First3Years

Something tasty is POPPING UP SOON! 👀
Support First3Years by shopping our Double Good popcorn fundraiser just in time for Father’s Day! Fifty percent of every purchase helps advance early relational and mental health for babies, toddlers, and families across Texas.

🍿 Popcorn for Pop Fundraiser
📅 Save the Date: June 1st-8th

⏰ Read it all in about 5 seconds? That’s 5 MILLION new neural connections in your baby’s brain. This is why the first 3 years of life are so foundational for your little one’s development!

Now, all those news connections in your baby’s brain take A LOT of energy to maintain, so the brain needs to decide which ones to keep and which ones to remove. The more often neural connections are used, the more they grow and the stronger they become! The neural connections that don’t get used will weaken until, eventually, the connection is removed because the brain doesn’t want to expend unnecessary energy maintaining it ⚡️🧠

The everyday routines and daily interactions you share with your baby have the power to literally shape their brain! Focusing on simple, everyday interactions and building a secure relationship with your baby helps strengthen the neural connections that keep their brain happy and healthy 🧡

🦘Happy Kangaroo Care Awareness Day! Did you know that Kangaroo Care, also known as skin-to-skin, was first implemented in Colombia in 1983? Drs. Rey and Martinez began the practice for premature infants in response to underequipped facilities and a lack of appropriate incubation care in their hospital.

Their revolutionary approach provided both a solution to their patient’s immediate needs and sparked a breakthrough in neonatal care for premature babies.

In the 43 years since Kangaroo Care was first put into practice, the physical, emotional, and relational benefits of skin-to-skin have been well documented not just for premature babies in the NICU, but for ALL babies, in ALL settings. Those first moments of skin-to-skin connection help lay the foundation for healthy development, early relational health, and infant mental health for babies worldwide! 🌎👶