Ready, Steady, Grow! - Print version

Go back to web version

Ready, Steady, Grow!

Are you ready? Are you steady? Let's grow!

The time from birth to 5 years old sets us up for life. A child's interaction with their parents or carers in that time shapes their physical development, communication and personal, social, and emotional development.

These pages provide general advice on what you can do with your child to help them grow and develop. If you are feeling desperate, or if your child has additional needs or presents with different behaviours, please contact your health visiting services, your nursery, your family hub, or your GP.

Key messages

  • You don't have to do this alone. There is support available to help you and your child on your parenting journey.
  • Nothing is too trivial. If you're worried, be honest and open with your health visiting services, your nursery, your family hub (which is a place where children, young people and their families can go when in need of help and support), or your GP. We are here to help.
  • Different parents, carers, and children will require different support at different times.
  • Children copy your emotions and everything you do and say. This is how they learn. This is why your interaction with your child shapes their whole life.

Who we are 

We are a group of professionals working to improve the health and wellbeing of children and families in the crucial first few years of life. These webpages are created in partnership by midwives [https://www.uhcw.nhs.uk/maternity/booking-your-first-appointment/], Family Hubs [/familyhubs], the Safeguarding Team [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/cscp], the Prevent Team [/info/1281/prevent], the Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Team [/info/156/special_educational_needs_and_disabilities], the Parenting team [/positiveparenting], the Public health team [http://www.coventry.gov.uk/publichealth], the Early Years team [/earlyyearschildcare], Librarians and the Family Health and Lifestyles 0-19 service [https://www.swft.nhs.uk/our-services/children-and-young-peoples-services/coventry-family-health-and-lifestyle-service-0-19-years], which includes Health Visitors, Community Nursery Nurses, Family Nurse Partnership, MAMTA, School Nursing and the Be Active Be Healthy team including the Infant Feeding Team and Stop Smoking in Pregnancy Team.

Contact details

If you want help with navigating these webpages, please call 0800 8870545, the number for Here to Help: Your Family Hub

Hot topics

Look after your wellbeing and be aware of your emotions

Did you know that you can support your child’s growth and development if you:

Look after your wellbeing and be aware of your emotions

Why is this important to you and your child?

This helps with your child's physical development, communication and their personal, social and emotional development

When you are calm and relaxed, your child senses it and relaxes with you (parent-baby group practitioners can model this behaviour).

If you look after yourself first, you’ll have more headspace to look after your child and provide what they need. If you look after yourself, you will be emotionally and physically healthy to look after your child and the challenges that you can sometimes face as a parent

Things you can do

  • Everyone has off days, life has its ups and downs. Things sometimes don’t go to plan but there is help and support available to help you manage.
  • If you don't feel okay for 14 days in a row, speak to your GP
  • Know that if someone in your household is exerting control over you psychologically, physically, sexually, financially, or emotionally, it may be a sign of domestic abuse [/info/233/coventry_safeguarding_adults_board/3260/abuse_and_neglect_of_adults_with_care_and_support_needs/6]. Speak to someone you trust immediately.
  • Take time for yourself and do things you enjoy
  • Have enough sleep
  • Avoid alcohol or unprescribed drugs and substances
  • Exercise regularly e.g. Go for a walk
  • Share your feelings with loved ones and other pregnant people (verbal or written letter)

If you’d like support, talk to

Other support available in Coventry

Learn more

Learn how to handle conflict

Did you know that you can support your child’s growth and development if you:

Learn how to handle conflict

Why is this important to you and your child?

It helps with your child's communication and Personal, Social and Emotional Development

Children watch and learn from your behaviour and actions. Learning how to handle conflict in a positive, stress-reduced way will teach children skills they can carry and use through life.

Things you can do

  • Take yourself out of situations when it gets heated
  • Take the time to reflect and calm down before responding
  • Plan to have difficult conversations when the children are not at home
  • Show your child how to make up after a disagreement, teach them how to repair relationships and apologise.
  • Take time to play and interact with your child to repair relationship
  • Know that if someone in your household is exerting control over you psychologically, physically, sexually, financially, or emotionally, it may be a sign of domestic abuse [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/info/233/coventry_safeguarding_adults_board/3260/abuse_and_neglect_of_adults_with_care_and_support_needs/6]. Speak to someone you trust immediately.
  •  If you feel low or not okay for 14 days in a row, speak to your GP.
  • Learning mindfulness techniques can help with your response to conflict situations

If you’d like support, talk to

Other support available in Coventry

Learn more

Learn about pregnancy, parenting and babies

Did you know that you can support your child’s growth and development if you:

Learn about pregnancy, parenting and babies

Why is this important to you and your child?

It helps with your child's physical development, communication and Personal, Social and Emotional Development

Learning about pregnancy, parenting and babies can help you to prepare for having a newborn. Finding out ways to stay well and healthy in pregnancy and leaning about parenting can help give your baby the best start in life.

