Before They Turn Seven: What Every Parent Deserves to Know

  •   Fri, May 23 2025
  •   By Shubha Nair

May 23, 2025

It’s quiet moments — the chubby hand reaching for yours, the sudden giggle in the middle of a tantrum, the weight of their sleepy head on your shoulder — that often remind us: this stage won’t last forever.

And yet, in the middle of work emails, laundry piles, and school runs, it’s easy to forget how much is happening inside our children, especially in the early years. Not just physically — but deep in their hearts, their minds, and their sense of self.

1. What’s Really the Problem?

The world is moving fast. And while our children are growing up surrounded by more opportunities than ever, they’re also growing up in environments that often rush through the most crucial years.

  • They’re hearing fewer stories, and more instructions.
  • They’re getting more screen time, and less eye contact.
  • They’re feeling more watched, but not always truly seen.
  • And we — the caregivers — are trying to pour from empty cups.

Beneath it all, many young children are silently struggling — not because we aren’t loving, but because modern life often pulls us away from what they need the most: our steady, present, attuned attention.

2. Why It Matters More Than Ever Today

Between birth and age seven, the brain is building the very architecture for learning, trust, emotion, and resilience. These aren’t just milestones to tick off — they’re deep imprints shaping who they’ll become.

And today’s children are living through realities we never had to face:

  • A pandemic that disrupted their sense of safety and routine.
  • A hyper-digital world, where attention is fragmented and affection is often delayed.
  • Parents under pressure, managing jobs, homes, and emotional burnout.

That’s why we’re seeing more children overwhelmed by small changes, struggling with focus, or feeling anxious without knowing why. Their behavior is often a message — not of defiance, but of disconnection.

3. The Science and the Subtle: What the Brain and the Body Know

If you’ve ever watched a small child lost in play or quietly staring at a leaf, you’ve seen it — their whole being is open, absorbent, and alive to the world. Science tells us that in these early years, especially before the age of seven, children’s brains operate mostly in theta waves — the same brain state adults enter during deep meditation. In other words, they’re not just listening to what we say; they’re soaking in how we live, how we love, and how we respond.

Yogic wisdom has always understood this. It teaches that in these early years, a child’s energy body is forming alongside their physical body. The Root Chakra — which governs safety and trust — and the Sacral Chakra — which governs emotion and creativity — are especially sensitive during this time. When a child feels secure, touched with love, and held in a rhythm of care, these energy centers begin to balance naturally. It’s like giving them strong, invisible roots.

So even the small things matter: the tone of your voice, the softness of your hands, the way you breathe when you’re near them. You don’t have to be perfect — just present, aware, and kind, as often as you can. You’re not just raising a child — you’re helping shape a nervous system, a sense of self, and a lifelong ability to feel at home in the world.

4. What Can We Actually Do? The Power of Simple, Real Presence

Here’s the part that gives me hope — and I hope it gives you some, too:

Children don’t need perfect parents. They need present ones.

You don’t need a parenting degree or fancy tools. You just need to start where you are — with small, conscious shifts that say: I see you, I’m here, you matter.

Try this:

  • Pause before reacting. When they misbehave, ask: What are they really trying to express? Often, it’s a need for closeness.
  • Turn routines into rituals. That bedtime story, that morning hug — it matters. It grounds them. It tells them they’re safe.
  • Speak with more emotion, not just information. “I love watching you play” means more than “Good job.”
  • Let them play freely. It’s not wasted time — it’s brain-building magic.
  • Look in their eyes when they talk. That moment of connection might be what they carry into adulthood when they doubt their worth.

Above all, give yourself grace. This stage is hard. It’s beautiful, messy, exhausting — and sacred. And the way you show up, day after day, even in your tiredness, is the real gift.

One Day, They’ll Say…

They may not remember every toy you bought, or every rule you enforced. But they will remember how you made them feel.

That’s what the first seven years are really about — giving your child an inner voice that says:
I’m safe. I’m loved. I belong.

And that voice? It will guide them for the rest of their life.

 

 

 

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By Shubha Nair
Shubha Nair is the founder of Yogue Body & Mind (getyogue.com).
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Comment on this article

  • Ambrose Pereira, Bajpe

    Fri, May 23 2025

    Sums it all well. The first three years or first five years of a kid. Please keep writing so many can hear you


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Title: Before They Turn Seven: What Every Parent Deserves to Know



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