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ROKU AppCongratulations! You Are Parents
Written by Andrea West
You have been waiting as your child grew and developed in the womb. Finally, this marvelous gift of human life is in your arms—your child to nurture and protect.
I remember the birth of each of our three children as if it were yesterday. My husband, Roger, was with me during the labor and delivery process with each of our children. The first thing I saw at the moment of delivery was the look of joy on Roger’s face, and then I was able to see the faces of our children. Moments of time—framed forever in my memory!
After the birth of each of our children we began the process of nurturing. We took our swaddled newborn into our arms voicing our joy to each other as we looked over our tiny child, a combination of the two of us, yet a unique individual. In this setting, we spoke words of happiness to our babies as we welcomed them with love.
As the days progressed after each delivery, I cuddled my babies close and talked to them as I nursed them. We spent much time holding our newborns close, talking to them, patting them and making eye contact as we played with them and tended to their needs. We did not know at the time about the incredible process of development that was occurring in our children as we interacted with them.
Later, we learned that God had designed the perfect setting for wonderful things to happen in the wiring of a child’s brain during this dance of child/parent bonding.
A work in progress
After our children became young adults, I read an article that discussed some of what has been learned from research into the brain development of a child. The article began with this sentence, “A baby’s brain is a work in progress, trillions of neurons waiting to be wired into a mind” (Sharon Begley, “Your Child’s Brain”).
Ms. Begley’s article gives the following examples:
- “You hold your newborn so his sky-blue eyes are just inches from the brightly patterned wallpaper. ZZZt: a neuron from his retina makes an electrical connection with one in his brain’s visual cortex.
- “You gently touch his palm with a clothespin; he grasps it, drops it, and you return it to him with soft words and a smile. Crackle: neurons from his hand strengthen their connection to those in his sensory-motor cortex.
- “He cries in the night; you feed him, holding his gaze because nature has seen to it that the distance from a parent’s crooked elbow to his eyes exactly matches the distance at which a baby focuses. Zap: neurons in the brain’s amygdala send pulses of electricity through the circuits that control emotion.
- “You hold him on your lap and talk … and neurons from his ears start hard-wiring connections to the auditory cortex.
“And you thought you were just playing with your kid.”
Children are a heritage
Roger and I didn’t have this information concerning the wiring of a child’s brain when our children were born, but we did know and believe what we read in Psalm 127:3. “Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb is a reward.”
We knew our three children were a blessing from God. We knew that not only were they a blessing, but they were our responsibility. We were entrusted as parents with the well-being of these three little ones. And so we loved, patted, played with and nurtured our newborns the best we knew how.
Little did we know that God had designed this loving interaction to help form our children’s brains into the minds they now have. Our three children are gifted in so many areas that far surpass their parents, and we are thankful for each of them.
“Let the little children come to Me …”
With this glimpse into what happens in a child’s brain while you hold them, talk to and nurture them, a scripture popped into my mind. It’s one that I have read and heard many times, but now I read it with new appreciation.
Mark 10:13-16 tells of people bringing little children to Jesus to touch, but the disciples impatiently told them to leave Him alone. They felt Jesus should not be bothered with little children. Jesus not only was displeased with the disciples’ attitude, but He took the little children “up in His arms, laid His hands on them, and blessed them.”
God the Father and Jesus Christ designed and brought into being everything—including the human mind and body (John 1:1-3). They know what we need, both physically and spiritually. Don’t you find it interesting that while on this earth Jesus set us a parenting example by His loving, personal interaction with little children?
Take your child in your arms
Congratulations! You are parents. Take your newborn up into your arms and bond with him or her. Spend time together with loving interaction and you will bless your child with a safe place to grow and develop both mind and body.
Andrea West lives in Arkansas, where her husband, Roger, pastors three congregations. They are thankful for their two sons and daughter, their two additional daughters and son that came by marriage and their five grandchildren.
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