The Five Components of Nurturing Care
Right from conception to the first three years of life, the child’s brain grows very rapidly. Nurturing care during this period has many short-term as well as long-term benefits. Some of these benefits are that the child becomes smarter, behavioral violence decreases, there is a decrease in anxiety and depression as the child grows older, and the child becomes more efficient. The following five components are very important for the proper upbringing of the child. If all these practices regularly followed by parents child achieves optimum development.
Nutrition
The nutrition of the child is an important factor for his/ her growth and development right from when the child is in the mother’s womb. Until the child is six months old, he/ she must only be breastfed, i.e. nourished with mother’s breast milk, and after six months of age complementary feeding should be initiated with breastfeeding. The quantity, density, frequency and variety of the complementary feeding are all very important factors. It is also equally important to recognize if the child is hungry and respond to it appropriately. One must take care that the child has a pleasant meal time; He/ she must be fed with a smile and without force.
Early Learning
Science has proven that the child's learning begins at conception. In the initial stages, the child learns through touch, talk and play. The child needs the warmth of love. The child feels safe when caregiver approaches her/him with love, laughs, kisses or caresses them. The child also needs constant appreciation and encouragement. Communicating with the child through smiling, imitating sounds and gestures, makes the child smarter. The child learns many skills by playing. All the child needs is a play, not a toy!
Responsive Caregiving
Along with nutrition and good health, love and affection are also important. Responsive parenting implies that the parents must be sensitive towards the child. They must recognize the child's needs through his / her movements, gestures, eyes and voice, and respond promptly to what the child is trying to say. As a result, the child learns new things with more enthusiasm and his/ her relationship with the family members becomes stronger.
Safe Environment
Family and physical security are essential for the optimum development of the child. It is the parents' responsibility to protect the child from emotional trauma as well as physical dangers. Scolding, getting angry, or punishing the child creates a sense of insecurity in his/ her mind and its consequences last a lifetime. Therefore, it is extremely important to create a safe and happy environment around the child.
Health and Hygiene
Along with the physical wellbeing, the mental wellbeing of the child is also equally crucial. It is important to protect the child from various ailments, get him/ her vaccinated on time, provide treatment as soon as possible in case of illness and also provide the child with opportunities to learn good habits in order to stay healthy.