Molly Wright How every child can thrive by five TED
Transcriber: Ivana Korom
Reviewer:
[Baby cooing]
What if I was to tell you
that a game of peekaboo
could change the world?
Sounds impossible, right?
Well, I’m here today to prove it’s not.
Hi, I’m Molly and I’m seven.
And this is my little friend, Ari.
Say “Hi,” Ari.
Hi.
Oh, and this is my neighbor, Amarjot.
He has to take Ari away now
to get ready for our experiment.
But don’t worry, they’ll be back.
My talk today is about some powerful
things you grownups can do.
that shape us as children
and the adults we become.
How do I know?
Because my parents and people around me
did them early and often.
I know not all kids are as lucky.
Some of my friends, some kids at my school
and many around the world.
And I would really like
to help change that.
Thanks to scientists,
we now know just how important
the first five years are
for our health and development,
especially our brains.
Ari started learning
long before he was even born,
from inside his mommy’s tummy.
When Ari was born,
he was tiny and he cried all the time.
He was always hungry
and he pooped a lot.
[Laughter]
Now he laughs and giggles
and makes funny noises.
But those are just the changes
we hear and see.
That’s way more going on inside.
So, let’s talk more about our brains.
The blue bag is a rough size and weight
of a healthy baby’s brain at birth.
The red one is a baby’s brain
after the first year.
It almost doubles in volume.
And by my age, it’s almost 90 percent
the volume of an adult brain.
Our brains develop faster
in our early years
than at any other time
in our lives.
It can create up to one million
neural connections every second.
But we need your help.
Our healthy development depends
on these top five things,
One, connecting; two, talking;
three, playing; four, a healthy home,
five; community.
All of this helps our brains
and us reach our full potential.
So what’s something you can do
that can really make a difference?
Scientists call it serve and return.
That’s just a grown-up way of saying
connect, talk and play with us.
And here’s the really big news.
Amarjot, Ari, you ready?
(Audio) Amajat: Ready?
Molly Wright: Copycat games
build imagination and empathy.
(Amarjot and Ari laughing)
Naming games build vocabulary
and attention.
Amarjot: Daddy. Ari. Daddy. Ari.
MW: And games like peekabo –
yep, peekaboo –
actually build memory and trust.
Amarjot: Peekaboo!
MW: Each time you talk to us,
play with us, make us laugh,
it not only builds and strengthens
our relationships and mental health,
it actually teaches us
some of the most important life skills,
from making friends to taking the test,
to getting a job,
to one day maybe even starting
a family of our own.
Interactions early and often matter.
Take it from me,
the seven-year-old up here
talking about brain science.
(Laughter)
OK, now let’s see what happens
when the connection is taken away.
So now he’s trying to get
his dad’s attention again.
He’s reaching out like,
“That was fun, why have you stopped?”
(Ari cries)
I know it’s important for adults
to use their devices sometimes,
but kids are hardwired
to seek out meaningful connections,
not receiving them
causes confusion and stress.
OK, Amarjot, please re-engage.
Amarjot: Ah, there’s Ari.
(Ari laughs)
MW: Now what if our whole childhood
was like that last 30 seconds?
How hard it would be
for a child to feel calm.
To feel safe.
To learn to trust anyone.
And the lifelong impact that would have.
That makes me feel sad.
Ari only reacted the way he did
and recovered so quickly
because the connection between him
and his dad is usually so strong.
The positive relationships
with the grown-ups in our lives
gives kids the confidence we need
to try new things, to explore
and be a kid.
So please,
try to remember the most special period
for our development is
the first five years.
Starting from inside mommy’s tummy.
What’s something really
impactful you can do?
Serve and return.
And when?
Early and often.
Please give it up for a Amarjot and Ari.
(Applause)
Every moment together is an opportunity
to connect, talk and play.
Imagine the difference we could make
if everyone everywhere did this.
To us, the children,
it’s so much more than just a game.
It’s our future.
Thank you.
(Applause)
See? Peekaboo really can change the world.
(Applause)