Today Tile Triggered Content

Whether you have a big garden, a small garden or no garden at all, getting outside and even doing some planting and digging together can be a great way to support your child’s language development.  

Your baby probably won’t be able to help with gardening in a practical sense, but being outside with you provides a range of sensory experiences that will help them to learn about the world around them.  

When your baby first starts solid food, your focus is often on which foods you should introduce and when. Early childhood is a time when we develop food preferences and habits that might last a lifetime – so it can be helpful to think of this period of learning about food as more than just trying different flavours, but the whole experience of eating!  

What is food learning? 

Your baby is starting to give a toy or object to someone else when they ask for it. This might seem like a step towards sharing – and many parents expect their toddlers to be able to share toys. But sharing is difficult and involves a variety of cognitive, social and emotional skills – so it is still a long way off for your baby!  

What skills does my baby need to be able to share?  

Choosing childcare can be overwhelming, and you might not be aware of all the different options out there. Here’s an overview of the most used types of childcare – registered, unregistered and informal – to give you a steer. 

Registered childcare options 

While your baby's memory is improving every day and they are becoming more able to remember where objects are, you may feel like your memory is getting worse. However, adults’ memories are typically excellent and have a substantial amount of storage; it’s finding ways to keep your memory active that’s key. These ideas will help. 

Exercise 

Your baby is fascinated by the world around them. All day long, they watch the actions of those nearest and dearest to them, and sometimes they watch other people too! Your baby is carefully absorbing the things you do; all these observations lead to lots of learning.  

Independence 

As a parent, you might feel there's a natural onus on you to be 'the expert' who passes on knowledge to your baby; after all, you've been here much longer than they have. But there are many wonderful things they can help us to learn all over again – things we might have forgotten we could do. We just have to open our eyes to their innocent wisdom. Here are five ways to feel ‘baby enlightened’! 

Be curious 

Sound is absolutely fascinating. Our brains process sound via our ears and our auditory system sets to work! Here are three amazing facts about sound: 

• Our brains pick up sounds when we are asleep.  

A new study has shown that our brains respond to sound when we sleep, just as well as they do when we are awake. The main difference is the brain doesn’t focus on sound the same way as it does when we are awake.^[1]  

Singing is great for all of us. We don’t have to be good at it – singing is about feeling positive. Have you ever had a kitchen disco for one? If you haven’t, then read more about how belting out your favourite tunes can change the way you feel. 

The research 

It’s a joyful moment when your baby first starts lifting their feet while holding your hands. They are at the beginning of a very exciting stage in their life. 

The new adventure