A child’s early years are a crucial period of rapid growth. According to the Centre on the Developing Child at Harvard University, more than 1 million new neural connections are formed each second in one’s first years. This means that your baby’s earliest interactions with the world can shape how they think, feel and act for the rest of their lives. 

Known collectively as early childhood development, this stage is often reinforced with the help of professionals like doctors, nurses, and teachers along the way. But it’s also important for us as parents to be aware of our child’s needs in their most formative years. This will allow us to provide the activities, environment and diet to ensure their optimal brain and body growth at home. 

mothercare’s article taps on these key areas, exploring what serves to benefit a child in each stage and aspect, and offers suggestions for a healthy and happy baby.

Activities for Supporting Their Growth

From a newborn, an infant, to a toddler and beyond, play is an indispensable part of childhood. Unlike what we might be familiar with as adults, activities for playing with children need not be structured or complicated. Nevertheless, knowing what kind of play to engage in at each milestone can support your baby’s cognitive and physical development. 

Birth to 6 Months

Babies are born ready to learn. From the day of their arrival, they’re actively absorbing information about the people and world around them. This early stage of infancy involves play that helps them explore by stimulating their senses. Reading to your baby with a soft book, complete with interesting sounds, textures and colours, can build up their sense of perception.

Tummy time, which lays babies on their stomachs when they’re awake and supervised, is a form of playtime that helps to strengthen their muscles. Activity gyms provide a comfortable and dedicated playspace for tummy time. Parents can also introduce mobile and attachment toys to encourage visual tracking.

6 to 12 Months

The period between 6 to 12 months is marked by tremendous physical development. Your baby’s motor skills will improve significantly as they begin to acquire more dexterity and strength. You might observe the first time your child sit ups, crawls and stands. They might even start reaching for things that interest them, such as those that emit sounds; and understanding object permanence, and actively look for toys you have hidden away.

During this timeframe, encouraging your child to move is one of the best ways you can bolster their growth as a parent. Whether rolling around on a playmat or shaking a delightful rainmaker, these are fun ways to hone balance and refine hand-eye coordination. Interactive toys, like this light-up tambourine, can evoke  the senses while promoting physical activity.

1 to 2 Years

Once your baby reaches 1 year of age, they are officially a toddler. This is an exciting time of first steps before they become constantly on the move. Encourage toddling by adopting friendly pull-along walkers or walk-around seats. Some of these options also help little ones become better at making small, precise movements in line with milestones, such as dropping items into a container and scribbling. Alternatively, let babies tinker with ever-dependable stacking rings and shape sorter sets.

You might also recognise your baby’s increasingly sophisticated social and cognitive skills — enabling them to follow simple commands, move to rhythms and imitate actions. This makes a perfect opportunity for nursery rhymes and songs, perhaps even with a microphone, and dance time. Your child is sure to get a thrill out of these playtime activities. 

Creating a Nurturing Environment

Besides creating a supportive environment, the physical surroundings where you raise a child matters to their developmental outcome. This section explores designing a healthy environment for their utmost well-being so they can adapt to various cognitive and physical changes and thrive.

Safety and Comfort

Putting together a safe, comfortable and soothing nursery is one of the first major tasks we’re assigned to as parents. A lot of it has to do with baby proofing the space. Install baby proofing accessories such as locks and latches to safeguard your baby against hazards, and secure items, especially those within baby’s reach, to prevent them from tipping over. 

Moreover, select nursery bedding and furniture wisely. Choose cot beds that have been assessed for safety and bedding that is soft, baby-friendly and does not pose a suffocation risk.

Stimulation and Learning

As mentioned previously, activities that engage children’s senses can improve their ability to move around and connect with others. Failing to accommodate children’s requirements for sensory stimulation can put them at risk of developmental and cognitive delays. 

Make sure that their needs are met with adequate meaningful and interactive experiences, such as age-appropriate baby toys and books. These activities ignite exploration and curiosity, both essential factors to making the process of learning fun and natural.

