What helped give your child the best start in life? Win a £200 voucher

[CeriMumsnet]

If you’re parenting a child aged 0–5 - or you’ve already been through the early years - we’d love to hear from you. What’s one thing that’s helped your child thrive so far, or one piece of advice you’d share with another parent at a similar stage?

It could be something small but genuinely helpful - for example, around feeding or weaning, building that early bond, settling your child into childcare, or helping them feel ready for school. We’re especially keen to hear practical tips or real-life experiences that made a positive difference and could help other parents right now.

Share one tip or experience that made a difference for your child’s early years by 14th February for a chance to win a £200 VEX voucher (Mumsnet T&Cs).

And if you want to read up on different stages as your child grows, the government’s Best Start in Life website brings together trusted, NHS-approved guidance to support you at every stage.

Pick their father wisely.

Socialising I think - like a puppy(!) you need to get children used to everything and all different situations

A morning story time routine as well as bedtime stories - kids are so much more receptive first thing in the morning so by building stories and nursery rhymes into your daily morning routine you maximise the positive impact on their language and communication skills 😊

Just relax and realise that each and every child is different, they are learning about you as much you are learning about them.

Read to your child from the start. It really makes a difference. My 4 year old loves books cos its all shes ever known and she sees me reading as a pastime too. Also pre school is a godsend. Her socialising is better and I get some free time 😆

Moving to a good, solid family home near the sea and with lots of parks and places to walk to and enjoy. You can keep your fancy new-builds (that won't look new for long with children around) and making sure there was a garden for trampoline, slide, swings and just feeling happy.

Reading/talking - read to them both from birth and narrated my day just to get them used to the sound of language

Follow your gut and do what works for you and your family.

Planning. Making sure you're in a good financial position, emotionally ready and in a secure relationship where you have actually discussed important issues around parenting, how children will be cared for and the involvement (or not) of wider family members.

Building good sleep habits. Understanding the importance in those early days of naps, and a good bedtime routine with a consistent bedtime, which gradually gets later as the child gets older. Our now 12 year old sleeps great and there is never any arguments when it’s time for bed.

Don't assume the way you were raised would work for your child. Every child is different, so make sure you pay close attention to what they really need.

Encouraging them to be independent. Trusting them to make bus and train journeys across London from the age of 12 and making them feel that they can do anything without hand holding.

Better to have one child and give them an exceptional upbringing than having multiples and struggling financially, and with finding quality time per child.

Im a big fan of reading to your child, even when they are in the womb. It is helpful on so many levels, such as encouraging them to love literature, and preparing them for sleep but maybe the best part is that it is a quiet time together for talking about what happens in books, and true life comparisons, and in that quiet time it is easier for children to relax and share their worries and problems.

Weaning - I made all their food from scratch. This was really important to me as I had a rubbish diet as a child/teen. I hadn’t a clue about cooking or nutrition, but Annabel Karmel’s book was like a bible to me and I followed it to the letter. It wasn’t easy, but it’s by far the best and proudest thing I did as a mother. It also set me up to be a decent cook as it taught me the basics of most meals which I still make now.

Routine, I don’t mean a totally ridged, inflexible one just one kids feel secure in, such as bath, milk, story, bed. It might be boring, and hard work sometimes but I eventually the structure feels safe and the rewards are amazing.

Resilience! We lead by example. Both DH and I are quite determined and reliable people. We’d never phone in sick (unless we were genuinely unwell) or let people down, and it’s a good example for the children.
We’ve done everything we can for the DC but we don’t spoil them. We work hard and they understand the value of that.
They understand that sometimes we have to do things we don’t want to or that aren’t fun but we still have to do it. I don’t make excuses for them and we keep it real.
We have fun too and wide ranges of activities and experiences.
They both are teenagers now and have lovely part-time jobs where they’re well thought of and popular. They both have good values and large friendship groups.
They’re not perfect and not are we but I’m pleased how they’ve turned out!

Making them feel secure and loved, starting at the beginning and continuing always (now adults) 😊

Setting boundaries and sticking to them. (bed time, playing out, and later on screen time)

Talking to them! Talking about what you see, what you are doing, what they are doing. And not using screens to keep them occupied when you're doing boring things like going to the supermarket. Just keep talking to them to keep them involved, even when you feel like you're just chatting nonsense, it all helps.

Ensuring they know they are loved, safe and protected - from day one and always.

Slowing down- the more hectic and hard time they are having, the slower we go.

Discussing parenting styles and non-negotiables before even getting pregnant. Helps make were your values align and you're on the same page.

Reading gives so many advantages. Imagination, spelling, literacy, calmness, concentration, understanding, word awareness, reading skills, writing, the list is endless.

Put down your phone, and interact with eye contact and love when spending time with your child - you can do other things when they are asleep - time matters.