How Can Parents Help in a Child's Growth and Development?

Child development refers to the physical, psychological and emotional changes that occur in a child from the time of birth to the end of adolescence. At this time, children learn from their family and the surrounding environment. The development is often put into categories based on the age, such as:

• Newborn: 0-4 weeks.
• Infant: 4 weeks to 1 year.
• Toddler: 1-3 years.
• Preschool: 3-6 years.
• School-aged: 6-13 years.
• Adolescent: 13-19 years.

At each stage of childhood development, the role of the parents is very important because they act as a guide and a friend for their kid. Also, the decisions that they make at this time can have critical impacts on the rest of the child’s life.

Why is Child Development Important?

According to the Australian Early Development Census, the emotional and physical well-being of a human being has its roots in childhood. If things go right in the early stages, we can expect the children to excel throughout their life. If the parenting is, however, is found missing in some aspects, the child could fail to gain self-confidence, interpersonal skills and much more that could lead to them expiring a tough time in life, starting with the school itself.

Appropriate experiences at the right time are the key to good child development. This is a very crucial time for the parents as well. For the first time, they are introduced to a more responsible world. Parenthood brings a lot of changes in an individual. It is very important to bond with your kid, since it lays the foundation for a better future. In one of his articles, James J. Heckman mentioned that learning begins at infancy. Indeed, it does. Parents need to take the responsibility and lay a good foundation for their child's development. Here is how parents can ensure the ideal development for their kids.

Take Care of Eating Habits

In a report published by the WHO, more than 6 million children under the age of 5 died in 2012 worldwide. This number comes down to 750 children every hour. India has 444 million children under the age of 18 years, which is more than the combined population of North America (United States, Mexico and Canada) put together. This number also represents 37% of total population of the country.

About 27 million babies are born in India every day but 2 million of them don't make it past their fifth years. The major reason for this is malnutrition, which results in about one third of the deaths. Out of these, two thirds of the deaths are caused by inappropriate feeding practices during the first year of life.

A balanced diet plays a major role in building a child's immunity soon after birth and even later in life. It makes them physically fit and helps them achieve optimal growth. So, as soon as your child begins to eat solids, make sure to include plenty of fruits and vegetables in their diet.

Invest in Their Future

As a parent, we all want to see our children happy and secure. All the hard work we put in at work and the trouble we go through is only to ensure a bright future for our little ones. But, there are some extra initiatives that have to be taken to make sure that when life hits you hard, you hold your ground firm.

Unfortunately, only 1% of the people in India with an annual income of more than Rs. 3 lakhs protect their families by opting for insurance. Opting for life insurance, health insurance or term insurance is a big step towards your child's future security. For example, term insurance gives you short term coverage with the investment of as little as Rs. 30,000 per year. Many insurance companies has made it easier to understand various plans to secure your child's future.

Every parent ensures the growth of their child but a responsible parent ensures that the development doesn't stop even if they are no longer around to take care of their children. Are you one of them?