Child development is a fascinating, rewarding, and, at times, overwhelming journey. The very first moment you hold your newborn in your arms, it’s love at first sight, but it’s also a million questions, doubts, and uncertainties.
Your child’s development starts the very moment they are born. As a new parent, you’re likely to wonder what you can do to support and guide them through this intricate process, as they evolve from day to day, week to week, month to month.
Child development is the ongoing process of mental and social growth. As new experiences and stimuli help your child learn and develop new skills, you might often wonder if they are developing as they should. The answer is both yes and no.
Children develop at different rates, with some milestones met earlier, others later, and yet others not at all. However, the vast majority of children grow at a more or less similar pace, and although each child is different, there are patterns and signs that can help you determine where your child is in terms of development.
The physical, social, and cognitive development of your child is a fascinating process that continues until adulthood. To raise your child in a healthy, loving, and attentive environment, it is important to know what to expect and how to best support your child in each stage of development.
10 Must-Know Tips for New Parents on Child Development
1. Understand the Stages of Development
The first thing to know is that understanding the stages of development your child will go through is key to supporting them in a healthy and happy way. Child development happens in stages: infancy, toddlerhood, early childhood, and so on. These developmental stages will go hand in hand with important milestones. Parents are often advised to look out for these milestones to ensure their child is progressing at a healthy pace.
How to implement it:
Look out for the signs of each development stage. For infants and babies, these include rolling over, sitting up, and babbling. For toddlers, you can expect them to begin walking, talking, and further engaging with the world.
Keep in mind that some children meet these milestones later or sooner than others, and that’s normal.
Related: How to Make Your Kids Feel Special Every Day
2. Encourage Sensory Exploration
A baby’s life is an ongoing sensory experience. From the moment they’re born, babies are experiencing and making sense of the world through their senses: sight, touch, taste, smell, and hearing. Sensory play and exploration is one of the most important and effective ways to encourage and support brain development in the early months.
How to implement it:
For babies, this means offering a variety of textures, toys, and activities that will engage their senses. This includes rattles, soft fabrics, and toys with different textures and bright, contrasting colors.
Expose your child to new textures, sounds, and other sensory experiences as they grow. Soft music, different tones and intonations, and even safe environments to explore will support brain and cognitive development.
3. Promote Secure Attachment
A strong and secure attachment between you and your child is one of the key elements in your child’s early development.
Attachment development in children will help your child regulate their emotions and also dictate their ability to interact with others in the future.
How to implement it:
Respond to your baby’s needs right away, whether they are hungry, tired, need a diaper change, or just need comforting. When your baby knows they can count on you for support, this becomes the cornerstone for secure attachment.
Practice closeness and affection by cuddling, hugging, kissing, and holding your baby. Talk to them, make eye contact, and show your child that you are interested and engaged in their needs.
Attachment parenting is an approach to children’s needs that focuses on attachment development between the child and the parent. Techniques include co-sleeping (where safe), babywearing, and breastfeeding.
Related: 10 Benefits of Co-Sleeping with Your Baby
4. Talk to Your Child (Even Before They Can Talk Back)
Talking to your child from birth will help them develop language skills. Even if your baby can’t respond with actual words, hearing the nuances of human speech will help them learn. Talk to your child from an early age.
How to implement it:
Talk, talk, and keep talking to your child. Name things, sounds, and feelings. Describe things to them. For example, “Look at the colorful toy over there! It’s red and blue, and it makes a fun sound.”
Read to your child from a young age. Reading to your child will develop language skills even if they can’t actually understand what you are reading.
Learn some simple sign language and use it to communicate with your child. This will help them express their needs, even before they can talk.
5. Provide Structure and Routine
Infants and toddlers do well in environments that are structured and offer a consistent routine. They need stability to develop a sense of security, and that will greatly contribute to emotional development. A structured and consistent environment is also good for naps, mealtimes, socialization, and more.
How to implement it:
Set specific times for mealtimes, naps, and bedtime. Babies and toddlers find comfort in knowing what to expect.
Create a schedule that includes dedicated playtime, learning time, quiet time, and active time.
Choose specific cues to signal different times to your child, such as a bedtime story, lullaby, or cuddle time before bed.
Related: How To Create a Bedtime Routine for Your Toddler
6. Foster Emotional Development
Emotional development is just as important as physical and cognitive development. Children need to learn how to handle their emotions and express their feelings. Help your child identify and label their emotions and find the right ways to express them.
How to implement it:
Label emotions. When you see your child is frustrated, for example, try saying, “I can see that you’re feeling frustrated because your toy broke. Do you want to play with a different one?”
Validate your child’s emotions and show empathy and understanding. For example, “I understand that you’re sad your friend didn’t want to play with you. It’s tough when that happens. Can you tell me more about it?”
Encourage and teach your child calming techniques for overwhelming feelings. Counting to 10 or taking a few deep breaths can help.
7. Encourage Play and Socialization
Playtime is crucial to your child’s development. It helps them develop motor skills, coordination, problem-solving skills, creativity, and more. But it’s not just about individual play and development. Socializing with other kids is an essential part of your child’s development. It teaches them important lessons such as sharing, taking turns, cooperation, and empathy.
How to implement it:
Offer your child the opportunity to socialize with other children as much as possible. This means playdates, group activities, family gatherings, and more.
Encourage pretend play, roleplaying, and creative games that involve imagination and working together.
Practice joint play with your child. Model social behavior and communication skills as you play.
Related: 15 Morning Routines for New Mothers
8. Encourage Positive Discipline
Disciplining your child and teaching them what’s expected of them is an important part of raising a well-rounded kid. But when it comes to disciplining children, there are many ways to do so that don’t involve punishment. Positive discipline helps children self-regulate their behavior and teaches them the consequences of their actions.
How to implement it:
Set clear and consistent rules that your child will understand. Make sure they know what the expectations are and what the consequences are for breaking them.
Reward good behavior with positive reinforcement, such as praise, rewards, and privileges.
Whenever you need to correct or discipline your child, take a moment to calm down. This will allow you to rephrase and present the information in a constructive manner instead of reacting out of anger.
9. Monitor Your Child’s Screen Time
Screens are a part of modern life, and while screen time can be entertaining and educational for your child, it’s important to monitor and limit the amount of screen time.
Excessive use of screens can lead to development issues in physical, emotional, and social domains. Monitor your child’s screen time and keep it to a minimum.
How to implement it:
Set time limits based on your child’s age. Time limits will vary as your child gets older.
Encourage and promote alternative activities that don’t involve screens.
Be an example to your child. Monitor your own screen time while your child is present.
Related: 50 Fun Indoor Activities for Kids (That Don’t Involve Screens)
10. Seek Support and Be Patient
Don’t be afraid to reach out for support. Other parents can be a great source of support and advice. Pediatricians and parenting books are another source of information. Just know that parenting is a learning process, and no one is perfect.
How to implement it:
Attend parenting workshops and join support groups to discuss and learn from other parents.
Be patient. Not just with your child, but with yourself as well. Understand that things don’t always work as expected, but that’s okay. Learn from your mistakes, apologize, and try again. Every day is a new day and a new chance to learn.
Remember, you don’t have to be perfect. As long as you’re doing your best and providing your child with a loving, structured environment, that’s all they need.
Final Thoughts
Parenting is an exciting, enriching, sometimes frustrating, but always rewarding journey. Children are amazing little beings that are developing and changing right before our very eyes.
If you support them in each stage of development and focus on helping them grow into a healthy, confident, and emotionally resilient child, you’re on the right track.
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