Guest blog – Tips for breastfeeding from Bshirt
Getting started with breastfeeding can be difficult, and we are sure that you would have heard (or even experienced with a prior baby) some horror stories about breastfeeding going wrong. Below are some tips and some useful information to get your breastfeeding journey started on the right boob (ha ha, see what we did there!).
New study investigates possible cause of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome but does not change safer sleep advice
The Lullaby Trust has restated the importance of following safer sleep guidelines in response to news reports about a new study which investigates possible causes of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
Must-read books for new parents (that aren’t about parenting)
In the early stages of becoming a parent, the learning curve is steep, and the tiredness levels are so high. Your whole world becomes a slightly foggy bubble of baby baths, naps and nappies, leaving little time for much else.
Mud play – why you don’t need a mud kitchen
Mud is possibly one of the most versatile resources your child can play with – and it’s free! As daunting as the prospect of adding mud to play can feel, it is also fun for grown-ups to get stuck in – even Dolly Parton sang the praises of mud at Glastonbury, getting her fans to chant along with her, “We can’t get enough of the music and the mud!”
My First Five Years changed how I think about child development
I’ll be honest, I write for My First Five Years as a freelancer and have also been an early tester of the app because I have a three-year-old son myself. So, you won’t be surprised to know that I recommend this app to everyone I meet with young children. However, for a while, as a busy working mum, I wondered whether I’d prefer the app to just contain lists of simple-to-set-up activities that I could search for and randomly try when I had a spare ten minutes to play.
Time to say no to the naughty step - what to do instead
Figuring out how to best support your child as they learn about the world and themselves can feel complex at times. As a parent, you can be bombarded with advice, tips and tricks that you may or may not agree with or want to use with your child. An area where people can be the most vocal about ‘handy hints’ is supporting your child’s behaviour, and the ways to respond to what are perceived as ‘negative’ behaviours. A technique that has caused some debate between parents, families and experts is something that is known as the naughty step.
The theories of child language acquisition
When we think about child language acquisition, we are thinking about how language is gained and how it is developed. As soon as babies are born, they interact with the people around them, and their journey towards learning and using language begins.
Is ‘good-enough’ parenting relevant in 2025?
At My First Five Years, we believe in being realistic about parenting. We know what parents do is important for their children’s development, and we know parenting is amazing at times but hard work too.
Self-regulation versus self-control: what's the difference?
At My First Five Years, we know it can be hard to sift through all the information available online and find what you want to know to help you to support your child. That’s why we provide information you can trust, backed by years of experience, science and research.
Early years communication: how to create a language-rich space
Creating a language-rich environment may sound complicated. Thankfully, it’s not. It simply means ‘a place to talk’. It's the way you use your space to talk to your child, as well as the toys, books and activities you choose, to create a ‘language-rich environment’.[1] Every response that is given to your child, whether that be a comment, a repetition of what they have said, or a new conversation with lovely words your child may not have heard before, can be defined as language rich.
