Tips for parents

Here we share a series of tips for parents that are designed to provide ideas, reassurance and understanding. 

Being a parent has never been easy. It can be lonely, frustrating, heart breaking and over-whelming.

All parents struggle at one time or another. You are not alone.

Home-Start’s expert staff and trained volunteers work alongside families just like yours to give non-judgmental, compassionate and confidential support.

They help you regain confidence and be the parent you want to be. Below are some of the areas we can help with.

Bonding with your unborn baby

You don’t need to wait for your baby to be born to bond with them.  Watch Home-Start’s video on how to bond with your baby – learn more

Taking care of you when you have a baby

Looking after a newborn baby can be overwhelming, making it difficult to keep on top of other tasks, causing stress to mount up.  Taking time for you can make all the difference.

Maternal mental health in pregnancy & beyond

One in five women are affected by perinatal mental health issue during pregnancy and in the first year after birth and accessing the right support is so important.

Looking after infant mental health

The first 1001 days of life starting from pregnancy are especially important when it comes to Infant Mental Health and baby brain development.

Your baby’s sleep

A baby’s sleep can vary for lots of reasons, from their own temperament to different family behaviours including where they sleep, what they are fed and how parents make sense of their needs. 

Your baby’s tears

It can be really difficult when you have a crying a baby, especially since its a real guessing game to determine what they need. Crying is a baby’s way of communicating, telling parents that they need help.

Helping your baby’s brain to build

Baby’s start to learn and communicate with you long before they begin to talk by responding back and forth you can help your child’s brain development.

Dealing with toddler tantrums

When your child is having a tantrum its an opportunity for you to help your children to cope with their emotions and learn more about their feelings.

getting-on-board-with-childhood-curiosity

Between the ages of 2 and 5 children ask around 40,000 questions. It isn’t easy being on the receiving end of all these questions. Watch the Home-Start video on how to share in their wonder.

Encouraging language development with household activities

Research has shown that the number of words that a child hears in the first few days, weeks, months and years of life, has a big impact on their development in later life.

Preparing your child for starting or returning to school

Starting or returning to school can be a difficult and challenging time for children. Here we share some useful tips to help you prepare your child for the classroom.

Helping Children manage their emotions

The loss of a loved one can be a confusing and emotional experience for children. This guidance can help you navigate this difficult time together. You will also find links to specialist services. 

Helping your child deal with the loss of a loved one

The loss of a loved one can be a confusing and emotional experience for children. This guidance can help you navigate this difficult time together. You will also find links to specialist services. 

Activities and play ideas for children

Coming up with fun activities and play ideas to keep children happy, stimulated and occupied can be really hard. In this section of our website we have collected a series of fun ideas you can try at home.

Volunteer Support

Home-Start in Suffolk provide weekly support through their home visiting and telephone support volunteers.

Group Support

Home-Start in Suffolk operate a number of groups across the County. These groups are free of charge for families to attend.

Signposting

Home-Start in Suffolk works with a number of partner organisations and will signpost families to appropriate additional services to work alongside our team to ensure families have access to all the support they need.

Interested in volunteering?

We'd love to hear from you!

Call our team on 01473 621104 or click here to find out more.