Materials Required
- No additional materials required – just you!
Preparation
Prepare a comfortable spot for feeding that allows you and your child to be facing one another.
Method (or Ideas)
- Keep a relaxed, open face and make eye-contact with your child – you may smile or even make different faces to your child and watch for their response
- Acknowledge and respond to any communication attempts from your child. When you do speak to your child, be sure to pause and allow your child ample time to respond in their own unique way – this creates the back and forth (or serve and return) of conversation
Facilitation Tips – What To Say
- Narrate your actions e.g. “Here is your bottle, it is full of warm milk”,
- Notice your baby’s communication e.g. “You’re pushing the spoon away, I think you are finished”
- Signs your child is interested in feeding may include an open mouth, leaning towards you, appears excited at the site of food (whether that be breast, bottle or solids)
- Signs your child may not be interested in feeding or is finished may include: a firmly closed mouth, turns away, pushes away, appears disinterested
Extend the Experience
Continue having conversations with your child throughout the day where you pause and wait after you speak to give your child the opportunity to contribute
WHO Guidelines for Physical Activity & Sedentary Behaviour
Be sure to provide your infant with lots of opportunities for tummy time throughout the day.
Early Years Learning Framework
Outcomes
- Children become strong in their social and emotional wellbeing
- Children feel safe, secure, and supported
- Children interact verbally and non-verbally with others for a range of purposes.
Principle
Principle 1: Secure, respectful and reciprocal relationships. Through a widening network of secure relationships, children develop confidence and feel respected and valued.
Practice
Practice: Responsiveness to children. Responsive learning relationships are strengthened as educators and children learn together and share decisions, respect and trust. Responsiveness enables educators to respectfully enter children’s play and ongoing projects, stimulate their thinking and enrich their learning.
