The Reach and the Rhythm: How Movement Builds the Growing Brain
This is a photo of our firstborn daughter, Emily, learning to brachiate, those tiny hands reaching, grasping, and swinging across a simple setup we built in our home. I still remember the look on her face the first time she figured out the rhythm, reach, grip, shift, breathe. It was a small victory that felt enormous.
As parents, we get to shape spaces that invite movement. When babies have the freedom to explore, rolling, crawling, pulling up, hanging, they’re not just building muscle; they’re wiring their brains. Cross-patterning activities like brachiation help organize the nervous system so the brain and body communicate with increasing precision and ease. We saw it in Emily: better coordination, steadier posture, and a growing confidence that spilled into everything else she did. Our job was simply to provide the opportunity, keep it safe, and celebrate each little step along the way.
Read More From Nancy
Brain Grows by Repetition
One important principle I have come to understand, and one that sits at the heart of It’s All in the Head, is that the brain develops through use. The brain does not simply grow with time it grows through experience. Each level of brain development is built upon the successful repetition of the level below it. […]
My Second Child
I made so many preparations for the birth of my first child, doing everything I could in the hope of being the best parent possible. But as every parent learns, no amount of planning prepares us for the responsibility and learning that come with welcoming a firstborn. When Emmy, my first, arrived, I remember carrying […]
Preparing for Birth: From Perfection to Perspective
I often think about the preparation that goes into a first pregnancy. Some of us begin even before we conceive, while most of us dive in during those nine months of anticipation. This was certainly true for me. In my first pregnancy, preparation was an exploration — through books, conversations with elders who could guide […]
