The First 7 Years Matter – So Does The Rest…

It has often been said that the most important developmental aspects occur in the first seven years of a child’s life. Aristotle was well known for saying “Give me a child until he is 7 and I will show you the man”. Statements like these often cause parents to feel very anxious. However, the answer to whether the first seven years of life is the most important does not have a set in stone or black and white answer. Childhood adversity or trauma does not necessarily determine the overall wellbeing of a child or the success they will achieve as adults. While the first seven years might not be everything when it comes to whether a child has developed in a healthy way or not, it does matter, especially with relation to topics such as social development.



In the first years of a child’s life, their brains develop rapidly and makes millions or neural connections in minutes. Neural connections can be seen as the foundation of a child’s life from which all other future connections will grow. While the first seven years in a child’s life does not necessarily determine their lifelong happiness levels it does lay a foundation for how they will interact with the world by processing the way they are responded to by others.

Neuroplasticity proves that our brains are not only powerful, but that we can change the faulty or negative programming we received in our early childhood years. This might not be as easy as it would have been when you were seven years old, but it is always possible. Parents cannot control every aspect of wellbeing of their children, but they can ensure that they provide them with a secure base and keep a healthy connection with them.