Month 38

Don’t shrink-wrap that brain! Scans of children’s brains show that the growth at this age is explosive, a fact that allows them to absorb and organize new information at a rate much faster than adults.

The uniqueness of each child results from the complex actions between genes that control brain growth and formative experiences from the child’s environment, involving both sensitivity and resilience.

Although there are specialized areas responsible for particular functions, one area of the brain never acts in isolation from others; a specific function will involve a number of regions working together as part of a neural network dedicated to that function.

How I think @ 38 months

My brain is growing like evolution on steroids! Now my brain is 3/4th of its adult size. My brain’s weight is approx. 1270 grams (approx. 2.8 lbs) for males and 1090 grams (approx. 2.4 lbs) for females.

Motor Development: Gross Motor Skills
• I have daytime control over bowel and bladder functions and may have nighttime control as well
• I may stay dry all night
• I am able to ride three wheel toys such as a tricycle or Big Wheel
• I have improved balance
• I am able to briefly balance on one foot

Motor Development: Fine Motor Skills
• I can easily place small objects in a small opening
• I can string four large beads
• I can turn single pages
• I can snip with scissors
• I can hold crayons with thumb and finger (instead of fist)

Language and Thinking Development
• I can tell a story
• I have a vocabulary of nearly 1000 words
• I absorb from my environment, process what I assimilate and then I ask questions – A LOT of them!
• My speech is nearly constant regardless of the presence of an audience
• I can name at least one color

Social and Emotional Development
• I can feed myself well. I drink with help.
• I can separate from mother easily (can accommodate well in a daycare or school environment)
• I am able to defer gratification for a short period of time

Activities