Our world is changing quickly, and children’s development is advancing more rapidly than ever. They are exposed to new experiences & stimulants from an early age because of the internet and other technology-enabled access to knowledge.
While exposure is pretty good for children, you should understand that children’s rapid development and too much exposure can have unfavorable impacts. So, one of the major things we want to discuss in this guide is what kids lose when their brains develop too fast, the downside of a child going through rapid development.
Most parents fear their kids are not developing fast enough to compete in this modern world with increasing pace.
This causes the parent to push the kid so they can be a significant being in the world because it is commonly assumed that faster brain development will lead to a smarter individual.
However, after we conducted some research on this, we discovered that when parents add more pressure to their kids’ lives, it only reduces neuroplasticity. This, in turn, affects the child’s ability to comprehend new things.
Therefore, adding more pressure on your kids only leads to faster brain development and lesser neurological flexibility.
And according to research, it’s better for brain development if you allow your kids to grow & learn at a steady rate while they still enjoy their childhood than to push them forward.
What Are The Causes Of Fast Brain Development In Children?
What is sometimes referred to as maturing too quickly or acting older than one’s years is actually neglect & abuse.
Many children are raised in abusive and neglectful environments. As a result, many of them grow up to be miniature adults who can care for their siblings, parents, and other family members while also taking care of themselves.
You will understand the two main ways parents contribute to this problem.
First, this occurs because parents place unjustified obligations and unreasonable expectations on their kids.
As a result, the child may be expected to do a task without being shown how it should be done and may face the consequences if they fail. Sometimes the problem is that their parents and teacher expect them to be perfect, and if they are not, they will be punished. The child is forced to live in this environment because it is not a one-time occurrence.
Secondly, this can also be caused by the situation known as role reversal. Role reversal occurs when the caregiver places the child in their position and expects the child to be the one who must look after the caregiver and maybe other people while the caregiver plays the role of a child.
The child internalizes this role, and it becomes a part of their life. As a result, they begin to behave like a responsible, mature adult while the actual adult is treated like a child.
Some people claim that these situations make the child stronger and more mature. However, we can’t overlook the reality that, even if some traits a person acquires may have great outcomes, they ultimately rob the child of their youth and innocence.
Nevertheless, we can help the children by attending to their needs and assisting them in developing a healthy sense of self-esteem without scaring them.
That is to say, you can achieve the same and frequently much more positive results without scaring them.
These situations confirm the theory of evolutionary biology stated by Tyborowska, where she mentioned that the accelerated brain development throughout adolescence is caused by early-life stress. This equips the child to mature more quickly because they grew up in a challenging environment.
What Are The Ways You Can Be Able To Tell When Your Child’s Brain Has A Fast Development?
Rapid brain development is often caused by the environment in which the child grows. Sometimes parents overlook that their child has fast brain development because they assume that their child is intellectually advanced.
However, parents need to know when this happens because their children will lose certain things due to it.
Here are some of the signs and symptoms of fast brain development:
- The child will have an early onset of puberty.
- They won’t be able to process new information fully.
- There will be signs of anxiety. Etc.
You can identify this rapid brain development in several ways because the signs and symptoms differ from child to child. This is why parents must pay close attention to their children, as they stand to lose a lot due to this problem.
What Is The Side Effect Of Rapid Brain Development?
Research shows that when a child has rapid brain development, it can result in some serious issues later on in their life.
Consequently, when a child has a long and unbroken childhood, it will positively affect his health and life in the long run, which is why it is very beneficial in terms of overall health and a better start in life.
Critical developmental phases may be missed when you pressure or force your children to mature too quickly. These stages may cause problems and suffer later in life if these stages are unmet. The following are some of the side effects of having rapid brain development in children:
- Tension and anxiety feelings
- Inability to respond appropriately in certain circumstances
- Lacking knowledge of fundamental skills
- Either little or no imagination
- The brain is growing too quickly.
- Having trouble adjusting to new info
- They are more prone to chronic illnesses.
That is to show you that the child is more likely to adapt to any challenge they will face in life if they have a healthy childhood compared to when they develop too quickly, which is often a result of exposure to traumatic experiences, constant arguments, and abuse.
Other side effects of early exposure and fast brain development include:
1. It leads To Negative Social And Emotional Development That
The effects of children’s rapid brain development on social and emotional growth are among the top worries. When your child has rapid brain development, they might have trouble socializing and regulating their emotions.
They could struggle to build strong relationships with others and be more prone to anxiety, melancholy, and mood swings. These detrimental impacts on social & emotional growth may be long-lasting and result in long-term mental health problems.
2. Lack Of Inspiration And Creativity
Lack of imagination and creativity is another problem associated with rapid brain development in children.
When a child has rapid brain development, their attention will be focused on specific details & information while they struggle to use their imaginations and develop original ideas.
This, in turn, hinders their ability to think critically and solve problems because they lack creativity. This will also affect their academic performance.
3. Decreased Physical Development
Your child’s physical development may suffer due to rapid brain development. For example, the motor abilities and coordination of kids whose brains develop too quickly may suffer if they don’t reach critical developmental milestones like crawling and walking.
Also, kids who use technology more often may be less active, which increases their risk of obesity and related health problems.
How Does An Overly Rapid Brain Development Affect A Child?
The demand to play an instrument, participate in social and academic clubs, join sports teams, and fill the days with learning possibilities increases with each generation.
As much as it may seem like a logical thing to do, you are only equipping your children with more opportunities and options to live a good life.
But, in reality, all we are doing is choosing and forcing them to keep up with their peers, thereby putting more pressure on them.
Consequently, many children spend most of their childhood experiencing low-level chronic stress rather than feeling productive and confident.
Putting sentiments aside, do you think pushing your child’s brain development improves cognitive and mental capacity? No, after our research, we discovered the reason for this.
