From learning to move and interact with his or her environment, to grasping, crawling, toddling and talking, your child learns so much in the first few years of life. In fact, here’s a child development fact for you: by the time your child reaches the age of four years old, it’s likely that they will already possess some 50 percent of their adult intelligence. This means that, come his or her fourth birthday, they will have passed huge developmental milestones and conquered a number of basic skills – and all before they’ve set foot inside an educational establishment. As a parent, your love, encouragement and example are vital for your child’s development; the skills your child is learning now will set them up for life, and may even go some way towards determining the type of adult they will become. Put into such a context, the idea of nurturing a child from birth to adulthood can seem incredibly scary; just how do you know you’re on the right path when your child’s well being, cognitive skills and developmental milestones are at stake?
The good news is that it doesn’t take a genius to raise one – the chances are you’re doing a sterling job already, simply by making sure that your child has access to a range of stimulating toys and materials, is fed, clothed appropriately and happy, and is talked, sung and read to on a regular basis. However, to ease your concerns, we’ve compiled some of the best ways that parents can help their children during those early stages – and none of them involve having a degree in child psychology.
Helping your child to grow
Nurturing your child during those early weeks, months and years should be a pleasure. You should take the time to enjoy every moment and to take special notice each time your little one passes a milestone. However, getting to such landmarks may be a seemingly never-ending struggle; are you stimulating your child in the right ways? Have you provided the right toys? Child development can feel like a minefield, but it really needn’t be…
From birth…
As a parent, it’s your responsibility to introduce your child to the world, and to make sure that he or she is exposed to as many sights, sounds and textures as possible; babies learn phenomenally quickly, and will take something away from each new experience. Once those first weeks are over and your bond is established, introduce your baby to new textures, colors and noises by way of a baby play mat, activity gym, cot mobiles or a series of sensory toys. These toys are well known to assist in early childhood development and your baby will soon learn to grasp and interact with them, and will take so much from the time you share together. Allow your child to find and play with their hands and feet, introduce tummy time, and take the time to offer reassurance with a cuddle and kind words – your baby needs to know that they’re being accompanied on this crazy new journey.
Crawling and toddling…
Motor skills, such as grabbing toys, learning to roll, sitting up, crawling and eventually walking, are all seen as huge developmental milestones, while cognitive functions such as problem solving will soon start to follow. Jigsaw puzzles, shape sorters, building blocks and creative play are all great for cognitive development, but what about movement? Think about safety; is your home equipped with baby gates, socket covers and fireguards, as well as cushioned tape to cover sharp edges and corners? Now, think about how you can encourage your baby’s movements; push and pull toys, walkers, ride on toys and rockers will help your little one to develop balance and confidence, while favorite toys are a great incentive to get tiny toes moving. Be there for your child, give words of encouragement, and allow them to use you as a means of staying steady.
Communication and language…
From birth, you will no doubt notice your baby creating a series of gurgles and coos, and spend an age wondering when those sounds will become words. Children learn by example, and so it is vital to introduce your child to language and communication skills from the moment you meet. You may feel a little silly chattering away to a newborn, but trust us when we say you’re introducing skills that will benefit your baby for life. Take the time to talk to your baby, sing songs and create actions, encourage him or her to say ‘hello’ and ‘bye-bye’ to visitors, and be sure to socialize with your child, as well as identifying the names of objects as you see them. Reading books is an incredible way to bond with your baby, and to give him or her the gift of words – you’re never too little to have a bedtime story, after all. As your child grows and develops, you will notice them start to take the lead on certain things, and marvel as language and communication skills begin to flow.
While you’re no doubt doing all you can to help your child reach those all-important milestones, and are nurturing his or her skills as they appear, it’s important to remember that all children, regardless of the stimulation they’re given, develop at different rates. Milestones and developmental curves are merely offered as a guideline, so please don’t worry too much if your child is a little slow or even too quick to grasp certain concepts. If you have concerns, please do speak to a healthcare professional but in the meantime, enjoy those first precious moments with your baby. He or she will only learn to smile, giggle, toddle and talk once – will you remember where you were when they did those things?