Moms make the executive

MONTREAL, Feb. 8 (UPI) -- Canadian and U.S. researchers say mom plays a key role in how her child develops executive functioning.

Researchers at the University of Montreal and University of Minnesota found the way a mother interacts with her child affects how the child develops this set of advanced cognitive functions -- including mental flexibility and the abilities to remember things and control impulses -- integral to the ability to make goals and reach them.

Lead author Annie Bernier of the University of Montreal and colleagues observed 80 pairs of middle-income Canadian mothers and their year-old babies play and solve puzzles.

The study, published in Child Development, found the children of moms who answered their children's requests for help quickly and accurately, talked about their children's preferences, thoughts and memories during play and encouraged successful strategies to help solve difficult problems performed better at age 1 1/2 and at age 2 on tasks that call for executive skills than children of moms who didn't use these techniques when interacting with their youngsters.

"The study sheds light on the role parents play in helping children develop skills that are important for later school success and social competence," Bernier said in a statement.