Things you can do

  • Attend antenatal and postnatal appointments
  • Your baby can hear from 24 weeks of pregnancy, talking to baby during your pregnancy can help with bonding. 
  • Take note during appointments
  • Attend appointments with a friend
  • Information and support groups are widely available
  • As a parent you can meet other local parents while your child socialises with their peers
  • Attend parent-baby groups
  • Allow time for siblings to get to know the baby
  • Space out visits from family so you don’t feel overwhelmed
  • Ask for support from family and friends with practical tasks at home
  • Touch is the first point of communication between you and your child
  • Have regular skin to skin with your baby
  • Hugs and gentle movement (eg rocking in a chair and dancing) can cheer up both of you
  • Holding them in your arms will help them feel warm, safe, and calm
  • Sharing books and songs with your child from the moment they are born will help build on their communication skills

If you’d like support, talk to

Other support available in Coventry

Learn more

Vaccinate your child

Did you know that you can support your child’s growth and development if you:

Vaccinate your child

Why is this important to you and your child?

This helps with your child's physical development.

Vaccination protects your child by preventing the spread of diseases that can be passed on from one person to another. Before the invention of vaccinations, infectious diseases used to be a major cause of death and permanent disability, especially for children.

Things you can do

  • Know when your child needs which vaccination and bring them to their vaccination appointments
  • Follow trusted medical advice (from the NHS for example) when learning about vaccinations
  • Ensure your own vaccinations are up-to-date

If you’d like support, talk to

Learn more

Play, chat, read and sing together

Did you know that you can support your child’s growth and development if you:

Play, chat, read and sing together

Why is this important to you and your child?

It helps with your child's physical development, communication and Personal, Social and Emotional Development

Children learn by spending time with you. Playing with your child, talking, reading and singing every day will help to create a strong bond with your child.  These activities also help develop your child’s language and social skills.

Things you can do

  • Play together
  • Touch is the first point of communication between you and your child
  • Let them see and feel your face
  • Get down to their level
  • Read, speak, and sing to your child all the time, and encourage them to do the same
  • Read out loud signs and labels when shopping or cooking together, talk about what you can see, hear, or feel when out and about or doing chores at home, talk about emotions with your child eg. 'your smile made me happy'
  • Hugs and gentle movement (eg rocking in a chair and dancing) can cheer up both of you
  • Holding your child in your arms will help them feel warm, safe, and calm
  • Children can learn about rules and boundaries, social interaction with peers, and play at nursery or parent-toddler group
  • Make sure your child is active (not being still) for at least three hours spread throughout the day
  • Walk short distances to the shops or the nursery
  • Get off the bus with your child a stop before you need to, and walk the remaining distance
  • Play can be imaginative, interactive, independent, exploratory, or physical – children love to explore natural, everyday objects – expensive toys are unnecessary and can limit imagination and learning
  • Physical play can be floor-based or water-based. Ideas include swim, object play, messy play, dance, jump, climb, scoot, skip, and cycle

If you’d like support, talk to

Other support available in Coventry

Learn more

Look after your child’s physical health

Did you know that you can support your child’s growth and development if you:

Look after your child’s physical health

Why is this important to you and your child?

It helps with your child's physical development

It is important to look after your family’s physical health. This includes helping your family to eat a varied and healthy diet, building exercise into their day and looking after their oral health.

Things you can do

  • Introduce vitamins to all children aged 4 and under, as per Department of Health guidelines
  • Brush teeth in the morning and in the afternoon as your child’s teeth grow
  • Register with a dentist before your child's first birthday
  • Make sure your child is active (not being still) for at least three hours spread throughout the day
  • Walk short distances to the shops or the nursery
  • Get off the bus a stop before you need to get off
  • Can be floor-based or water-based (swim, object play, messy play, dance, jump, climb, scoot, skip, cycle)

If you’d like support, talk to

Other support available in Coventry

Learn more

Praise positive behaviours in your child and ignore unwanted behaviours

Did you know that you can support your child’s growth and development if you:

Praise positive behaviours in your child and ignore unwanted behaviours.

Why is this important to you and your child?

It helps with your child's communication and personal, social and emotional development

Children learn better in a positive environment. By praising good behaviours your child quickly learns what is expected of them. By praising and encouraging your child it will make them feel good about themselves and become more confident. 

Things you can do

  • Identify 5 actions to praise each day by focusing on the positives and noticing small things, such as smiles, hugs, drinking well. These can all be done before breakfast!
  • Remember that children watch everything you do, so check your own behaviours
  • Offer affection and encouragement
  • Take deep breaths and count to 10, so you don’t give attention to unwanted behaviours
  • Clear boundaries and routines, sleep routine going to bed at more or less the same time each night, regular meals time, getting up in the morning
  • Parents to be consistent in their approach in managing unwanted behaviours 
  • Ignore tantrums when it is safe to do so or distract your child. Anger is a very strong emotion and children need to learn how to control and manage this feeling.
  • Don’t ignore good behaviour, parents fall into the trap of giving attention to problem behaviours and ignoring good behaviours because they are sat quietly or playing nicely, the more praise you give for good behaviour, the more desirable it is for the child to show good behaviour more often.
  • Set clear rules (no more than 3 rules), rules should be fair and easy to follow
  • Create a behaviour chart with your child that they can gain stickers for good behaviour, allow your child to gain rewards regularly for good behaviour, then phase them out gradually
  • Praise can be given verbally alongside physical gestures such as with a high five, pat on the back or a thumbs up

If you’d like support, talk to

Learn more

Keep your child safe physically, emotionally and online

Did you know that you can support your child’s growth and development if you:

Keep your child safe physically, emotionally and online

Why is this important to you and your child?

