Why youngest ever TED Talker got a standing ovation
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A seven-year-old Australian girl has delivered a TED Talk on parenting that has seen her become an internet sensation.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Molly Wright took the stage, telling adults how they had better interact with their children.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">She’s the youngest person to give a TED Talk, and the video of her talk has since received more than 100,000 views.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“My talk today is about things grown-ups can do to shape us as children,” the young Queenslander said in the talk.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Molly is the new spokesperson for the Mindaroo Foundation’s “Thrive by Five” campaign, run by Andrew “Twiggy” and Nicola Forrest.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The campaign says the first 1,000 days of a child’s life are crucial for their development.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“If we don’t take charge and look after our early years, then everything we do later is just a patch-up,” Nicola Forrest said.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In her talk, Molly says simple interactive games like Peek-a-Boo can be literally life-changing.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Every moment is an opportunity to connect, talk and play,” she said.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Imagine the difference we could make if everyone, everywhere did this.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The young speaker also chastised parents for an over-reliance on technology, arguing it could have harmful effects on kids in the long term.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">During her talk, she showed a dad using his iPad and ignoring his one-year-old child who was reaching out for attention.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Kids are hardwired to seek out meaningful connections and not receiving them causes confusion and stress,” she said.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Interactions early and often matter.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Take it from me, the seven-year-old up here talking about brain science.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Molly’s talk brought the audience to a standing ovation, and has already been shown in maternity wards across Australia.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The film will also be placed in 1,400 doctor’s waiting rooms throughout the country.</span></p>
<p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: TED</span></em></p>
