Engaging in infant care at the start is important because it sets the stage and the basis for the entire life of the child. Through careful choosing of proper birth practices, you as a new mother will be able to maximise your infant’s time, as well as keep your health in check. In fact, one of the most critical elements in taking care of an infant is providing clean and nutritious food and water.
With the global economy and society slowly resuming back to a life of normalcy after the pandemic, people have become more vigilant these days regarding their hygiene. This includes new mothers for their newborn children. Parents need to ensure that their hands are sanitised constantly, as well as the instruments and the surrounding environments that their baby will be
around in.
Ensuring a consistent temperature around the house or the baby’s room is also a form of child care, and it is essential for the baby's comfort and health. Apart from these basics, parents should pay close attention to their baby's behaviour and health at all times.
The role of caring for an infant includes time management
It's also important to maximise the time you spend with your infant-related to time management theory. Doing so benefits both you and your infant by reducing stress and increasing emotional health. It's also beneficial to limit parental stress by limiting the number of infants you take care of at once. A high workload causes personal and professional burnout, which can harm both you and your babies' physical and mental health.
Everyone is privy to the knowledge that care is an utmost fundamental need of any infant as it affects their physical, cognitive and social development. For smaller human beings such as infants and children, their early years are one of the most crucial ones that will set the foundation for the child in their future development.
Consider this: you, as a mother, have welcomed a new life into this world with joy. But then you begin facing the sleepless nights of your precious infant, crying in the middle of the night, causing not only stress to you but also to the baby.
How could we go about maximising the care for your infant?
Below are a few reasons why.
Prioritise your child’s safety
As one of the three founding pillars of quality care in infants, ensuring your child’s safety is one of the vital elements that you are able to hone on for your child. This includes maximising your child’s opportunities and in turn, minimising risks being taken for your infant. This net of safety extends to you, your family members surrounding the infant, as well as the house in which the
infant resides. There are many ways to provide a safe and comfortable environment for your infant. For a start, one of the most important things is to create a space that is free of hazards for your baby.
This includes remaining vigilant and looking around to ensure that there are no sharp objects or loose wires around in which your infant may or may not be exposed to. It is also important to have a soft surface for your baby to crawl on and plenty of toys to keep them entertained.
Remember, effectively engaging in your infant’s caregivers and teachers also promotes physical, mental, and cognitive development that aids in maximising your infant’s care.
Another way to create a safe environment is to childproof your home. This can come in the form of installing safety devices such as locks on cabinets and drawers, gates at the top and bottom of stairs, and covers for electrical outlets, strong magnets for fridges and so on. You should also keep dangerous chemicals such as Do-It-Yourself home solutions, and medications out of reach for your child.
Making sure your home is clean and clutter-free will also help create a comfortable environment for your baby. Be sure to vacuum regularly and dust all surfaces. If you have pets, be sure to keep their areas clean as well. Babies are very sensitive to smells, so it is also important to use gentle, unscented cleaning products.
Finally, providing a warm and loving environment will make your baby feel comfortable and secure. Be sure to spend plenty of time cuddling, talking, and reading with your baby. Respond quickly when they cry or seem upset. Creating a strong bond with your infant will help them feel loved and secure in their new environment.
Understanding what your child’s cry means
As all mothers would know, your infant’s cries can mean different things in several contexts. Most of the time, it is hard to discern what exactly our infant needs due to them not having fully developed their communication skills yet.
Although infants cry for various things, below here possible reasons what their cries mean:
1. Wet or soiled diapers
Usually, infants feel uncomfortable when they have soiled themselves. Not knowing how to communicate this discomfort out, all they can do is cry. So, do not forget to check and change their diapers as part of their infant care.
2. Hunger
Similar to the point above, infants are not able to voice out that they are hungry. Sometimes, even the infants who learned how to talk a little faster than others can only muster a few sounds. If your infant is crying but you have fed them recently, gently allow them to burp to release the discomfort within them.
3. Tiredness
This may not be information to a lot of new mothers, but babies do cry when they are feeling tired or fatigued as well. If you notice your infant having teary eyes and yawning more often, then it is time to put your infant to rest as their body requires that sleep. Whilst we all know the importance of rest for the human being, infants in particular require more care for their smaller
bodies. Thus, preventing overfatigue and tiredness for your infant is optimal to their physical and mental health.
Educate yourself deeply on child care
On top of the tips given above, one of the most crucial ways in engaging in effective child care is to educate yourself on how exactly you can do it for your infant. There are many resources that you can pool online and even in libraries such as books and references that can help you on your journey as a new mother.
Being mindful is an important trait and role a parent can possess when caring for an infant. As a parent, mindfulness is key to bringing focus on what parents feel while taking care of your infant. Through thorough self-education and being mindful, parents will be able to understand why their infants are crying in the middle of the night, and fulfil their needs. The trait of being mindful also comes with soothing and caring for your infant when they are crying.
Here at Genesis Childcare in Tampines, we understand that each child and infant has their own unique personalities and characters. Through the belief and advocating that every child should be loved and cherished, the role of infant and child care is a responsibility that we strive towards, and help other family members - especially new mothers - get closely acquainted with.
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Genesis Tampines Childcare 1989 is one of the best preschool and childcare in Tampines. Our Preschool Tampines have over 30 years of experience in nurturing thousands of infants, toddlers and preschoolers. At our Tampines Childcare, we advocate that every child is unique and precious who needs to be loved and cherished.
As a leading early childhood centre in Singapore since 1989, we are committed to nurturing our early learners holistically through various learning areas and positive learning dispositions. We place a strong emphasis on the way our teachers facilitate and interact with the children.
Our Childcare Tampines believe that every child is unique and precious who needs to be loved and cherished. Hence, our holistic curriculum aims to create meaningful learning experiences for each and every one of them!
Our Playgroup Tampines provides parents with the confidence that their children are in the good hands of our trained and caring teachers.
Our professional team of preschool teachers has a good understanding of child development and learning principles. We apply them efficiently and set the stage to create a meaningful learning experience that supports your child's discovery.
We consistently create a positive and cozy environment that will give your child a sense of security which builds their self-confidence to explore the world around them.
If you are looking for a good Tampines infant care or Tampines preschool or Tampines childcare near Tampines Central, do consider Nurture Infant House or Genesis Childcare 1989.
Located alongside our childcare in Tampines is our Nurture Infant House. If you are looking for Tampines infant care or infant care in Tampines, do visit Nurture Infant House. It is for infants aged 2 months to 18 months old. You can learn more about our infant care Tampines here.
Lastly, would you like to visit our Genesis Childcare 1989 to find out more about our environment and setup as well as understand our operations by talking to our teachers and supervisor?
Genesis Childcare 1989 (Playgroup to Kindergarten 2)
Blk 433 Tampines Street 43 #01-63/65 S(520433)
Nurture Infant House (2 to 18 months Infants)
Blk 433 Tampines Street 43 #01-61 S(520433)
Opening hours: Monday to Friday (7am to 7pm) & Saturday (7am to 2pm)
Public Bus services: 8 / 21 / 28 / 29 / 293
Tel: 96664141
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