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.

I set up a children’s stocks and shares ISA for mine when they were born and paid in £30 a month plus a few bits of birthday and Xmas money when they were too little to spend it.

At age 18 the ISA was worth around £25k (the fund has done brilliantly) so DC now has a healthy deposit for a flat or money to pay for university.

Pick good toys to encourage imaginative play with them, please don't sit them in front of the tv all day, worse still giving them a tablet to be immersed in.
Best thing I got was a carpet town, and we had figures for the houses and cars and lorries for the roads, we had lots of fun with imaginative play. This helps with co-ordination, language skills and is so precious.

that you should be led by your child and your instincts and that there is no one-size fits all advice. I have three children, all very different and I wish I had known with the first to follow my own instincts, led by the baby/ child and not the books.

Remember to parent the child you have not the one you imagined you would have . My one tip is to share their interests , I know more about football and dogs that I ever thought I would I but it’s helped me get close to my kids .

Honestly, reading to them, talking to them and listening to them– the most important things you can do. I say this as a parent and an early years teacher. I work with so many children now who are being labelled as having communication difficulties when in actual fact it’s just because hardly anybody has spoken to them before they start nursery!

When research was done about what correlated with academic success for children. It was whether their parents ate with them. Presumably because they would' be exposed to adult conversation. They thought this explained why cultures who did this were high achievers.

Reading lots of books supported my LO so much. My LO enjoyed the predictability of reading familiar stories, also enjoyed new books. Loved looking at pictures, listening to the words, some books we had were quite interactive - including mirrors, buttons that sing songs etc. I think my LO learnt a lot from books. I read to my LO almost every day from around 3 months (we read books prior to that but not as frequently). Think it helped with speech and learning, emotional regulation, as well as having a lot of fun.

Being around other kids and having that social element. With the eldest, she thrived academically but not socially and I feel like that aspect was stunted due to not having many kids to play with as she was home schooled.

The biggest thing that’s helped my baby thrive has been letting her lead — emotionally and physically — from day one.

We chose to co-sleep safely, and I honestly think it set the tone for everything else. Knowing she’s never had to cry alone has made her incredibly secure. She’s curious, relaxed and confident to explore, because she knows I’m always there if she needs me. I didn’t realise how much that early sense of safety would ripple out into everything else.

We carried that into weaning with baby-led weaning. Instead of spoon-feeding, we sat together and let her explore food in her own time. Yes it was messy, but she learned to trust her body, recognise when she’s full, and actually enjoy food. She’s now adventurous, independent and genuinely loves mealtimes — which makes family life so much easier.

And finally, reading. We read every single day, even when she was tiny. Not just bedtime stories, but little moments on the sofa, before naps, whenever she seemed calm and curious. It’s become our favourite ritual. Her vocabulary, attention and love of books have grown naturally from that connection.

If I had to give one piece of advice to a new parent it would be this: don’t rush your baby to be independent — build security first. When they feel safe, everything else follows.

Finding, and struggling to buy, a small house with garden in a decent area. It has been their safe, happy place through childhood. So glad we pushed for it.

Genuinely I think the best thing we did was start her at the pre school attached to the primary. It made the transition seamless into reception.

I found being part of a baby and toddler group really helped with my worries - the more experienced mums really helped with advice and reassurance.

You know your child better than anyone else, and know their strengths, weaknesses, strengths and things which worry them. Trust your instincts and don't make them go to places which will stress them out - and if you do need to go for instance to an airport, tell them what will happen and when and what it might sound like and that your will be by their side -no matter what.

Teaching him from a very early age the importance of being kind to others - it has helped him make friends over the years.

Socialising is another, taking to baby club, toddler groups, and learning to share and take turns, I think social skills at nursery and school, once inbuilt will be something which helps them make and keep friends and be happy and do well at school - a good foundation at home is just (i think) really important.

Family members with older DC's, knowing my child, and my health visitor really helped, gradually my confidence grew, and began to trust my own instincts. I'd still like a second opinion - and love mumsnet for that - I can search what my problem is and often it's been already asked and answered.

Make sure they know they’re loved and that you’ll always have their back. Praise them to help develop their self-confidence. Listen to them, make them feel valued, be hyper aware of anything critical you say to them and be tactful with constructive criticism.

Reading every day with them and taking them out in nature every day, no matter what the weather is.

My now adult Son is full of admiration that I broke a cycle of a violent, abusive and neglectful childhood and patented him the way I wished I had been parented.

Above all else, I was - and remain - "there" for him.

Reading stories Lots and lots of them. Take them to the library and let them choose books. Give them books for birthday and Christmas.

A love of reading is known to make children better at maths, which I think is surprising, I presume also it does wonders for their literacy.

Always making time for any chats and being interested in whatever was said. A lot of parents these days stay on their phones and don't act interested, which is wrong. You want to build that relationship with your kids such that they're comfortable telling you anything.

Positive contact; hugs and kisses. Making time for them and also ensuring they have other kids to play with. A lack of a social life, even at a young age, does stunt their growth I've found. Being around just adults won't help them. I speak from personal experience. They need to be around other kids to thrive, even if it's not in a school setting.

Bringing them up with pets. We have had my old cat when they were born and we adopted two more kittens a few years later. Having our cats to look after since they were tiny, and involving the children in looking after them has made them a lot more thoughtful and responsible. My eldest is now 6, and she loves the cats so much, every morning she looks for them and goes to the kitchen to feed them.

Going part time during early years, it particularly matters now in reception year, so they are home straight after school and have time to unwind and relax.

Being given the freedom to be a kid. Sometimes kids are stunted because they're told they have to behave a certain way. I don't mean disciplining kids that are behaving badly, but holding them back from actually having fun.