Brain Rules for Baby: How to Raise a Smart and Happy Child from Zero to Five

by John Medina

There are four nutrients you will want in your behavioral formula, adjusting them as your baby gets older: breast-feeding, talking to your baby, guided play, and praising effort rather than accomplishment.

The variety and number of words matter. • Talking increases IQ.

Here are the six spices that go into this parental dry rub: • a demanding but warm parenting style • comfort with your own emotions • tracking your child’s emotions • verbalizing emotions • running toward emotions • two tons of empathy

“You never want a serious crisis to go to waste”

Key points • Your child has an innate sense of right and wrong. • In the brain, regions that process emotions and regions that guide decision making work together to mediate moral awareness. Lose emotions and you lose decision making. • Moral behavior develops over time and requires a particular kind of guidance. • How parents handle rules is key: realistic, clear expectations; consistent, swift consequences for rule violations; and praise for good behavior. • Children are most likely to internalize moral behavior if parents explain why a rule and its consequences exist.

Step 3. At 3 months old, record your baby’s sleep habits

It is the largest lesson of Parenting 101: The instant you decide to bring a child into the world, you give up absolute control over the rest of your life. Welcome to the world of parenting.

When you have your first child, you are automatically inducted into the league of rookie parenting. It is also helpful to know that your child is a rookie human. Rookie coach, rookie player. You are going to make mistakes. Everyone does.

You may think that grown-ups create children. The reality is that children create grown-ups.

Kids present you with an ear infection, but what they are really giving you is patience. They present you with a tantrum, but they are really giving you the honor of witnessing a developing personality.

I said that parenting is all about developing human brains, but my aim was inches too high. Parenting is all about developing human hearts. There is no idea in this book more important for new parents than that one.