A head start begins with the parents.

The other day I saw this fourteen month old happily pushing his roller-wheeled walking toy around the living room, then head towards one of the rooms, went to one of the drawers at the side and tried to pull them open. Finding them too heavy to get to reveal their contents, he ventured on to other things.

Then, as he began to tire, the mother came with a bowl of soft baby food in a bowl; put him up into a pushchair and wheeled him towards the table for his lunch. On the table was a disc player which the mother turned on and the living room was filled with children’s songs and the child’s own laughter which the mother had recorded.
After his lunch, his parents put him through some language learning flash cards.

Although he had just taken his meal, he was interested and watched the pictures flashed before his eyes as well as listened to the accompanying words in English repeated twice. When he asked for more of the flash-cards when the mother stopped after approximately fifteen minutes, the father took over with Mandarin words as the cards were flashed very quickly before his eyes.

These parents certainly were aiming for the best for their first child. They were providing him with the best possible nutrition, giving suitable baby food, speaking often to the child in English as well as Mandarin, providing proper toddler walking toys for good exercise, building strength in his legs as he walks around, exploring the house with the parents or the maid constantly supervising his every move to ensure safety and right actions; preventing pulling things that may come crashing down on his little head.

With children songs and flash-cards together with names of things, the parents are going the right path to put the child in the position to acquire language sounds and understanding, the beginning of the journey to knowledge and communication, both very essential items for progress in our world.

Books with lots of pictures have also become a constant companion of this child through their introduction by the parents. This child is indeed lucky as the environment is obviously the best possible for his best possible growth and development.

All things are possible for those who plan their future of their children.