Problem: How can I make notes with bullet points in this paragraph? Evidence suggests that after birth mothers may be better equipped to engage in the multitasking that is so integral to competent parenting and more vigilant and able to shift their attention to changing infant cues. As Barrett264 Chapter 7 Family and Fleming (2011, p. 370) note, "A mother must have the attentional command to focus on her infant which allows her to be sensitive to infant needs, that is, to respond contingently, appropriately and in a timely manner. She must also have the cognitive flexibility to switch her attention efficiently across many situational demands in highly stimulating environments."A possible long-term effect of motherhood is suggested by the finding that women who had been pregnant at or after the age of 40 were four times more likely to survive to age 100 than women who had been pregnant only earlier in life (Perls & Fretts, 2001). Perhaps pregnancy and motherhood enhance women's brains at a crucial period when the menopause-induced decline in reproductive hormones is starting. Fathers, as well as mothers, show the same higher levels of activity in areas of the brain involved in emotional processing when exposed to infant cries (Seifritz et al., 2003). In brief, reproductive and child-rearing experience promotes changes in the brain that alter skills and behavior, particularly among mothers but also among fathers. Being a parent is apparently good for the brain, not a brain drain. Need Assignment Help?