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The Best Start for Life: 1001 critical days

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The Best Start for Life: 1001 critical days

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Giving every child the best start in life

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Giving every child the best start in life

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Giving every child the best start in life

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The government’s strategy for improving child development and meeting the ambition that 75% of 5-year-olds in England have a good level of development by 2028.

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Get trusted NHS advice on pregnancy, babies and supporting your toddler’s development. Now you can also find out about childcare and education support too!

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What should I do if I have concerns about my child's development?

If you're worried about your child's progress, talk to your childminder/nursery/pre-school team, health visitor, local children's centre or Family Hub.

If your child has developmental delays or SEND (suspected or confirmed), speak to their nursery, childminder, or health visitor/nursery/pre-school team well before they start Reception and discuss their needs when you are selecting schools.

You can work with your child's early years setting to help your child with self-care, managing emotions, social skills and communication in a way that suits their stage of development.

​You might want to share details about: their development, needs, what motivates them, what might trigger difficulties, how they learn best, and what strategies work well.

Make sure you share important information with everyone supporting your child, including their new Reception teacher.

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Your child's journey to school starts at home. We understand that all children develop at their own pace, and that we're all learning from birth. When it's time to start school, some children will need more help than others.

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Free educational resources

Looking for free educational resources to help keep children safe? Download and share our free safety fact sheets, use our eye-catching materials to create a colourful display or run a safety workshop for parents with our session plans.

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Child Accident Prevention Trust | A safer world for all our children

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Safety advice Many accidents are a part of growing up. Children need to explore and experiment. But some children suffer the pain of serious accidents that can alter the course of their lives forever. Most of these serious accidents are completely preventable by making simple solutions or changes to routines.

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Tiny Happy People is here to help you develop your child's language skills. Explore our simple activities and play ideas and find out about babies and toddlers' amazing early development.

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Children’s language development and parenting advice - BBC Tiny Happy People

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A chatty child is a happy child, so Tiny Happy People is here to help you develop your child’s communication skills through simple interaction and play.

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Early Years Alliance is the trading name of the Pre-school Learning Alliance. Registered as a limited company in England and Wales (no. 4539003) Registered as an educational charity with charity number 1096526 Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority VAT Registration Number: GB 830 472 251

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A long term strategy for early education and childcare that understands the unique value of childminders and other early years providers and puts them at the centre of addressing the unequal access that is currently leaving disadvantaged children, including those with SEND and ALN, missing out.

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Coram PACEY: Professional Association for Childcare and Early Years

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Welcome to Coram PACEY, the Professional Association for Childcare and Early Years. We support childminders, early years workers, and nannies in England and Wales.

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Nap times

Once your child has stopped using nappies in the daytime, it's time to think about nap times.

Learning to sleep without a nappy on at naptime and use the potty when they wake up, will help prepare your child for being dry at night.

Tips for managing nappy-free nap times:

Just before nap time, help your child use the potty or toilet, so they are more likely to stay dry.

When you notice the nappy is staying dry at least some of the time, stop using a nappy at nap time.

Accidents are common during the first few months. Use a waterproof sheet or similar underneath your child, to protect their sleep area.

Lots of children need to use the potty when they wake so help them to do this.

Using praise and rewards to motivate your child

Research shows that rewards such as sweets or sticker charts may help your child initially, but they can stop working quickly.

For most children, encouraging and supporting them to be as independent as possible is the best way to motivate them.

Tips for keeping your child motivated:

Give your child plenty of encouragement and praise their efforts. When your child uses the potty or manages to stay dry, even if it's just for a short time, tell them how pleased you are.

Try to stay calm when accidents happen and do not make a big fuss.

Give your child the opportunity to do things for themselves as far as possible. This will help them to feel in control, positive and relaxed about the process.

Use favourite toys, books or songs to help them feel comfortable on the potty.

Try to avoid prompting or asking your child too often. Instead, wait until you think they need to go and then direct them gently, e.g. "it's toilet time" or "let's get that wee/poo in the potty!"

Be clear, confident and consistent so your child knows what you are asking them to do.

Managing potty training accidents

It is normal to have lots of accidents at the beginning and they are an important part of the learning process. This is a big step for your child, so be patient and encourage them.

Tips for managing accidents:

When your child has an accident, clean it up together and remind them to use the potty next time.

