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In general, babies and preschoolers are better off being raised primarily by a stay-at-home parent. That assertion, however, is based on the presumption that the parent is a loving, capable, mature, parent with enough common sense, understanding of child development, and parental instinct to adequately meet the child's developmental needs.

That number of qualifying traits may at first seem a little restrictive, but a good percentage of parents who are generally emotionally stable and mature enough to be parents have what is needed. Not all do.

Much of a child's development occurs during the years from birth to school age, with a substantial degree of development occurring in the first three years of life. A baby comes into this world in need of nurturing that will encourage optimal development of his brain, central nervous system, large and fine motor skills, and ability to develop attachment. A substantial portion of the development of brain connections occurs during the first three years of life, with yet additional skills developing in the first five. With the right nurturing a child's brain will form connections that will serve him for the rest of his life. Two very important functions of the development of the right brain connections include the development of a properly functioning stress response system and immune system.

The good news is that a parent need not be a expert in neurology or have advanced degrees in child development to be able to offer a child the high-quality nurturing that each and every child needs. When a child has a parent who meets the needs of children from birth to preschool that child has the opportunity to reach his optimal development. While infants and toddlers certainly require a lot of care, they don't - when it comes down to it - have many needs. They need food, sleep, clean clothes, and a clean home to meet their physical needs. Emotionally, they need to feel safe, secure, and loved.

The bad news (at least for some parents) is that brain connections are not just related to the stress response system, the immune system, or even language development. They're related to every part of the developing brain, including those parts that determine whether a child feels emotionally secure, bonds well with people close to him, and, in general, has the skills needed to function well in life.

What many people often overlook, however, is that babies and toddlers need a parent who gives them plenty of attention (engages them and encourages

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