You don’t need to be a childcare expert to ensure your baby has the best start in life. Some things will come naturally to you but, to be confident you are fulfilling their needs and that they have the best possible opportunity to reach their full potential just follow the steps below;

Love

Children need to be loved. Good care and support will give your child the secure base they need to begin exploring the world. Love, attention and support in the early years of a child’s life can have a measurable impact on that child’s physical, mental and emotional growth. Show your love whenever you get the opportunity. Cuddle, smile, encourage and play with your baby whenever you can. You won’t "spoil" your baby by responding too quickly to their cries. Experts have shown that if you respond quickly when your baby is upset it will help develop the trust and, create a strong emotional bond between you.

Basic needs.

Your baby needs to be in good health and have plenty of energy to help them grow. Make sure you attend baby clinic regularly to keep track of your baby’s growth and get the immunisations your baby needs.

Breastmilk or formula will provide all the nutrients your baby needs for the first six months of life and, a large part of what they need up to their first birthday. Breastmilk is best. Studies have shown that it helps minimise the risk of your baby picking up certain illnesses. However, formula milk fed babies should thrive even if they don’t get the extra benefits attached to breastmilk.

Sleep is an important part of a baby’s life. It’s when you baby’s brain makes important connections. These connections form the basis of the pathways within the brain which will enable your baby to understand and interact with the world around them.

Tend to your babies physical needs promptly. If you take care of the basics your baby’s brain can concentrate on the more challenging things which are happening around them.

Speak to your baby

The best thing you can do to help stimulate your baby’s brain is, speak to them. Speaking to your baby makes them good communicators which, is a great stepping stone to doing well at school.

Talk to your child whenever you are together. They will respond if they know the words are directed at them, so try to maintain eye contact whilst you are speaking. You can ramble on about anything but, try to keep it relevant to what you are doing. Things such as "mummy’s putting you a clean nappy on" or "mummy’s going to give you a nice warm bath" are fine. You don’t have to try to be educational all the time.

Read to your baby

Reading out loud to your baby is one of the most important things you can do to help develop your child’s vocabulary and language development. It’s also the perfect time for you to have a cuddle and help develop your baby’s social skills.

Stimulate their senses

For a young child to learn about the world around them they need to be exposed to it. Every new interaction is a learning process. A child can be over-stimulated so you don’t want to engage your baby in activities 24 hours a day but, when they are interested in playing make sure that your provide a variety of toys and objects. Choose items which are different in shape, weight, texture and colour as well as items which can make a noise. You can play simple interactive games such as peek-a-boo and pat-a-cake. Go on walks and trips where your baby will meet other people. The simplest activities help brain development.

Make sure your child has plenty of room to play in. It will help them develop strong muscles, balance and good motor skills. They will need room to crawl initially, then cruise and walk as they develop. They will need room to explore without the need for too much negative interaction from you, so make the room as safe and childproof as possible.

Encourage new things

Don’t frustrate your child by giving them toys which are intended for much older children. We all learn the simple things first and it’s better to get good at them before moving on to more demanding things. However, if something stretches your baby’s capabilities that can only be a good thing. If something doesn’t come easy it will help your baby to develop if they have to think more about what they are doing. Problem solving will help their brain development. For example, if your baby is trying to put shapes through the correct hole and they are struggling, let them try for a while before you help. Then show how it’s done. Then let them try again themselves.

Look after yourself

The single most important thing in helping your baby to develop is you. So, if you are not feeling well make sure you seek professional advice immediately. Illnesses are easy to spot but, if you are finding it difficult to respond quickly and with empathy to your baby’s needs you may be depressed. Depression can effect a parent’s ability to interact with their child which can have a negative effect on the child’s development. If you think you may be depressed speak to your doctor or health visitor immediately.