Today Date Triggered Content

Baby classes and groups can be a lifesaver, giving you a pattern to your week and some adult conversation. When you realise they stop for the summer holiday, you might wonder how you’re going to fill the days – don't worry, your app will help.  

You probably look for baby classes or groups you think your child will enjoy, but there is also a lot to be said for these groups as a way to meet other parents and have a conversation with another adult.  

Anyone who was pregnant or gave birth during lockdown knows it was a different and sometimes difficult experience. There have been various headlines since then about the impact of lockdown on children’s development, as if you need something else to feel guilty about. We noticed another at the weekend, but what has it really found? 

At the weekend we saw this headline – ‘Children born in pandemic have poorer communication skills, study finds’.^[1]

You might have heard the saying, “It takes a village to raise a child,” but for lots of different reasons we don’t always feel we’ve got a village – especially in the early days of parenting.

In the app, you’ll find lots of ideas to support your child’s development, and more information if you are interested in understanding the science behind their skills.

We know one of the ways babies and young children (and all of us) learn about the world is by grouping people, things and places. Even young babies begin to organise what they know into categories. They might have a category of toys that make a noise, or one for dogs – the categories your baby develops will depend on the things they see regularly. In this week’s deep dive into a research article, we explore a paper from Lancaster University which investigated if words or other sounds help babies with categorisation.  

Research into child development often involves answering questions that arise from previous research, or repeating research to see if the results are the same.  

Becoming a parent can involve big changes in your life. If you’re on parental leave you might find you don’t speak to as many people during the day as when you’re at work, or if your friends don’t have children it might seem more difficult to join in with some of the things they do, which means some of your friendships might change.^[1]  

If you feel lonely, you’re not alone 

We all love seeing our children master skills, and knowing we’ve helped them get there. No matter what the skill is, it’s great to enjoy a little celebration and to know what's likely to be coming next.  

We love how great it feels when your child masters a skill, especially when you know you have helped them get there. You know we’re passionate about child development, and one of the many amazing things about young children and their learning is how much everything connects together!  

You’ll see that lots of our activity ideas use the things you have around you and everyday situations. It’s great if you’re trying not to spend a fortune on toys, but also from the point of view of supporting your child’s development – and like everything MFFY we have the research to back up what we say!  

Whether it’s a day to pack the suncream and sunhats, or puddle suits and wellies... we’ve got ideas for you. This week we’ve asked our community manager, Becki (a qualified Forest Schools leader) for her favourite activity ideas for everyone who wants to get out and about this weekend.  

We know the foundations for good mental and physical health are laid in early childhood, and this week we’re going to share some of the ways using the app will help you as you lay those foundations for your child.  

In this video, Alistair explains more about our mental health and wellbeing in your child's first five years.