Do not shame or punish your child about accidents, as stress and upset can make it harder for you and your child to learn together.

It's important not to pretend an accident hasn't happened. Help them get clean and dry as soon as possible and involve your child in this process. Gently explain that you want them to use the potty next time.

Potty training out and about

When you first stop using nappies, choose a time when you can stay home with your child for a few days, so you can do some one to one learning with them.

Tips to make your first trips out easier to manage:

Don't forget your potty and spares of everything just in case!

Make trips out short to begin with.

Dress your child in clothes that are easy for them to push down and pull up again.

Avoid putting your child back in a pull up or nappy for outings. This will confuse them and undo all that learning.

A travel potty and washable car seat cover can come in handy.

Using the toilet away from home is a good thing for your child to get used to. Talk to them about things like how the flush at the supermarket is different from the one at home or nursery for example.

We have an excellent range of products to help with this stage including portable potties and car seat covers.

Potty training at nursery & pre-school

Many children spend part of their day being looked after by someone other than you and away from home.

For potty training to go well, your child needs a consistent approach to help them learn what they need to do whether they're at home or in childcare.

As soon as your child starts attending the setting, communicate about their bladder and bowel health. Ask the staff to tell you about the child's poos, so you can keep track and avoid constipation.

Find out what they are offered to drink to you can supplement appropriately at the beginning and end of the session. If the setting will only offer water, and your child is reluctant to consume enough water, talk to staff. Offer to supply juice or squash for them to dilute; it is vital for your child to stay well hydrated when they are away from home.

Start conversations about potty practice as soon as your child can sit up. Settings may regard potty training as something to attempt when the child is older; share this information so they too can see the benefits of potty practice.

When you are thinking about stopping using nappies, plan with the staff. Agree dates together with your child's caregivers so everyone is ready to support them. Time what you are doing at home to fit in with the setting.

Avoid starting to wear pants when the child is about to change rooms at nursery - that will be a big enough upheaval for them.

Tell the staff about the language you use at home for wee and poo.

Talk to the staff at the beginning and end of each session so everyone knows how things are going both at the setting and back at home. Use our potty training record so staff can keep track of their progress.

More information and free resources for childcare settings to support potty learning.
Getting dry at night

The age at which children become dry at night varies hugely. For some, it follows on quite quickly after achieving daytime dryness. For others, the wetting carries on after the age of 5 and treatment will be advised.

It is not your child's fault if they wet during sleep.

There are however lots of things you can do to gradually work towards night time dryness including:

Help your child get into the habit of using the potty or toilet at bedtime.

As well as making sure they are drinking plenty during the daytime, work on a good bedtime drinking routine as well. STOP drinks one hour before bedtime, every night, and no more after that till morning. Our Wee Checker has information on how much children should drink for their age.

Prepare your child for sleep. Unwind with a book or listen to music with the lights turned low. NO screens - so no TV, iPad, computer games in the hour before sleep, or the brain will get the wrong message!

Avoid lifting - in other words waking your child to take them to the toilet - if you want to work on stopping bedwetting. It might keep the bed dry, but it encourages the child to wee during sleep as they don't really wake up.

If your child is still wetting the bed when they are 5, see our Advice for Children with Night Time Wetting factsheet for more information and help.

Common potty training problems

Taking your time leading your child through the preparation and practice stages should help to avoid the most common potty training problems.

If you feel as though it's all gone wrong and they're just not getting it, it's ok to stop, go back to the preparation stage and start again.

Could they be constipated?

Constipation affects 1 in 3 children and is especially common in under 5s. Your child may be struggling because they have some underlying constipation that was there before you started potty training.

So stop, treat the constipation and then try stopping the nappies again once it is all under control. Carry on with potty practice - this in itself is an important part of constipation treatment.
Are they drinking enough?
Sometime the bladder misbehaves and we realise that our child is simply not drinking enough.

Once again, you don't have to go right back to the beginning, but go back to the potty practice stage while you increase your child's fluid intake.

Try not to panic if it seems as if they just aren't getting it. Some children take longer to learn, and just need more time.

Reassure your child that their wees and poos will learn to go in the potty, they just need more practice!

Get more information and help with common potty training problems.

FAQs

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Potty training: how to start & best age to potty train - ERIC

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We've broken down potty training into 3 easy steps: preparation, practice and perfecting those skills! Use our step by step guide to help your toddler become toilet trained.

