Child development: the first five years
About early child development
Development is the term used to describe the changes in your child’s physical growth and her/his ability to learn the social, emotional, behaviour, thinking, and communication skills she/he needs for life. All of these areas are linked, and each depends on and influences the others.
In the first five years of life, your child’s brain develops more and faster than at any other time in her/his life. Your child’s early experiences – her/his relationships and the things she/he sees, hears, touches, smells and tastes – stimulate her/his brain, creating millions of connections. This is when the foundations for learning, health and behaviour throughout life are laid down. Children also develop a sense of gender identity by three, which further intensifies as they grow older. Parents act as a critical influencer of gender socialization during early childhood.
Babies are born ready to learn, and their brains develop through use. So your child needs a stimulating and caring environment with lots of different activities that give her/him plenty of ways to play and learn and lots of chances to practise what she/he’s learning.
Relationships: the foundation for child development
Children’s relationships affect all areas and stages of their development.
This is because relationships are experiences. In fact, relationships are the most essential experiences in your child’s environment because they teach her/him the most about the world around her/him. They also shape the way she/he sees the world.
Through relationships, your child learns whether the world is safe and secure, whether she/he is loved, who loves her/him, what happens when she/he cries, laughs or makes a face, and much more.
Your child also learns by seeing relationships between other people – for example, how you behave towards your partner and how your partner behaves towards you. This learning is the basis for developing your child’s communication, behaviour, social and other skills.
Your child’s most important relationship is with you. Relationships with other family members, carers, including early childhood educators, and other children are significant.
A loving, nurturing relationship helps you and your child learn a little more about each other every day. As your child grows and develops, her/his needs will change. You will know more about what she/he needs and how you can meet these needs.
Play: how child development happens
In the early years, your child’s main way of learning and developing is through play.
Play is fun for your child and gives her/him an opportunity to explore, observe, experiment, solve problems and learn from her/his mistakes. She/he will need your support and encouragement to do this. But it is essential to try to find a balance between helping your child and letting her/him try things on her/his own, which means she/he might sometimes make mistakes. Finding out for herself/himself about how the world works is a big part of your child’s learning.
Lots of time spent playing, talking, listening and interacting with you helps your child learn the skills she/he needs for life. These skills include communicating, thinking, solving problems, moving and being with other people and children. It must be noted that parents and carers should engage in the full range of play activities regardless of the gender of the child, as this will facilitate the development of holistic skills in the child.
Play is a great relationship builder. Spending time playing with your child sends a simple message – you are essential to me. This message helps your child learn about who she/he is and where she/he fits in the world.
Other things that shape child development
Your child’s genes and other factors like healthy eating, physical activity, health and the neighbourhood you live in also have a big impact on your child’s wellbeing and development.
Healthy eating
Healthy food gives your child the energy and nutrients she/he needs to grow and develop. It helps develop her/his sense of taste. Healthy family food and eating patterns in the early years can set up healthy eating habits for life.
Your child learns about food choices from you, so the best way to help your child develop healthy eating habits is to let her/him see you preparing, eating and enjoying healthy food yourself.
Parents and carers should also remember that the nutritional requirements of all children are the same regardless of gender.
Physical activity
Being physically active gets your child moving. It develops her/his motor skills, helps her/him think and gives her/him an opportunity to explore her/his world. These skills are essential for all children regardless of gender. So your child needs plenty of opportunities for active play, both inside and outside. If you are active yourself, your child will likely follow your lead.
Health
Your child’s health can influence her/his development. All children get sick at some point – for example, with coughs and colds, earaches or gastroenteritis. These minor childhood illnesses generally will not cause any long-term problems with development.
But chronic or long-term conditions can affect your child’s development. These include developmental and learning disabilities like deafness, blindness or autism spectrum disorder, and diseases like cystic fibrosis, cancer or cerebral palsy.
If your child has a chronic condition, it is a good idea to talk with your doctor, nurse or another medical specialist – for example, a paediatrician. These health professionals can tell you about how your child’s condition might affect development and how you can best support your child.
Parents and carers should also remember that all children require good quality, speedy and professional health services, regardless of gender.
Neighbourhood and local community
Your neighbourhood and local community influence your child’s development. For example, your child’s development is supported by positive relationships with friends and neighbours and access to playgrounds, parks, shops and local services like child care, playgroups, kindergartens, schools, health centres and libraries.
Developing at different rates
Children grow and develop at different rates.
Some parents worry about when their child will walk, and others worry about when their baby’s first teeth appear. Most skills develop in the same order, but the age they happen might vary even for children in the same family.
If you wonder whether your child’s development is ‘normal’, it might help to remember that development is different for every child. For example, the typical age range for children to start walking is 8-18 months. So if your child is not walking at 14 months, that is okay.
Trust your instinct if you feel that something is not quite right with your child’s development. See your doctor or nurse.
Being a parent
Whether you are raising a child as a parent, grandparent, kinship carer or foster parent, you are always learning. We all make mistakes and learn through experience. It is okay to feel confident about what you know. And it is also okay to admit you do not know and ask questions.
Your own physical and mental health is an important part of raising a child. But with all the focus on looking after a child or baby, lots of parents and carers forget or run out of time to look after themselves. Looking after yourself will help you understand, patience, imagination and energy you need to raise your child.
