Childhood Growth Development
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Childhood Growth Development
About early child Development: Development is the term used to describe the changes in your child’s physical growth, as well as her ability to learn the social, emotional, behaviour, thinking and communication skills she 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 his life. Your child’s early experiences – his relationships and the things he sees, hears, touches, smells and tastes – stimulate his brain, creating millions of connections. This is when the foundations for learning, health and behaviour throughout life are laid down.
Growth and Development
- Development is how your child grows physically and emotionally and learns to communicate, think and socialise.
- In the first five years of life, your child’s brain develops more and faster than at any other time in his life
- Your relationship with your child is one of the most important influences on your child’s learning and development.
- In the early years, your child’s main way of learning and developing is through play.
Being a parent
Whether you’re raising a child as a parent, grandparent, kinship carer or foster parent, you’re always learning. We all make mistakes and learn through experience. It’s OK to feel confident about what you know. And it’s also OK to admit you don’t 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 with the understanding, patience, imagination and energy you need to raise your child.
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.
- Physical activity
- Health and disease
- Neighbourhood and local community