Child development
Children develop at different rates. North Lincolnshire Health Visiting team supports and empowers you to help your child achieve their potential.
As part of our core health visiting offer you will be offered a number of reviews which gives you the opportunity to talk about your child’s general development. We use the Ages and Stages Questionnaire designed to give you a better understanding your child’s development and progress with communication, movement, problem solving, and personal-social skills such as washing hands, using utensils playing games, understanding others feelings. The Ages and Stages Questionnaire results will flag up any early concerns about your child’s development so that assistance can be put in place to support your child to reach their potential.
Community Groups support and encourage children’s physical, emotional and social development through play, structured activities, creative fun and singing. Providing support where needed to parents makes a big difference to how a child grows into a healthy, happy and fulfilled adult. In partnership with children’s centre staff, health practitioners plan themed activities which are linked to health messages and can easily be done at home. Staff model positive interactions, sensitivity and encourage parents to treat their child as an individual with their own thoughts, feelings and motivations.
North Lincs offer an Integrated health check
iHV Top Tips for Parents – Supporting your child’s development
UNICEF Parenting Your baby’s developmental milestones
Healthy sleep routines for children
Keeping your child to a regular bedtime routine although difficult, can help the quality of their sleep. It’s important to have a routine that works for you and your child, and to stick to it. A bedtime ritual teaches the brain to become familiar with sleep times and wake times – it gets them used to a set routine. Find out how much sleep kids need.
iHV Top Tips for Parents – Promoting a healthy sleep routine
NHS Choices – Healthy Sleep Tips
Your child’s bedroom
It’s important to keep the bedroom just for sleeping. The bedroom itself needs to be dark, quiet and tidy. It should smell fresh and be kept at a temperature of 18 – 24C. It should be a calm and relaxed place.
Avoid computer/TV screens in the bedroom
The light from tablet computers, mobiles/smartphones, TVs and other electronic gadgets, can also affect children’s sleep. Try to keep your child’s bedroom a screen-free zone and get them to charge their phones and other devices downstairs. That way they won’t be tempted to respond to friends getting in touch late in the evening.
Getting help with sleep problems
If your child is still having problems getting to sleep or sleeping through the night, you can speak to your GP, health visitor or access one of our First Friends Groups or Children’s Center groups and speak to a member of staff.
Keep a sleep diary
You may be asked to keep a sleep diary for your child as part of diagnosing any sleep problems. The sleep diary might reveal some underlying conditions that explain sleep problems, such as stress or medication. A sleep diary might reveal lifestyle habits or experiences in your child’s day-to-day activities that contribute to sleep problems.
It could include answers to the following questions:
- What were your child’s sleeping times?
- How long did it take them to get to sleep?
- How many times did they wake up during the night?
- How long did each awakening last?
- How long did they sleep in total?
- Did they do any exercise shortly before going to bed?
- Did they take any naps during the day or evening?
- Has anything made them anxious or upset?
Download the NHS Choices – Sleep Diary
Sometimes, sleep problems can be a sign of a mental health problem.
NHS Choices – Depression in Children and Teenagers
Your child’s sleep needs change when they become a teenager, read about why teenagers are always tired.
Weaning off bottles and dummies
Many children become closely attached to bottles or their dummies. Both may mean a lot to a child as they often use them for comfort and security. Weaning off a bottle or dummy can have an impact on sleep routines. Your health visitor or nursery nurse can provide support and advice.
iHV Top Tips for Parents – Weaning off bottles and dummies
Dealing with child behaviour problems
There are lots reasons for difficult behaviour in toddlers and young children.
Often it’s just because they’re tired, hungry, overexcited, frustrated or bored. You have to do what is right for your child, your family and for you. If you don’t believe in something or feel its not right, it probably won’t work. Children notice when you don’t mean what you’re saying.
iHV Top Tips for Parents (He – Dealing with difficult or challenging behaviour
NHS Choices – Dealing with child behaviour problems
Toilet training
Using a potty is a new skill for your child to learn. It’s best to take it slowly and go at your child’s pace. Being patient with them will help them get it right, even if you sometimes feel frustrated.
Children are able to control their bladder and bowels when they’re physically ready and when they want to be dry and clean. It is important to remember every child is different, so it’s best not to compare your child with others.
- Lets Go Potty Website
- ERIC – Potty Training
- iHV Top Tips for Parents – Toilet Training
- NHS Choices – Potty Training Problems