What is the main topic of Molly's talk?

The importance of early childhood interactions and development.

Who are the participants in Molly's experiment?

Molly, her little friend Ari, and her neighbor Amarjot.

Why are the first five years of a child's life crucial?

They are crucial for health and brain development, allowing up to one million neural connections every second.

What is 'serve and return'?

It's a concept that involves connecting, talking, and playing with children to aid their development.

How do games like peekaboo benefit children?

Peekaboo builds memory and trust, and other games build vocabulary, attention, imagination, and empathy.

What happens if children don't receive meaningful connections?

It can cause confusion and stress, and affect their ability to feel calm, safe, or trust.

Why is interacting with children important?

It strengthens relationships, mental health, and teaches important life skills.

What is the impact of removing attention from children?

It can confuse children and stress them out, impacting their development negatively.

How can adults support children's development according to Molly?

By regularly engaging with them through 'serve and return' to provide meaningful connections.

What is the significance of Molly's role as the speaker?

Being a child herself, she shares a unique perspective on the importance of early childhood interaction.

Molly Wright: How Every Child Can Thrive by Five | TED

00:07:43

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aISXCw0Pi94

Summary

TLDRSeven-year-old Molly presents a compelling talk on the significance of interactions in early childhood development. She explains that a simple game like peekaboo can profoundly impact brain development, particularly in the first five years when the brain can create up to one million neural connections per second. Molly emphasizes the importance of five key actions - connecting, talking, playing, a healthy home environment, and community involvement. She introduces 'serve and return' as a scientific term for interacting with children, highlighting how these interactions build relationships, mental health, and essential life skills. Using Ari and Amarjot as examples, Molly illustrates the impact of both engagement and the lack thereof, encouraging adults to consistently connect, talk, and play with children. This continuous interaction, according to Molly, could change the world by shaping us positively from childhood.

Takeaways

🧠 Early childhood years are crucial for brain development.
👶 Games like peekaboo can help build memory and trust in children.
🗨️ 'Serve and return' is critical for healthy development.
🔗 Strong child-adult connections boost confidence and exploration.
📈 The brain can make a million neural connections every second during early years.
🏠 A supportive environment and community are vital for child development.
🤝 Consistent interaction fosters life skills and mental health.
📵 Lack of meaningful interaction can cause confusion and stress in kids.
🎮 Play is important for building imagination and empathy.
📚 Vocabulary and attention can be enhanced through simple naming games.

Timeline

00:00:00 - 00:07:43
Molly, a seven-year-old, introduces herself and her little friend Ari. She hints at how something as simple as a game of peekaboo could have a significant impact on the world. Molly explains that her talk will focus on powerful actions adults can undertake to positively shape children and their development. She acknowledges that not all kids are as fortunate as she is in receiving support but wishes to help change that. Molly highlights the importance of the first five years in a child's life, especially in terms of brain development, stating that children start learning even before birth.

Mind Map

Video Q&A

What is the main topic of Molly's talk?
The importance of early childhood interactions and development.
Who are the participants in Molly's experiment?
Molly, her little friend Ari, and her neighbor Amarjot.
Why are the first five years of a child's life crucial?
They are crucial for health and brain development, allowing up to one million neural connections every second.
What is 'serve and return'?
It's a concept that involves connecting, talking, and playing with children to aid their development.
How do games like peekaboo benefit children?
Peekaboo builds memory and trust, and other games build vocabulary, attention, imagination, and empathy.
What happens if children don't receive meaningful connections?
It can cause confusion and stress, and affect their ability to feel calm, safe, or trust.
Why is interacting with children important?
It strengthens relationships, mental health, and teaches important life skills.
What is the impact of removing attention from children?
It can confuse children and stress them out, impacting their development negatively.
How can adults support children's development according to Molly?
By regularly engaging with them through 'serve and return' to provide meaningful connections.
What is the significance of Molly's role as the speaker?
Being a child herself, she shares a unique perspective on the importance of early childhood interaction.

