues into adulthood that builds the basic architecture of the brain. Early experiences establish either a fragile or sturdy foundation that affects the quality of that architecture for all of the learning, health and behavior that follow.

An amazing 700 new neural connections are formed every second in the first few years of a child's life. Scientists know that the relationships between children and their parents and other caregivers are a major ingredient in this developmental process. This happens naturally when an infant reaches out for interaction through babbling, facial expressions, and gestures and adults respond with the same kind of vocalizing and gesturing back. The same occurs when parents take time to read, play and interact with their children as they grow. If relationships are unreliable, inappropriate or absent, the brain will not form as expected, which can lead to disparities in learning and behavior.

The brain, a highly interrelated organ, operates in a richly coordinated fashion. Emotional well-being and social competence provide a strong foundation for emerging cognitive abilities. What develops in the early years in the emotional and physical health, social skills, and cognitive-linguistic capacities are prerequisites for success in school and later. It is extremely important that these are positive in nature.

Chronic, debilitating stress in early childhood, caused by extreme poverty, repeated abuse, or severe maternal depression, can be toxic to the developing brain. While positive stress (that which is moderate, short-lived physiological responses to uncomfortable experiences) is an important and necessary aspect of healthy development, negative stress is the strong, unrelieved activation of the body's stress management system. In the absence of the buffering protection of adult support, the developing brain will be shaped by toxic stress causing permanent change to its

architecture.

Whether toxic stress was part of the life of the disturbed young man that committed these terrible acts we'll never know. What's necessary for every parent to know is how important it is to have a positive relationship with each of their children, to discipline in a way that is instructive instead of punitive and to express their love for their children unconditionally. If there are problems in any of these areas, look for help. Check with school counselors, the Central Oregon Family Resource Center, FAN or Early Childhood professionals. They all can lead you in the right direction.