Taking Care of Your Child From Birth to Adolescence


Raising children is one of the hardest yet rewarding experiences one can have. For a first-time parent, it’s normal to have questions and concerns regarding catering to the constantly changing needs of your growing child. To answer your questions, this article by Child Care Center provides comprehensive advice for handling your child’s needs from birth to adolescents.

0 to 24 Months

For the first two years of life, your toddler will be fully dependent on you for everyday tasks, and here are important things to be mindful of:

  • Spend time daily towards bonding activities which include cradling, sleeping, having skin-to-skin contact, play, and more.

  • Post the 12-month mark, start teaching your child common phrases and creating connections between speaking and gestures such as saying hello, goodbye, thank you, etc.

3 to 5 Years

These years serve as a crucial time for your child’s cognitive and physical development. To stay on top of their development needs, implement the following steps:

  • Provide a diet high in fruits, vegetables, grains, while being low in fat and cholesterol amounting to 1200-1400 calories per day as reported by the American Heart Association.

  • Encourage physical activity throughout the day which can include sports, going to a playground, free play, and more.

  • Start to inculcate good sleeping habits and ensure they receive between 10-12 hours of sleep each night.

6 to 9 Years

This stage is the perfect time to start teaching children valuable life skills as follows:

  • Assign them chores around the house such as taking out the trash, picking up laundry, etc.

  • Start teaching them how to handle money through giving an allowance and shaping good spending habits.

  • Monitor their screen use by creating set times for using electronics.

10 to 12 Years

As tween years can bring rapid changes between the relationship between you and your child, here’s what to keep in mind:

  • Let your child have the freedom to spend a greater amount of time with friends. But always keep a close watch on their habits.

  • Be a good role model, guiding them on the importance of education by pursuing your own degree in a lucrative field like computer science, teaching good habits from practice, and being a pillar of support.

  • According to Very Well Family, when in need of discipline, use positive reinforcement strategies.

Having these tips at your disposal will give you the confidence to provide your child the best they deserve.

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