Introduce
Parents and caregivers can support children’s physical development by ensuring that they receive good nutrition, adequate sleep and opportunities for regular physical activity.
Trying to established a balanced partnership with families can enable shared knowledge and understanding which is beneficial to the child’s development.
Greater Manchester Moving have created top tips for movement from birth through to starting school. The aim of this resource is to provide guidance to parents and carers to support their children’s physical development from the earliest opportunities. An example of age 0-1 year old Ten Top Tips can be seen below:
You can find links to other age ranges on the GMCA website here.
Other helpful resources for parents include:
Develop
Jodie Wynne, Physiotherapist, and Sally Holmes, Occupational Therapist in Stockport continue to help us think about parent engagement in the video below:
Reflect
Stop and Reflect: Encouraging parent partnerships in promoting physical development in the early years requires reflection on various aspects of engagement, communication, and collaboration. Here are some reflective questions to consider:
– How can you gain insights into the family’s values, routines, and attitudes towards physical activity and movement?
– How can you involve parents in setting goals for their child’s physical development in a way that feels collaborative and not directive?
– What activities or resources in Greater Manchester and beyond might be helpful for parents supporting physical development at home?
– How can you help parents incorporate physical activities into their daily routines in a way that is sustainable and enjoyable for the whole family?