Blog

We’re not big Valentine's Day people over here at My First Five Years, but we do believe in love and the love of a good children's book, so what better excuse than to go over our five favourite books about love, whatever the time of year! 

We know that for most parents life is busy and finding time to dedicate to activities that support your child’s development can be tricky, particularly in the week when we may also have work to contend with. However, we also know that opportunities for development and play are everywhere! In addition, children benefit from being allowed to get bored sometimes and from discovering new things for themselves.  

Packing your hospital bag can feel both exciting and daunting. The items you see suggested can feel a bit strange when it’s your first baby. I always remember seeing ‘extra-large sanitary towels’ on the list and wondering why on earth I would need them (and then packing a few tiny ones, only to have to send my partner out to buy more when the time came).  

At My First Five Years, we know all children and parents are individuals, each with their own characteristics, interests and ideas. We are here to support every parent to notice and celebrate their child’s unique developmental journey, and to avoid the pressure of comparison. At My First Five Years, we know that being a parent is often full of joy, but it is sometimes hard work too, so we think about 'realistic parenting', which is linked to the theory of 'good-enough parenting’. In this blog, I am going to explain more about ‘good-enough parenting’ and why being realistic about your parenting might be best for your child and family.  

When we think about tantrums, we often imagine difficult moments that can feel challenging for parents, and we can sometimes have a negative view of this aspect of development. Although we all agree that our children’s tantrums can be difficult for us as parents, we think that this period of development is positive and shows us some really important steps in our children’s development. In this blog, we will look at what is happening for your child when they have a tantrum, and how you can support them.

Outdoor play can provide many rich learning opportunities for young children. It can include places to explore, new experiences and can help in the development of many skills, including social and emotional development. 

The great outdoors is one of the best resources for developing creative play in young children. There are many areas outdoors that can be explored with your child, including your very own back garden! 

As a parent, it can feel like there is constant pressure to spend money on toys for children. The choices when it comes to what toys are best for your child are impossibly endless, too. Is it better to opt for only wooden toys, or is plastic actually pretty fantastic? 

Becoming a parent is hard. Part of what makes it hard is the unrealistic narrative about what parenthood should look like or feel like. Right from the start, you may be aware of the expectations of others around your behaviour and your child’s behaviour, from people you know well, or even people you don’t know at all. This may come in the form of advice such as:

Here at My First Five Years, we pride ourselves on having expert knowledge about every part of a child’s development. We have found that one of the most important parts of development to understand is ‘cognitive development’, also known as ‘the way that children think’.