We've helped more than 22,000 disabled children and families with our specialist services. We help disabled children and young people gain confidence and independence.
- Donate Today
Do Something Amazing and Help
Us to Continue Our Important Work
- Make a Donation
Make a Difference to the UK's
Most Vulnerable Children.
- Befriending Service
We Step In to Stop Young People
Becoming Homeless
- Action For Children
We Can't Take Away Parent's
Illnesses, But We Can Give ...
- Young Carer Definition
Find out the support we provide
young carers in the UK
- The Best Start In Life
Our Whole-family Support Helps
Give Children The Best Start In ...
- Donate Today
Want To Help Children? Your Gift Can Support Full Treatments For Children With Clubfoot. Donate To Hope Walks Today And Help Us Provide Quality Clubfoot Treatment For Children!
Popular Links:
- Donate
Help us free kids from disability
and transform their lives.
- Contact Us
Send us a message today with any
questions or comments you have!
- Stocking Stuffer
Fill your stocking this year with
something that makes a difference.
- Map & Directions
Map and Directions to Hope
Walks-United Kingdom
You can fundraise for the organization using different means that is convenient. We help children enroll and remain in school
Learn How Your Assistance Can Provide Essential Aid To Families During Times Of Crisis! Poverty Is One Of The Most Significant Factors That Hinder Access To Quality Education.
Popular Links:
Search results
People also ask
How can parents help children develop healthy habits?
How can a child develop a healthy lifestyle?
How can I Help my Child's Health?
How can I help my child eat healthy?
How can I help my child form healthy habits?
Sep 23, 2024 · Parents, caregivers, and teachers can help children and teens develop healthy habits. Why it matters. Healthy eating and physical activity are important for growth and development, and prevention of obesity and related health conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, asthma, anxiety and depression.
- Positive Parenting Tips
As a parent you give your children a good start in life—you...
- Positive Parenting Tips
Mar 31, 2009 · Parents, families and caregivers ensure children are healthy and safe, equip them with skills and resources to succeed, and transmit basic cultural values.
- Overview
- What parents can do
- How we can help parents
This article explains what parents can do to help their children in their early years.
Parents and carers serve as children’s first educators and teachers. This is something most people can agree on, yet offering parents advice on how they can best perform these important roles is something of a taboo. Home and family life is rightly private and pushing tired, stretched parents to do more and more can come across as patronising, ‘parent-shaming’ or simply tone deaf in today’s difficult economic climate.
Yet, getting parenting right has the potential to shape a child’s growth, development and life course for the better, irrespective of socioeconomic background or circumstance. More recently, government agencies, charities, schools and even private companies have clocked the holistic benefits of parent-child interactions and various campaigns have emerged on the topic such as the BBC’s Tiny Happy People and the NHS’ Start for Life.
As the conversation around parenting gets louder, some are calling for further action. Lee Elliot Major, Professor of Social Mobility at Exeter University, says in the first episode of our Social Mobility Talks podcast: “There are too many parents who are not given the information of what you can do to help your children”.
At the Social Mobility Commission, we have looked into the activities parents can do with their children to support their child’s development. This work has shown that the early years are an essential window to act, as the experiences a child has in their first 5 years provide the building blocks for their life.
In these early years, there is great opportunity, but also great risk, as children that get ahead tend to stay ahead whilst those that fall behind struggle to catch up. To bring this home, on average, the poorest children start school 4.5 months behind all others and leave school at age 18 a staggering 18.1 months of learning behind their more advantaged peers (Education Policy Institute, Annual Report, 2020).
Simple interactions between a parent and child can be learning moments for children in their early years, in ways likely more significant than at any other period in the child’s life. Therefore, giving a child a leg up can be as simple as talking, playing and reading with them. Regardless of whether a child has the ability or vocabulary to respond, engaging in reciprocal communication can develop their cognitive and language skills and using an array of words is one of the strongest predictors of children’s early language development.
In terms of play, ‘guided play’ - where a parent joins in a playful activity with their child - can lead to improvements in a child’s understanding and retention of things like shapes and names compared with those who play alone. Learning through play also contributes to all kinds of healthy development features such as planning, self-regulation and mental flexibility.
For educational attainment reading is a big ticket item, but, as drawn out in our podcast episode on parenting, reading only reaches its potential impact if it is consistent - at least 3 times a week for 15 minutes. Reading with a child has been shown to improve their socio-emotional skills as well as literacy and numeracy and it is linked with lifelong benefits for cognition, vocabulary and pattern construction.
As often said, it takes a village to raise a child, and therefore every adult that’s around in a child’s early years has the potential to engage with them in productive interactions that can seed countless lasting benefits.
To avoid shaming, patronising, nannying or burdening parents who are already trying to do the best for their children, policy makers, the health services and government departments need to find ways to offer empathetic but proactive guidance, confidence and support.
Parents need to be made aware that talking to their baby is beneficial, even if they are too young to respond - and assured that reading does not have to mean long complicated books but can be any words they see around them.
Research also shows that lack of confidence plays a key role in why parents do or do not engage with their children. For parents in general, but particularly those that might not have experienced this style of parenting themselves, wavering belief in their own abilities and skills may contribute to stress, anxiety and unhappiness which can itself act as a barrier to supporting their child’s learning.
We therefore need to translate these findings into constructive action which fills the gaps in parents’ knowledge and empowers them with the tools and confidence to interact more effectively with their children. We need to do this while recognising that parents operate within a wider environment, juggling raising their children with other challenges - such as getting food on the table, working long hours, keeping up with rising energy bills and finding secure housing.
The SMC will therefore be looking to increase parents’ understanding of how they can nurture their children’s talent in the early years whilst at the same time, considering how other factors, like improving education, growing the economy and creating more opportunities for more people in more places are so crucial. To succeed, we need to provide parents knowledge along with the time, resources and a favourable environment to act on it.
To shape our thinking, we will explore the impact of government-led initiatives that have targeted families to understand ‘what works’ in terms of enabling every child to fulfil their potential.
All aspects of children's health and development work together to form their overall wellbeing. Our resources will help you find out more about child health and development, spot and respond to signs of mental health issues and foster strong health and development in children.
Consuming healthful foods and beverages, doing regular physical activity, getting adequate sleep, and other factors may help children to. grow. learn. build strong bones and muscles. maintain a healthy weight. reduce future chances of developing diabetes and heart disease. feel good about themselves. Practice staying physically active as a family.
May 15, 2024 · As a parent you give your children a good start in life—you nurture, protect, and guide them. Parenting is a process that prepares your child for independence. As your child grows and develops, there are many things you can do to help your child.
Oct 25, 2021 · All parents want their children to be happy and able to successfully navigate life's challenges. Five core skills form a great foundation and the early childhood window is particularly important for developing them.