It helps with your child's physical development, communication and personal, social and emotional development

When children are very young and become mobile, they will explore anything, touch what they see parents/carers touch to make sense of their world. Have a look round your home at your child’s level for any dangers. You can remove them or put a boundary in place.

The most common accidents in the home for the under 5’s are:

  • Falls
  • Fires
  • Scalds and burns
  • Glass-related accidents
  • Poisoning
  • Suffocating and choking
  • Strangulation including blind cords
  • Drowning

Nowadays young children are using technology more and more. Whether it is a phone, tablet, laptop or watching programmes, the online world is booming. E-safety is often defined as the safe and responsible use of technology. This includes the use of the internet and other means of communication using electronic media (eg text messages, gaming devices, email etc). In practice, e-safety is as much about behaviour as it is electronic security. 

Things you can do

  • Supervise your under 5 while they're online: Keep the devices your child uses in communal areas of the house such as in the living room or kitchen where an adult can supervise.
  • Children under 5 should not access the internet unsupervised in private spaces, such as alone in their bedroom or bathroom.
  • Check apps, websites and search results before using them with children.
  • Children, especially those in the early years should always be supervised when accessing the internet.
  • Ensure safety modes and filters are applied - default settings tend not to ensure a high level of privacy or security.
  • Children don't need screen time until they're 3 years old. After which, they should have no more than 2 hours of screen time a day.
  • Be with your child during screen time – it is not a substitute for childcare
  • During screen time, make it interactive by talking to them about what they're watching, otherwise they'll learn to mimic it without understanding the content
  • Be aware of the support available via e-safety campaigns

If you’d like support, talk to

Learn more

Establish safe sleep habits

Did you know that you can support your child’s growth and development if you:

Establish safe sleep habits

Why is this important to you and your child?

It helps with your child's physical development

Establishing a safe sleep routine with your child will help your child to grow and develop as well as restore strength and energy. Good sleep also improves your child’s behaviour and learning.  For children under 12 months safer sleep reduces the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)

Things you can do

  • Always place your baby on their back to sleep
  • Keep your baby smoke free during pregnancy and after birth
  • Place your baby to sleep in a separate cot or Moses basket in the same room as you for the first 6 months
  • Breastfeed your baby, if you can
  • Use a firm, flat, waterproof mattress in good condition
  • Never sleep on a sofa or in an armchair with your baby
  • Don’t sleep in the same bed as your baby if you:
    • Smoke
    • Have drunk alcohol
    • Have taken drugs
    • Are extremely tired
    • Your baby was born prematurely
    • Your baby was of low birth-weight
  • Avoid letting your baby get too hot
  • Don’t cover your baby’s face or head while sleeping or use loose bedding
  • To avoid accidents, remove all pillows, soft bedding, cot bumpers and soft toys from the cot – an empty cot is a safe cot
  • Be consistent

If you’d like support, talk to

Learn more

Provide toilet and hygiene training

Did you know that you can support your child’s growth and development if you:

Provide toilet and hygiene training

Why is this important to you and your child?

It helps with your child's physical development and Personal, Social and Emotional Development

If your child enters school already knowing how to blow their nose, use the toilet, and wash their hands, they can better make use of learning opportunities in schools and make friends.

Things you can do

  • Do not limit children’s drinks to help them stay dry as it doesn't work. Their bladder needs to be filled and emptied properly to keep it working well.
  • Be patient with your child as this is a new skill. Some children will find this easy, but others may take longer and accidents will happen.
  • Build your child’s confidence around the potty or toilet. Start with sitting first and encourage potty or toilet time, without asking if they need to go. Keep the time they are sitting short and offer lots and lots of praise for trying.
  • Encouraging boys to sit down to do everything to begin with.
  • Dress your child in clothing that is easy to pull up and down. Get your child to used to wearing pants.
  • When potty or toilet training your child, ensure all caregivers are consistent. If your child is looked after by a relative or goes to nursery or a childminder make sure you let them know that you’re starting potty training and the way you’re planning to do it. It really helps if everyone who cares for your child is doing the same thing.
  • Teach your child how to wash their hands when they have been to the toilet, wash themselves in the bath or shower, clean their teeth morning and night (we recommend assisted brushing up to the age of 7 years old)
  • Start to brush your child’s teeth as soon as the first tooth appears using an age-appropriate brush and toothpaste.

If you’d like support, talk to

Other support available in Coventry

Learn more

Go back to web version