Child Development - What Part Do I Play as a Parent?

During the early years, it can feel like our babies are growing at a rapid rate - they’re constantly taking in and responding to their surroundings, learning a whole raft of new skills, and slowly but surely laying the foundations for their future.

As exciting as this period is, it can also be overwhelming, with endless advice and recommendations being sent your way about everything from breast vs. bottle to whether “sleep when the baby sleeps” is really something anyone wants to hear after yet another restless night…

A huge source of stress during this period can also come from a combination of physical growth tracking alongside knowing (or not knowing!) whether your baby is hitting the appropriate ‘milestones’ for their age. It can be hard to find a balance of which to focus on and when, and what they actually mean.*

Ultimately our advice is - don’t stress! Focusing on the tiny details or directly comparing your baby’s growth to others is a sure fire way to create additional stress for both you and your little one. Here are some top tips we’ve found on our own parenting journeys to help you along the way:

👶 Play the days away: Development doesn’t have to mean sitting your child in front of an educational book or forcing them to concentrate beyond their means. Instead, find fun and engaging ways to explore new skills and accomplishments together, such as baking (maths, listening and understanding change!) or singing together (communication and language, self-confidence and making relationships!)

👶 Remember the bigger picture: The health and happiness of our children is paramount, so tracking developmental milestones should never be about ‘ticking them off the list’ or pushing your child beyond their ability but rather seen as guidance; if your little one is forever laughing but hasn’t quite mastered literacy, that’s okay!

👶 Share your achievements: Sometimes we can get tunnel vision when it comes to our little one’s development, and forget how amazing these achievements are. Utilise the secure photo sharing function on your Onoco timeline to capture and share moments with family and friends, no matter how big or small, and you’re sure to raise plenty of smiles that remind you of the most important thing - that your baby is loved, and knows it!

👶 Be honest: If you’re constantly bombarded with external comparisons, simply remind those around you that all children are unique and on their own journeys, and that’s what we should be supporting.

Onoco has a range of growth and milestone focused features, designed to help you on your parenting journey:

⭐ Digital growth charts: You can access digital growth charts on Onoco, meaning you can quickly and easily input your child’s data and see how they are tracking against population data taken from the World Health Organisation (WHO)

⭐ EYFS milestones: View the full list of age-appropriate target milestones from the Early Years Foundation Stage framework in the UK, so you can easily access and understand the skills you can be working on with your little one

⭐ Daily top tips** based on your child’s development: Get activity prompts and ideas delivered daily, based on your little one’s achievements so far, and access information about their next developmental stage.

*You know your baby best. Onoco is not a medical app and recommends that, if you do notice any anomalies in your tracking or have any concerns, you contact your child’s doctor in the first instance to discuss.

** For Onoco Premium users.