Why are the birth to 5 years so important?

That’s a great question, and one that the child development books always make soooooo complicated. But it’s simple really. It’s about brain development. Thankfully you don’t need to be a brainiac to understand!

Children’s brains develop quickly more from birth to five than they ever will again.
The more positive experiences a child has, the more her brain develops.
If a child has these experiences early in life, it makes it easier for her to learn later on.
Child development experiences don't have to be hard, expensive or administered by a licensed professional.

When you give your son a bath, sing the song, “Splish Splash I Was Taking a Bath.”
If you’re making a homemade pizza, let her smell the oregano and touch the mushrooms. You might want to say, “This is a spice called oregano.” “Wow! Feel how slippery this mushroom is!”
As you walk along the side walk show your son an anthill or a spider. Talk to him about what spiders eat. (They eat other bugs.) Tell him that even though ants are very small they are very strong--kind of like Superman!
OK I think we’ve made our point—simple everyday experiences, when explained to children, become wonderful learning moments. We call them Teachable Moments, and they happen every day. Thank goodness!