EARLY YEARS: Partnership for Community Wellness says kids need to “kiss their brains” every day

ROANOKE, Va. (WDBJ) -You can read it in science and parenting articles. It takes a long time for a child’s brain to fully develop. Typically, between 25 and 30 years.

“So, when we say that, we want it to be so that parents really really grasp that in the first 10 years of life, the kids don’t need a phone, they don’t need all these screens. They don’t need all of this stimulation,” says Nancy Hans, executive director of the Partnership for Community Wellness.

Instead, Hans says kids need face-to-face communication, and to stay active with limited screen time as their brains develop.

To help parents navigate this brain-based learning, the Partnership for Community Wellness is revamping its parent program using the website, Lobo Learning.

“We produce all the content. We give all the resources. And then, they put this together. So, it’s called the E-learning module, the first one. It’s digital health. It’s for parents,” says Hans.

Hans says by emphasizing brain health, the hope is to prevent risky behavior in kids and youth.

“There’s all ways we can think about the brain. So, we’re really wanting the parents to know that this brain is very small and very tiny; it’s just not ready yet to have a lot of the things that I think social media is pushing. We also want to continue on this path of wellness, and keeping that brain as healthy as we can,” says Hans.

For more information about the Partnership for Community Wellness, click here.

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