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BookTrust transforms lives by getting children and families reading. We are the UK’s largest children’s reading charity. Each year we reach 3.4 million children across the UK with books, resources and support.

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Words for Life | National Literacy Trust

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Activities and support for parents, children and young people to improve language, literacy and communication skills from home.

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Speech and Language UK: Progress checker

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Speech and Language UK: Progress checker

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Apple store - https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/baby-buddy-pregnancy-parent/id1548271681

Google play store - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=uk.org.bestbeginnings.babybuddymobile&hl=en_GB

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Give your child the best beginning with Baby Buddy!

Developed by UK charity Best Beginnings in collaboration with parents, healthcare professionals and partner charities across the country: Baby Buddy is with you throughout your pregnancy and parenting journey, day by day.

Whether you're a mum, dad, co-parent or caregiver, Baby Buddy is here to empower you to feel confident, giving you the knowledge and practical skills to look after yourself and give your child the best start.

- Get bite-sized advice and information every day throughout pregnancy and the first year of your baby's life.

- Find out what to expect as your baby grows and what you can do to support their mental and physical development. From the developing foetus to labour, bonding to breastfeeding, teething to weaning, Baby Buddy brings you the best information from the NHS, trusted charities and leading experts, through short videos and articles delivered straight to your phone.

- Find information about local maternity services where you can choose to give birth, create your personal support and care plan and note down questions to ask your midwife or health visitor.

- Track your baby's development, record special memories, write letters to your baby and share information and photos safely with your partner and other members of the family.

- The app includes a digital personal child health record where you can record growth, vaccinations and developmental milestones.

- Looking after your own wellbeing is just as important. Use Baby Buddy to take care of your physical and mental health, with advice on staying active and eating well, information about prenatal postnatal depression and access to a 24-hour text support service if you are struggling with your mental health.

- Baby Buddy is here to support you in all your relationships - with your baby, with your partner and/or family and with frontline professionals.

- Baby Buddy is the first app in the world to offer personalised daily information to dads on their pregnancy and parenting journey.

Made in partnership with parents just like you, and through their feedback, our new version of Baby Buddy builds on its trusted information and brings a wealth of new features, creating a personalised journey for every user.

Download the app now, for free and with no adverts.

Your data and personal information entered in Baby Buddy will be stored safely and securely and will not be shared with or sold to any third parties. You can read our full privacy policy on our website.

Visit www.babybuddyapp.co.uk for more information.

Version 1.0.49

This new update allows you to edit and delete developments, as well as other bug fixes.

Almost five stars

The app is very good overall, easy to use alone and to involve others in the journey, share info etc.
I was disappointed in the videos made of a psychiatrist talking about 'disorders' and really failing to normalise the thoughts and feelings that mothers have. Parenthood is a emotional rollercoaster of a time and just as childbirth shouldn't be medicalised wherever possible - nor should the emotional experiences that come along with it.

Errors

Loved the previous version. This one keeps logging me out. Won't let me change my baby's details and has crashed several times. Hopefully just teething problems

Thanks for your feedback! We are making technical improvements every day and the issues you have described have been fixed. Please do update to the latest version : )

Baby Buddy

This app comes with daily updates and informations about baby, about us parents and everything else that will be of interest
I think it's a great app full of new informations and it's very very easy to log in and start using it
Great stuff and hopefully it only gets better

Thanks for the review!

The developer, Best Beginnings, indicated that the app's privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer's privacy policy.

Data Not Linked to You

The following data may be collected but it is not linked to your identity:

Privacy practices may vary based on, for example, the features you use or your age. Learn More

Information

Compatibility

iPhone

Requires iOS 10.0 or later.

iPad

Requires iPadOS 10.0 or later.

iPod touch

Requires iOS 10.0 or later.

Mac

Requires macOS 11.0 or later and a Mac with the Apple M1 chip.

Age Rating

12+ Infrequent/Mild Medical/Treatment Information

Family Sharing

Up to six family members will be able to use this app with Family Sharing enabled.

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‎Give your child the best beginning with Baby Buddy! Developed by UK charity Best Beginnings in collaboration with parents, healthcare professionals and partner charities across the country: Baby Buddy is with you throughout your pregnancy and parenting journey, day by day. Whether you're a mum,...