is vitally important in the first days, weeks, and months of life. Your infant learns to trust that his or her needs will be met by spending time bonding with parents and caregivers through touching, holding, gazing, playing, and other activities. When a baby feels secure and becomes attached to caregivers through bonding, it improves his or her development and growth in the first five years of life—and beyond.
LA County Community Spaces and Places for Families Research shows that being in green spaces enables children to thrive physically and emotionally. Richard Louv, co-founder of the Children & Nature Network, identifies numerous benefits including stress reduction,...
Good Beginnings 16: Infant Massage Aids in Comforting, Bonding, and Development in BabiesTouching is the first communication a baby receives, and this week First 5 LA explains how parents can use infant massage to bond, comfort, and help babies develop. Featured will...
First 5 LA Positive Parenting: 5 Things to Say to Your Child Build a strong and positive relationship from the start by offering loving guidance and open communication with these five phrases for children ages 0-5: “Thank you.” Modeling gratitude and appreciation...
Earth Day Ideas Celebrate our Planet on Earth Day!Earth Day was first celebrated in April, 1970 as a way to raise awareness about what we can do to help keep our planet clean and green. Today, Earth Day is celebrated on April 22 in more than 190 countries worldwide....
Early Communication and LanguageCommunication isn’t just talking. From birth, your baby is learning how to let you know what he or she needs. Long before he or she says a word, your baby communicates needs, thoughts and feelings. While we can’t always know what a baby...
Empathy DevelopmentEmpathy is the ability to imagine how another person is feeling in a particular situation and respond with care for that person’s feelings. How does your baby become a caring person who has good relationships with other people? Throughout life,...
Unplug and Create the Moments That Matter A public education campaign to increase social connections What happens to a child during the early years can have effects that last a lifetime. Science tells us that 80% of a child’s brain is developed by the age of 3. Every...
Communication 101: Talk, Read, Sing!Good communication helps make your family relationships strong, and it’s never too early to communicate with your baby. Long before he can speak, your baby is listening and learning sounds, connecting what he sees to what he hears....
First 5 LA’s 5 Signs of a Strong Family What makes a family strong? Studies show that the strongest, healthiest families have five qualities in common. These five “protective factors” help create a safe and healthy environment for adults to be the best parents we can...
Creating a Parenting NetworkAs the old African saying goes, it takes a village to raise a child. Today’s “village” in Los Angeles County is a diverse parenting network of everything from information and inspiration to concrete support and expert resources for your...
