Start for Life

Five to Thrive and the importance of bonding with your baby

Your baby’s brain is amazing…

The brain is not like any other part of the body. Nearly all the cells of the brain are in place from about half way through pregnancy—between eighty and a hundred billion of them. But these cells only begin to work as they connect together. And brain cells connect best when people connect.

Five to Thrive encourages secure attachments between caregivers and children to ensure positive brain development to support a child’s emotional resilience and communication skills. 

It's demonstrated in a tower of building blocks and gives ideas on how parents and caregivers can be responsive to their children through five key principles (the blocks) - respond, cuddle, relax, play and talk       

These are our daily building blocks for a healthy brain. A healthy brain helps people to be happy in themselves, to make friends, to enjoy family life, to learn, and to support the brain function of other people so that they can also enjoy all these benefits. Every day brings many opportunities to give and receive this healthy nourishment.

Take a look at this video to see Five to Thrive in action 

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Respond

“My brain works better when you respond to me. You are my world. When you feel happy, my growing brain discovers happiness. When you face challenges, my brain grows stronger. When you notice me moving around and respond to me, I feel how safe it is to be connected to you. And through you other people can respond to me as well, and they can also help my brain to grow.”

Cuddle

“My brain works better when you cuddle me. Touch is my first connection with the world outside my skin—my brain is built on touch. I love it when I feel you hold or stroke me. It means I can connect to you in a new way—it’s my first experience of a hug! When other people touch you, I also connect to them, and my brain gets ready for relationships. Loving touch helps my brain to grow.”

Relax

“My brain works better when you relax with me. The chemicals your body produces when you are relaxed make a pattern in my brain for being able to relax, and to produce those important chemicals myself one day. Even after I am born I won’t be able to do this for myself—I will still need to connect to you to settle me. So practising relaxing with me now really helps!”

Play

“My brain works better when you play with me. Playfulness builds patterns in my brain that one day will help me make sense of the world. I will learn through play. When you are playful, my growing brain discovers how to be alert and connected. When you sing, or dance, or are playful with other people, the right side of your brain is active. Your active brain helps my brain to grow.”

Talk

“My brain works better when you talk to me. I can hear now, and I love your voice. When you talk to me, or sing to me, or read to me, my brain is getting ready to talk and sing and read one day. When I am born I will already recognise the voices I am hearing now, especially those I hear every day. Angry voices scare me, but kind voices and loving words help my brain to grow.”