In one way or another, science has already predicted that, on average, girls’ brains matured earlier than those of boys, however, it was a study by the University of Newcastle that supported this hypothesis with data.
It is known that this advance in neurological development can occur up to ten years earlier than in children (remember that individual differences are very important and not just explained by sex).
- Now there’s one aspect to highlight.
- Just because girls have earlier brain development than boys doesn’t mean they have greater intellectual potential.
Basically, this means that between the age of 10 and 12 they have a better brain organization and greater neurological activity; children, in turn, begin the same maturation process between the age of 15 and 21.
That is, both sexes follow the same neural maturation processes that will eventually allow them to reach a brain ready to interact with their environment with greater capacity for reflection, attention, less impulsivity, etc. , however, girls start this process earlier.
Similarly, it is worth noting a detail that neuroscientists also talk about: at present certain circumstances arise that make our children neurologically vulnerable.
The sedentary lifestyle, social disconnection and preference for digital stimuli, or even external pressure to achieve good results that ultimately take time, make it easier for children to reach their full brain potential.
“Only when the emotional brain receives the love it needs can it have full intellectual capacity. “- Alvaro Bilbao-
Scientists at the University of Newcastle in the UK conducted a study in 2013 finding unexpected data. The aim of this work, as Marcus Kaiseer, a professor in the university’s Department of Psychology, explains, was to know the level of connectivity. human brain between the age of 4 and 40.
When testing and MRIs, they achieved something very significant: girls between the age of 10 and 12 have more mature brains than boys.
But what do we mean when we use the term “mature”?This means that the brain has already begun the process of pruning neural connections that it does not consider important to effectively reorganize.
We will see more data to understand it better
If we say that a skillful and strong brain with good potential is a brain with an accurate and adequate level of connections, many may feel confused.
We often tend to think that the more neural connections we have, the more resources, skills and skills we will have, however, that is not the key. In fact, one of the main problems for people with autism is precisely their hyper-connectivity.
Just because girls’ brains mature before boys don’t mean they need a differentiated education.
In fact, what the experts point out and what we have already mentioned at the beginning is the need to respond to children’s educational, emotional and personal conditions to achieve effective neural connectivity.
What do we mean by that? We want to influence some very basic facts. For example, a child’s brain is not designed to sit all day. Do young children need to move, explore, discover, play, interact with other children, experience sensations, emotions, feelings?
It is true that girls’ brains mature before boys’ brains, but we need to put in place the most appropriate conditions to do so in the best way, making the most of their potential.
To achieve this goal, it never goes without remembering the dimensions that can help us the most.
A first strategy is to take care of your emotions, factors such as having a healthy attachment, such as love, safety and affection in the family environment, are fundamental, from there it is very significant to help them manage and understand their emotions. .
Finally, we cannot forget the fundamental pillar of raising a child, we mean the curiosity factor, increasing its ability to admire, invent, create, experiment, fail, do well, test, feel and discover the world at its own pace.
The baby’s brain has its own time, but we, as facilitators, also have the ability (and responsibility) to optimize this process.