Emotional Support

Social and emotional development refers to how children understand and express how they feel. It is part of creating a caring environment that will pave your baby’s foundation for forming positive relationships and managing their emotions. 

Establish a secure attachment with your little one that makes them feel safe, loved and cared for. Parents can do this by monitoring and reading babies’ emotional cues and responding to them promptly. Apart from routine care, regularly bond with your child by playing with them, and always comfort them when they are in distress to initiate trust and security. Swaddling is a wonderful way to soothe fussing babies.

Satisfying Their Nutritional Needs

Children, especially infants, feed more often than adults due to their smaller stomachs and higher nutritional needs. However, their feeding habits may change as they grow, affecting both the frequency of their feedings and their diet. Some babies also experience occasional bouts of cluster feeding, characterised by bursts of short feeds over a few hours. Cluster feeding can be caused by increased appetite during growth spurts, the need to fill-up and more.

Newborns

Breastfeeding is often recommended over formula as it’s considered the healthier choice for both mother and baby. According to Nemours Kids Health, breastfed babies are less likely to develop infections and may receive better protection against conditions like asthma and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Breast milk also contains all the essential vitamins, minerals and nutrients that your child needs for growth. Additionally, it’s more digestible, reducing the likelihood of gas and stomach upsets. 

For a newborn, feeding should be done on demand, which occurs for about once every 2 to 3 hours. Parents should always be on the lookout for signs of hunger, such as newborns moving their fists towards the mouth or puckering lips. When breastfeeding, cradle your baby close to your chest to ensure a good latch. This also helps to create a special bond, especially when accompanied by gentle speaking. Consider using a soft shawl to provide privacy, doubling as a convenient cloth for wiping up spills and spit-ups.

Infants

As babies transition from newborns to infants, they can continue to be breastfed. The general recommendation is for mothers to breastfeed their children until they reach 2 years old. While some mums might already resume other responsibilities, such as work, they can still provide their babies with a breast milk diet by investing in breast pumps and breast milk storage bags. Available in electric and manual modes, breast pumps help to express breast milk, relieve swollen breasts, and prevent leakage and engorgement.

Most babies begin teething around 6 months, and teethers can help alleviate sore gums as their teeth start to emerge around infanthood. This is also a signal for parents to start introducing solid foods, particularly when the baby can sit upright in a high chair and doesn’t refuse the use of a baby spoon. Begin with one or two teaspoons of baby weaning foods, such as purees and single-grain cereals mixed with baby milk. Gradually increase the amount until the baby is ready to completely transition to solids. 

Toddlers 

Toddlers’ digestive systems are fully equipped to accept small portions of food that adults consume, although breast milk can still serve as a vital source of nutrients until they are 2 years old. At this stage, children can have the standard 3 meals a day, together with 1 or 2 snacks in between.

Make sure that each meal is well-balanced, varied and includes healthy portions of fruits, vegetables, grains and meats, or other substitutes. These solids should be soft and large so that individual bites have to be taken, or broken up to a suitable consistency and size for easy swallowing to minimise choking risks. Mealtimes can be enjoyable and nourishing with a predictable routine, healthy eating habits and a supportive family. 

Final Thoughts

A child’s early years are a critical window of supercharged growth, where every experience influences how they think, feel and behave. As parents, it’s essential to be attuned to their needs during this formative time, and even beyond. From engaging activities to nurturing environments and nutritious diets, every aspect plays a big role in their developmental journey. By fostering a caring environment enriched with love and learning, we can empower our children to reach their full potential. 

For over 60 years, mothercare malaysia has been a trusted partner to parents and caregivers, providing a wide range of products, services and expert guidance. Visit our stores now to let us assist you in navigating your child’s growth. You can find our experience stores at Tropicana Gardens Mall and Suria KLCC, where you can access an array of resources firsthand. 

Alternatively, shop from the comfort of your beloved home with our extensive online catalogue, and consult our readily available Digital Nursery Advisors.