Ever walked to the shops only to find, once there, you’ve completely forgotten what you went for? Or struggled to remember the name of an old friend? For years we’ve accepted that a forgetful brain is as much a part of aging as wrinkles and gray hair. But now a new book suggests that we’ve got it all wrong.

According to The Secret Life of the Grown-up Brain, by science writer Barbara Strauch, when it comes to the important things, our brains actually get better with age. In fact, she argues that some studies have found that our brain hits its peak between our 40s and 60s — much later than previously thought.

Furthermore, rather than losing many brain cells as we age, we keep them, and even produce new ones well into middle age. For years it’s been assumed that brain, much like the body, declines with age. But the longest, largest study into what happens to people as they age suggests otherwise.

This continuing research has followed 6,000 people since 1956, testing them every seven years. It has found that on average, participants performed better on cognitive tests in their 40s and 50s than they had done in their 20s. Specifically, older people did better on tests of vocabulary, verbal memory (how many words you can remember) and problem solving. Where they performed less well was number ability and perceptual speed — how fast you can push a button when ordered. However, with more complex tasks such as problem-solving and language, we are at our best at middle age and beyond. In short, researchers are now coming up with scientific proof that we do get wiser with age.

Neuroscientists are also finding that we are happier with aging. A recent US study found older people were much better at controlling and balancing their emotions. It is thought that when we’re younger we need to focus more on the negative aspects of life in order to learn about the possible dangers in the world, but as we get older we’ve learned our lessons and are aware that we have less time left in life: therefore, it becomes more important for us to be happy.

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One of the most important gift parents can give their kids is time to play, both as a family and on their own. Finding time to play with kids can be a challenge if parents are working and meeting the many day-to-day challenges of getting things done. But play is so important to child development that it has been recognized by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights as a right of every child.

Scientists say 75 percent of the brain develops after a baby is born, in the years between birth and the early 20s. Childhood play encourages the brain to make connections between nerve cells(神经元). This is what helps a child develop both sports skills and hands-on abilities(writing, operating small tools, doing detailed handwork). Play during the teen years and into adulthood helps the brain develop even more connectivity, especially in the frontal lobe(额叶)which is the center for planning and making good decisions.

Studies have shown that kids who are encouraged to use their imagination are more creative in their adult life. Pretend play, a form of symbolic(象征的)play where children use objects, actions or ideas to stand for other objects, actions, or ideas using their imaginations to assign roles to lifeless objects or people, can greatly do good to children’s imagination and creativity, which help kids find new ways to do things and invent new products when they are grown-up. It’s the ability to ”make believe" that can take children’s minds to places where no one has gone before.

So it`s wise for parents to shut down the screens for an hour or two after dinner and play some games with their kids a few times a week. Throw a sheet over the table to make a lovely tent. Hand out paper plates and challenge everyone to make a funny hat. Play hide and seek with the little ones and charades with the older kids.

The great teen sleeping crisis?

A recent study found that only around 50% of US teenagers were getting the seven hours of sleep generally considered necessary. The other half were getting on average two hours less. These are worrying figures indeed, especially when you take into consideration latest recommendations from experts that seven to ten hours is best for teenagers.

One thing we all need to do is to stop blaming teenagers for their sleeping habits, since they do have a biological excuse for their behaviour. It’s all the fault of the hormone melatonin. When melatonin increases through the body, it’s telling us that it’s time to go to bed. The problem is that in teenagers, melatonin is released two hours later than in adults, meaning that they get the call to go to bed much later than their parents. Then, when they’re forced to wake up in the morning, their melatonin levels are still high and their bodies are urging them to stay in bed. That’s why they find it such a struggle to drag themselves out from under the covers.

So what can be done to make life easier for everyone? Well, one simple solution would be to start the school day two hours later. In the US, 40% of all teenagers start school before 8 am, which is clearly far too early for the average teenage brain to function properly. If a 10 am start time was implemented, it would give them a much fairer chance.

In addition, teenagers themselves need to take more responsibility for their own sleeping patterns. It’s been proven that people who stick to a regular routine lead far healthier lives. Going to bed and getting up at the same time each day certainly gives your body a head start. Teens can even take a nap in the afternoon if they’re able to make that a regular part of their routine.