New research – words, sounds and learning
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.
Observations, talking, rolling and more - we've answered your questions
Thank you for your questions - we've answered them here. We've included a transcript and captions for each video, in case you just want a quick read or to watch with volume down while you're nap trapped!
It’s loneliness awareness week – we can help you connect with other parents
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
Our latest podcast talks about being a Dad
“We know that babies can attach to more than one parent equally, and also that the attachment that fathers have with their children not only is good for the children, but also is good for the dads. It actually physically changes the makeup of your brain.”
This week's podcast is our Father's Day special.
Staying safe in the sun: what you need to know to keep everyone healthy
Many of us look forward to summer, but when we have really hot weather, especially with long periods of hotter-then-usual temperatures, it can start to feel like there are a lot of new worries to juggle.
Knowing your child is staying healthy is one of the biggest worries. Are they drinking enough? How will you know? What about suncream, how often do you reapply? What do the symbols on the bottle actually mean?
How to keep your cool on hot days out
Most of us love the welcome return of the sun. It’s so good to get outside and feel its warmth on your skin after a winter swaddled up against the cold...
... But it brings its own set of challenges when you’re a parent.
“The path represents your child,” How you can use the app to see your child’s unique development
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.
Let them play with it! Why handling objects is important
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!
Q&A with Jennie and Alistair – ask us anything about the app, skills and our approach to child development
Why your child needs to hear “no” less and “yes” more
As a parent, ‘no’ can very quickly become a word you find yourself using all too often. Jammy dodgers for breakfast? No. Covering the walls in paint? No. Staying at home instead of going to nursery? No. Letting your three-year-old drive your car? No, no, no!
There are plenty of times we have to say ‘no’ to keep our children safe, healthy, to avoid breaking things or because we have a commitment, like needing to work. But sometimes we become so used to saying 'no', that we don’t stop to ask ourselves whether we might actually be able to say 'yes'.
