By Marie Owens, MEd.

As aunties, there are some things that we cannot do for our nieces and nephews, like carry them for nine months or be present for each and every milestone. But there is so much that we can do to help them develop intellectually from day one until … well, it really never ends!

Language
From the first day you meet the swaddled-to-perfection love of your life you can begin to help them acquire language abilities in a few simple ways. First, by narrating the actions and ideas of your daily activities (similar to the "thinking aloud" technique that teachers use) you begin to help them see what is being processed in your mind and what sounds and words correspond with those mental events. Also, by simply sharing your love for language with children by taking them to the bookstore, listening to an audio book in the car or showing them how we read newspapers (and blogs!), you model the kind of lifelong learning that can help motivate young people to choose literacy for the rest of their lives.

Math
Studies show that children who are surrounded in homes with numbers (think calendars, clocks and lists) embrace and succeed in mathematics at greater numbers than children that do not. While the little ones may not live with you, it is certainly possible for you to show them how much money it takes to buy a sandwich, to talk to them about the numbers going by on a crosswalk sign or to ask them to pick out which group of blocks is more than the other. The idea here is that young minds need to be exposed to the concept that numbers are all around us and that math isn't something to fear but a natural way of looking at relationships in the world.

Critical Thinking
For some, the term critical thinking conjures up images of a college class and the mounds of required reading attached to it, but it is far more fun and less complicated than that when it comes to human development. This skill is often cited as one of the least developed aspects of students’ thinking when they enter high school, college and the workforce. We as aunts can help our nieces and nephews by coaching them to think about problem solving as a flexible process that involves looking at an issue or challenge from multiple perspectives. Early on, we can ask them dilemmas like: "What should we do if you and your brother want to go to different parks this Saturday?" Or, "Why do you think your clothes get wet if you leave them too close to the bath tub?" While questions like this might seem silly to ask children, if we have the patience to keep asking "why" questions and don't let simple answers prevail, we can help them to take others points of view or understand the roots of cause and effect relationships.

In all, there is so much that any adult can do to help the young people in their life develop in a natural and unforced manner. These types of actions don't "feel like school" and so they can be made into fun games that your niece or nephew will enjoy. The thing to keep in mind is that you don’t need a whole lot of money or fancy baby university classes to see mental growth. All you need is time, patience and a desire to see the ones you love flourish.

Marie Owens is an education consultant, freelance writer and an overjoyed aunt.