Supporting your child’s development

Your child needs your support to grow and develop. You’re the best person to help them on this journey because you know them well and interact with them every day.

You show your support through concrete gestures and actions. You support your child’s development by interacting with them while providing them with care (e.g., diaper changes, bathing). You also support your child when you play together and let them explore their surroundings.

Play and exploration

Any activity that is fun for your child can become a game. It’s easy to integrate games into your daily routine. For example, you can play peekaboo when changing your baby’s diaper. Tickling, dancing to music and splashing in the bathtub are other examples of simple games (see Activities to support your child’s development).

Your child likes to play with you. When you play together, you’re building your relationship. Your child takes advantage of your presence and support to try new things they wouldn’t try on their own.

But they also need moments when they’re not being stimulated by an adult. This gives them time to discover who they are and the world that surrounds them. That’s how they learn to overcome challenges on their own. Gradually, your child will become more independent and creative. Later, this helps them develop their sense of confidence and tolerate boredom.

When your child is very young, it’s hard for them to spend time alone. This is normal. The older they get, the longer they’ll be able to play on their own. Some children like having time alone, while others seek more stimulation from adults.

When your baby is exploring their surroundings, make sure there’s nothing there that could cause serious injury (see Babyproofing). Let them make discoveries and test their abilities. Adjust your level of supervision based on their needs and skills.

Support your child in all areas of development

Your support helps your child grow in all areas of their development (motor, cognitive, socio-emotional, and language). But some of your actions and words can help nurture specific areas of development more directly. Here are some ideas on how to support your child in each developmental area.

Copyright: Marie-Pier Boulanger

Marie-Pier Boulanger

Motor Development

• Right from birth, you can lay your baby on their tummy for increasingly long periods (see Preventing a flat head). When you feel they are ready, often around 4 to 6 months, place them in a sitting position, holding them with your hands under their armpits. You can put an object between their legs to provide them with support (e.g., ball, stuffed animal).
• Place objects that interest them nearby to encourage movement. Later, move the objects a bit further away to motivate them to crawl.
• Let them handle different objects, including food once they’ve started eating, to develop their dexterity and explore different textures.
• As they gain independence and become more skilled, let them perform everyday tasks (e.g., putting their arms in their sweater to dress, stirring food in a bowl).
• Perform everyday actions alongside your child (e.g., brushing your teeth, brushing your hair): they will watch and learn by imitating your movements.

Cognitive development

• Be aware of the things that get your child’s attention. Talk about what they’re interested in, but don’t bombard them with information (e.g., “This is a cat. It’s nice and soft”).
• Expose your child to a variety of everyday objects and sounds (e.g., mirrors, lights, street noises). They need to look, listen, and touch to better understand.
• Provide them with objects that respond to their actions (e.g., rattle, ball). This helps your child make the connection between actions and their consequences.
• Encourage your child to imitate your gestures and facial expressions by frequently imitating theirs (e.g., if they clap “bravo” or make a face). This can encourage them to imitate in return.
• Let them try things and make mistakes. That’s how they learn best.

Socio-emotional development

• Try to understand your child’s crying. Respond quickly, especially in the first few months (see Bonding).
• Take your child in your arms, look them in the eyes, caress them, share smiles and kisses, speak softly to them, tell them you love them. They need your affection.
• Reassure your child when they are feeling afraid or sad. For example, rock them or give them a favourite toy or object.
• Get in the habit of naming their emotions or what they seem to be feeling (e.g., “You’re uncomfortable, it happens”, “You’re angry, you wanted to stay at the park”). Later on, this will help them put words to their feelings and understand other people’s emotions.
• Establish a routine and set consistent boundaries to help them feel safe and understand what you expect from them. For example, every time your child throws a tantrum by lying on the ground, tell them what you expect: “Stand up, we’re going to walk.” See Structure.
• Starting around 18 months, you can tell your child in advance what you plan to do (e.g., “We’re going home now, we’re going to eat”). This helps them to prepare.
• Encourage them to explore their surroundings and approach other children to help foster their independence.
• Encourage all of their efforts and attempts, even if they don’t achieve the desired result. This helps them develop their self-confidence (e.g., “You can do it, try again,” “Wow! You put your hat on!”).
• When your child gets angry, stay as calm as possible and tell them in simple words what you’re observing (e.g., “You’re mad, you wanted a cookie.”) (see What to do when you’re angry).

Language development

• Get down on your child’s level to better observe and hear their attempts to communicate (e.g., gestures, facial expressions).
• Respond to what they’re saying or seem to be trying to express with words and actions of your own.
• Imitate their noises, sounds, and words. That way, they’ll see you are interested in what they are communicating. These exchanges also teach your child that communication is a back-and-forth process.
• Vary your facial expressions and tone of voice to hold their interest.
• Name what interests them (people, objects, actions). Say the proper words (e.g., “dog” instead of “woof”) and use complete sentences.
• Describe what you and your child are doing in the here and now (e.g., “I’m changing your diaper,” or “You’re playing with your cars”). After the age of 18 months, your child will begin to understand when you talk about past and future events.

And when they start using words…

• When they say a word, you can add an extra word or two. For example, if they say, “More,” you can say, “More milk!”
• Repeat the words correctly, speaking clearly to model proper pronunciation. There’s no point asking your child to repeat after you; they’ll learn even if they don’t say the words again.