A household routine and a healthy diet might go farther than parents may realize, according to new research from the University of Illinois.
The research says nutrition and “household chaos” have a negative effect on the brain’s higher functions such as memory. “We really wanted to look at executive function before they begin rapidly developing those abilities,” said Samantha Iwinski, a graduate student in human development and family studies. “Researchers have found that they really start developing between two and five years of age, so we really looked at children when they are eighteen to 24 months.
“We really wanted to see these beginning things that are happening within family environments, including diet and household chaos.”
Iwinski says for these purposes, “chaos” means a lack of organization or routine. The research is published in the journal Nutrients.