我，娃娃 (二) - I, Infant (2)
A mature person's brain consumes approximately 20% of the energy used by the body. That's quite a lot for a body part that most of us hardly ever use!
Perhaps not surprising, but amazing nonetheless, is that the brain of a developing infant consumes about 60% of the body's energy. Think about that for a second. Three fifths of that mackerel you're feeding your little one doesn't go into those fatty legs. Three fifths of that bread with jam will never reach your sweetie pie's cheeks. It'll all go into the brain, where it... well... is being consumed really. The brain is a hungry organ after all.
Knowing this, I was pleasantly surprised when I came across the following headline the other day: "bilingual children require less brain activity than their monoglot peers, for the same tasks" (the original press briefing [PDF] and article are both in Dutch). Less brain activity requires less energy, requires less food. Does this mean we can feed Min Yi less now?
But hold on, I hear you say. How can I claim my daughter is bilingual when she cannot even speak yet? A good question! Let me tell you how I can.
There was a moment in November or December that Li and I noticed Min Yi understood some words. We can't remember when exactly this started (nor is that very important). It was really as simple as flipping a switch: one day you clap your hands, say "klap eens in je handjes" or "拍拍手" and Min Yi laughs. The next day you say "klap eens in je handjes" or "拍拍手" and Min Yi claps her hands!
Not that there's anything special about that of course. Making an educated guess, I say that to Min Yi, "klap eens in je handjes" and "拍拍手" are simply synonyms. It's us, the parents, that assign a special meaning to this. Of course it's great to see your kid suddenly react to two different languages. But special? No, she's simply a child, trying to make sense of the world. In fact, I'm convinced she couldn't not do it!
Still, Min Yi understood some of the words that I said. Suddenly, I felt that there was a connection at a completely different level. A connection that's less instinctive, emotional or whatever term you want to use, but that's completely besides the point. The point is that this is an extra connection!
Probably, the excitement will wear off. I think that at some point I will take it for granted that Min Yi understands me. Followed later, of course, by another stage at which I will be unable to remember how I ever understood her!
But back on topic. Do we feed Min Yi less now? Of course not. We still feed her as before, and any extra brain activity will simply be treated as heat generating bonus.
