0 to 12 months

In this chapter:

• Get to know and handle your baby
• Baby’s Communication
• Play for children’s development and growth
• Read to your child
• Talk and sing

Providing a calm, nurturing and loving home allows babies to learn to trust and develop. Your baby will also benefit from the experience of being handled by you and will learn to recognise and feel comfortable with you.

Get to know and handle your baby

These are just some ideas to start off with.
You can be involved in all of these activities and grow confident in:

• handling the baby
• changing nappies
• bathing the baby
• settling the baby to sleep

As babies get to know both their parents, they begin to prefer them over other adults and look to them for comfort and support when they are feeling distressed. This sense of safety helps them feel confident to explore the world and develop relationships with other people.

If you are feeling overwhelmed, talk to your partner, a friend, or a relative who has children.

Ask the midwife to show you how to bathe your baby, check water temperature, how to change nappies, etc. This can help you bond with your baby and learn how your baby communicates.

Ask family members who have experience with children to help you.

You can also contact a parenting support organisation like Parentline.

More information at Raising Children: Connecting and communicating.

Baby’s Communication

Your baby will cry for lots of reasons, like feeling hungry, tired or uncomfortable. They are not crying to annoy you or be naughty.

It can be hard but very helpful to learn the meaning of your baby’s communication and what their cues look and sound like. See this video guide on baby cues.

Also see tips for calming your baby.

Play for children’s development and growth

Play has many benefits for a child’s learning, exploring the world, interacting with others, and understanding and developing their abilities and potential. It also helps them relax, have fun, learn to solve problems, express and manage their emotions.¹

Encourage your children to play, get involved in their games, and have fun. Build their confidence through play. Give them a chance to lead and enjoy their leadership in play. Appreciate and affirm their imagination and creativity while providing them with different play experiences and ideas.²

Try a local playgroup. Playgroups allow parents and carers to get together with their young children (babies, toddlers and pre-school children) for a couple of hours each week to connect and learn through play. There are many playgroups around Australia. This is a great opportunity for your child to socialise and for you and your partner to meet other parents.

From 6–12 months, your baby is learning to crawl and discovering the world. Practice doing new things and developing skills with your baby. Notice when they have tried something new and praise them for it. Always keep an eye on your baby as they will be moving quickly – get a safety gate for stairs, safety locks for drawers and keep medicine out of reach.

Read to your child

Reading to your child from an early age is important for language and memory skills. You can change the tones in your voice to make the reading interesting.

If you speak a language other than English and have books available in that language or languages, you can check the Languages section for other ideas.

Talk and sing

Sing and make music together. Notice how your baby responds to your voice. Your baby will be looking at you more carefully and can look at you for longer periods as you describe what you are doing.

Try different sounds fast and slow, loud and soft, but be aware that loud sounds and music can frighten babies and can damage their hearing.