The new year offers a chance to reset and set meaningful goals for yourself as a parent/caregiver. You may often put yourself last but caring for your own well-being strengthens your ability to care for others. Parenting demands constant emotional and physical energy. When you’re exhausted or overwhelmed, it becomes harder to be patient, calm and engaged. Taking care of yourself replenishes your energy so you can show up as the parent you want to be.
It may seem like reading to a newborn doesn’t make sense. But science shows reading to a child from birth makes a big difference. By reading five books a day, a child will hear 1.4 million more words by kindergarten than a child who was not read to. Even just reading one book a day to a child will introduce 290,000 words by age 5.
Not only does reading introduce new words, but it also introduces new concepts such as exploring Antarctica and the animals that live there or how families in different cultures live.
Raising children involves more than ensuring their physical well-being, it’s also about supporting their emotional and social development. It is never too early to start teaching children about the building blocks of healthy relationships that include empathy, respect and communication.
Here are a few ways you can teach and model how to create and maintain meaningful relationships.
Building a castle of blocks, dreaming up a dramatic plot for dolls or running a pretend restaurant with plastic food. These are all great ways to play—and learn!
Play is essential for early childhood development, which spans ages zero to eight. It serves as a powerful channel for young children to explore, learn and make sense of the world around them.