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Subtitles

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00:00:00
Transcriber: Ivana Korom Reviewer:
00:00:14
[Baby cooing]
00:00:32
What if I was to tell you
00:00:34
that a game of peekaboo could change the world?
00:00:41
Sounds impossible, right?
00:00:43
Well, I’m here today to prove it’s not.
00:00:48
Hi, I’m Molly and I’m seven.
00:00:50
And this is my little friend, Ari.
00:00:52
Say “Hi,” Ari.
00:00:55
Hi.
00:00:57
Oh, and this is my neighbor, Amarjot.
00:01:00
He has to take Ari away now to get ready for our experiment.
00:01:05
But don't worry, they'll be back.
00:01:08
My talk today is about some powerful things you grownups can do.
00:01:12
that shape us as children and the adults we become.
00:01:16
How do I know?
00:01:18
Because my parents and people around me did them early and often.
00:01:23
I know not all kids are as lucky.
00:01:25
Some of my friends, some kids at my school and many around the world.
00:01:30
And I would really like to help change that.
00:01:34
Thanks to scientists,
00:01:35
we now know just how important the first five years are
00:01:39
for our health and development,
00:01:41
especially our brains.
00:01:43
Ari started learning long before he was even born,
00:01:46
from inside his mommy’s tummy.
00:01:48
When Ari was born,
00:01:50
he was tiny and he cried all the time.
00:01:55
He was always hungry and he pooped a lot.
00:01:59
[Laughter]
00:02:01
Now he laughs and giggles and makes funny noises.
00:02:05
But those are just the changes we hear and see.
00:02:08
That’s way more going on inside.
00:02:12
So, let’s talk more about our brains.
00:02:16
The blue bag is a rough size and weight of a healthy baby’s brain at birth.
00:02:22
The red one is a baby’s brain after the first year.
00:02:26
It almost doubles in volume.
00:02:30
And by my age, it's almost 90 percent the volume of an adult brain.
00:02:38
Our brains develop faster in our early years
00:02:41
than at any other time in our lives.
00:02:45
It can create up to one million neural connections every second.
00:02:51
But we need your help.
00:02:53
Our healthy development depends on these top five things,
00:02:58
One, connecting; two, talking;
00:03:02
three, playing; four, a healthy home,
00:03:05
five; community.
00:03:07
All of this helps our brains and us reach our full potential.
00:03:12
So what’s something you can do that can really make a difference?
00:03:17
Scientists call it serve and return.
00:03:20
That’s just a grown-up way of saying connect, talk and play with us.
00:03:26
And here’s the really big news.
00:03:29
Amarjot, Ari, you ready?
00:03:31
(Audio) Amajat: Ready?
00:03:33
Molly Wright: Copycat games build imagination and empathy.
00:03:37
(Amarjot and Ari laughing)
00:03:41
Naming games build vocabulary and attention.
00:03:45
Amarjot: Daddy. Ari. Daddy. Ari.
00:03:50
MW: And games like peekabo -- yep, peekaboo --
00:03:53
actually build memory and trust.
00:03:56
Amarjot: Peekaboo!
00:03:58
MW: Each time you talk to us, play with us, make us laugh,
00:04:03
it not only builds and strengthens our relationships and mental health,
00:04:08
it actually teaches us some of the most important life skills,
00:04:12
from making friends to taking the test,
00:04:15
to getting a job,
00:04:16
to one day maybe even starting a family of our own.
00:04:21
Interactions early and often matter.
00:04:24
Take it from me,
00:04:25
the seven-year-old up here talking about brain science.
00:04:29
(Laughter)
00:04:30
OK, now let’s see what happens when the connection is taken away.
00:04:37
So now he’s trying to get his dad’s attention again.
00:04:40
He’s reaching out like, “That was fun, why have you stopped?”
00:04:46
(Ari cries)
00:04:48
I know it’s important for adults to use their devices sometimes,
00:04:53
but kids are hardwired to seek out meaningful connections,
00:04:58
not receiving them causes confusion and stress.
00:05:02
OK, Amarjot, please re-engage.
00:05:06
Amarjot: Ah, there’s Ari.
00:05:08
(Ari laughs)
00:05:13
MW: Now what if our whole childhood was like that last 30 seconds?
00:05:19
How hard it would be for a child to feel calm.
00:05:23
To feel safe.
00:05:26
To learn to trust anyone.
00:05:28
And the lifelong impact that would have.
00:05:32
That makes me feel sad.
00:05:38
Ari only reacted the way he did and recovered so quickly
00:05:43
because the connection between him and his dad is usually so strong.
00:05:48
The positive relationships with the grown-ups in our lives
00:05:51
gives kids the confidence we need
00:05:54
to try new things, to explore and be a kid.
00:06:01
So please,
00:06:04
try to remember the most special period for our development is
00:06:09
the first five years.
00:06:12
Starting from inside mommy’s tummy.
00:06:15
What’s something really impactful you can do?
00:06:18
Serve and return.
00:06:21
And when?
00:06:23
Early and often.
00:06:26
Please give it up for a Amarjot and Ari.
00:06:29
(Applause)
00:06:37
Every moment together is an opportunity
00:06:41
to connect, talk and play.
00:06:45
Imagine the difference we could make if everyone everywhere did this.
00:06:53
To us, the children,
00:06:56
it’s so much more than just a game.
00:07:04
It's our future.
00:07:06
Thank you.
00:07:07
(Applause)
00:07:08
See? Peekaboo really can change the world.
00:07:11
(Applause)