Fill your baby with love first — and then the facts! ~via @egmartin1

The iconic toymaker, Fisher-Price, commissioned a global study, Mom’s Hopes & Wishes Study, to explore moms’ attitudes and approaches to early childhood development.

They asked moms all over the world what was most important for a child’s development. Moms in China, US, Russia, Mexico and all the other countries in the study stated the same thing. Love is #1! Love is #1 for a child’s early development.

Moms of this generation are also putting a greater emphasis on traits like happiness, respectfulness, kindness, honesty, and politeness.

I see this shift in emphasis as having a greater impact in our world, over any scientific or technological advancement. Of course, those advancement are critical! Though, it is a drastically different world if this next generation advances in these areas through the lens of kindness and love, versus the absence of those qualities.

“Education” tends to be a catch-all for solving all the world’s problems, but what is education other than teaching stuff and imparting some knowledge? Certainly it matters what is being taught, however I don’t hear about teaching kindness and teamwork, as much as I do STEM. I am all for both, by the way. I simply would love to see a reprioritization of the former.

This global Fisher-Price study also helps melt away the illusion of “the other” and makes it plain that all moms want their children to grow up happy, loving and doing something where they have a talent and passion. An obvious point perhaps, but a reminder on how we are all far more the same than different. Another good thing to teach at a very young age!

What I appreciate about great brands, like Fisher-Price, is that they have a deep purpose, much greater than profit. You can see this in the heart and vision of even how they do their advertising.

In a recent commercial, they feature a little girl with down syndrome. Fisher-Price is intentional to pull beautiful children like her into the center of the picture, when they are often pushed to the margins. This matters, showing again that love wins! No matter where you were born or what gifts and challenges you were born with. That is a good lesson for kids and adults, alike.

So now, to add my one “dad” voice into the the Fisher-Price team and the thousands of moms around the world who shared their opinion for this study…this one dad is totally with you too!!

Spending more time teaching kindness and compassion through play, along with great brands like Fisher-price, is most certainly a #GoodExchange.

Written by Ed Martin, CEO at goodXchange and Senior Advisor to Nobel Peace Prize Forum.