Be Their Hero from Age Zero

"Be Their Hero" is a countywide initiative supported in Monroe County by the Monroe County Intermediate School District (MCISD) and the public school districts in partnership with many community businesses and agencies.

Background Information

The early years of life have the most impact on eventual human potential. An infant's experiences actually develop his brain. Sensory experiences (hearing, seeing, touching, feeling, tasting) actually teach brain cells their jobs. A lack of such sensory experiences results in brain cells failing to make connections and eventually dying off.

If a child lies in a playpen all day, he is experiencing a limited number of sensations. He will not have many new experiences through which he can establish new brain connections. These connections must be made in infancy. A person cannot go back and "re-do" these experiences. The first four years of life are when the brain is "built". Babies who have more sensory experiences are able to develop more brainpower.

Another important finding is the effect of a stressful environment on infants and toddlers. Young children exposed to a steady diet of stress lay down abnormal connectors in their brains because of high levels of stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline. However, some children from stressful environments are able to "neutralize" their stress through a caring parent or an involved adult. Resiliency has much to do with protective factors like the quality of home life, the parent-child relationship, or another relationship that provides from security for the child.

This is exciting news for parents and others who care for children. There is biological evidence that the environment and nurture they provide for their children can have a powerful impact on the child's developmental potential.