A child’s neuroplasticity reduces when their brain develops too quickly. That is to say, their brains are more open to learning new things if they are more neuroplastic, making neuroplasticity crucial to the maturation and expansion of the brain.
Children with higher neuroplasticity levels are better able to learn new things and process information from novel encounters.
The most heartbreaking illustration of how stress affects a developing brain comes from kids with terrible childhood experiences (ACEs). Abuse, violence, growing up with a mentally ill family member, or any other traumatic incident in childhood are common categories for ACEs.
According to research, a child is more likely to eventually develop problems including heart disease, diabetes, depression, learning difficulties, and substance abuse the more ACEs they experience as children. This results from trauma’s impact on the central nervous system, at least in part.
Our nervous system enters “fight or flight” (sympathetic mode) when we are threatened to assist us in living. A danger to a child could be something significant, like an abusive parent (as in ACEs), or something minor, like an impending math test.
No matter how well they perform on a test or if their team wins the championship, if your child truly believes they are loved and accepted, their nervous system will receive a signal that they are safe, which prepares their brain for learning.
Parasympathetic mode is activated when you feel protected, whereas sympathetic mode is triggered by stress. Higher cognitive functions like learning and memory are enhanced when your parasympathetic reaction controls your nervous system.
We have discovered that the nervous system must be calm before significant learning changes may occur. Your child’s brain becomes relaxed, open, and significantly more neuroplastic when they feel safe. This holds for a brain in excellent condition and someone with neurological difficulties.
The most critical issues that come with this problem include workaholism, being a people pleaser, self-harm, inadequate self-care, the child will have unrealistically high standards for himself, Chronic stress & anxiety, lack of intimacy in relationships, codependency, staying in or even unconscious seeking the most common overall effects.
How Does Rapid Brain Development Affect A Child Emotionally?
When a child has rapid brain development, they eventually develop a wide range of intellectual, emotional, psychological, and social issues due to this horrifying psychological dynamic, which they will have to carry throughout their life.
Below are a few of the most widespread notions and psychological problems associated with it.
1. It makes the child believe they must constantly be courageous. This causes them to become disengaged from their needs, sometimes to the point that they fail to notice when they are weary, hungry, full, unhappy, etc.
This results in a counter-dependent personality, where one is emotionally overprotective of themselves, making it difficult for others to become close to them, which results in unpleasant relationships.
2. The child starts developing the idea that they must handle every task alone and can not ask for assistance, which leads to them becoming isolated, having trust issues, and a sense that it is only them against the world. Eventually, the child will find it extremely difficult to open up to people.
3. The child will grow up always putting other people’s feelings and needs before his. This habit makes it even more difficult for them to overcome childhood trauma. As a result, they eventually end up in abusive relationships where they might experience the same kind of abuse they did as a child.
How Can You Improve Cognitive Abilities If Pushing Them Isn’t Advisable?
After some research, scientists discovered that children’s neurological development requires variety, a feeling of security, playfulness, and calmness.
Variety is what spices up the lives of children. It is the flavor they require for the best possible neurological development. As we understand from neuroplasticity that whenever a child learns a new experience, it equips their brains with the opportunity to form a new connection which allows them to know more.
Let’s take, for instance, your child follows a 24-hour regulated schedule, such as waking up, going to school, attending sports practices, taking piano lessons, coming home and completing homework, go to bed. He repeats the process daily, leaving little room for spontaneous development and boring the child.
Your child’s happiness is much more important than their test grade, making it a win-win situation.
If your child exhibits significant learning difficulties, such as hyperactivity or a lack of focus, they probably require more assistance with their neurological wiring. For example, children under pressure at school and feeling overwhelmed frequently struggle to keep up.
The key point is that it isn’t just about diversity but the kind of variety. More precisely, ensuring your youngster has play and enjoyment opportunities is crucial. According to research, play increases the brain protein called a brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF).
This BDNF is very crucial for memory & learning. In addition, BDNF helps increase the plasticity of the brain. This means that if your child is given enough free time to play & enjoy life, they are more prepared they will learn when it comes time to get back to their academics.
Frequently Asked Questions
When Does A Child’s Brain Reach Full Development?
In as much as the size of the brain remains constant after a particular age, it continues to develop and mature until the mid-to-late 20s. The prefrontal cortex, located in the front of the brain, is among the last parts of the brain to develop.
Which Area Of The Brain Develops The Fastest Throughout Early Childhood?
The cerebellum has the quickest rate of growth in the brain. After three months, the volume has more than doubled. The cerebellum contains more neurons than any other part of the brain, which also aids in neonates’ motor coordination and movement as they explore their environment.
When Does Brain Development Become Rapid?
The brain’s rapid development from conception through early life is one of the fundamental causes. As much as the brain continuously develops until adulthood, the first eight years can lay the groundwork for future health, learning, and success.
What Are The Ways You Can Prevent Your Child From Maturing Too Quickly?
- They should not be allowed to put on low necklines and short skirts.
- Giving them enough free time
- By not allowing them to watch the television all day; instead, switch it off and direct the kids to other activities.
- Their entire screen time should be regulated—less social media, but more than that, even the content they interact with on social media should be properly monitored to ensure they are not watching content that is quite stimulating for their age.
Conclusion
Children’s physical, social, and emotional growth, as well as their imagination and creativity, can all suffer from rapid brain development. Therefore, developing your child’s natural skills without stressing them out in a society that seems to advance solely via pressure and force is essential.
Finding a balance between excitement and rest is critical to give kids the best start in life.
Start by giving their lives more diversity. If kids are confined to a rigid school, sports, and club schedule, throw in a few surprises or unusual encounters. They can remain interested in life if you keep things intriguing and exciting.