A few initial things about raising children from the Very beginning. Being with your baby is not just about feeding and taking walks with them. Being with your baby means dedicating full attention and listening, allowing them to feel secure and trusted in the world around them. It’s about understanding what they experience and recognizing the challenges that are sometimes involved. Unconditional love, interest, and support are essential factors in their healthy development and emotional growth. In this context, it’s not only parents who matter but also anyone in the child’s close environment - such as friends, grandparents, and caregivers. In the upcoming series of articles, we’ll explore how to accompany a child through their early developmental stages, starting from their very first steps in the world and beyond, as they climb the ladder of age.

Let's start with the first six months after birth... The first period with the baby, especially with a first child, is a period revolving around adaptation - of the child, the parents, and the siblings if there are any. The baby emerges into a new environment and experiences a reality new to him, and for the parents and the additional children, it is an encounter with a new reality. It is a period of transition and dramatic change for everyone, a change that requires a process of adaptation and acclimatization. Within this process, it's important to know that not everything is "natural," and problems may arise - in breastfeeding, in sleep, and more. The baby's needs are divided into physical needs - such as food, sleep, and body warmth, and emotional needs - such as love, a sense of security, and touch. Listening and paying attention to the baby will help us understand the needs and the type of response to give them.

Responding to crying is actually the first communication with the baby. Crying is a significant part of the baby's first language, and an efficient means for him to report to his caregivers about various types of needs that arise. It's important to be curious and try to understand what the crying means, as alertness and response to crying are important for building the baby's ability to trust the world and communicate with the environment, in addition to, of course, the immediate help he needs.

Why do babies cry? Hunger, tiredness, discomfort, stomach pain and gas, wet diaper, hot/cold, seeking attention, seeking closeness, and more... Over time and as we listen and respond - we will learn to distinguish between cries, and the baby will learn to signal according to his needs.

We, the parents, must pay attention that all the baby's senses are functioning. The senses help the baby understand what happens outside the limited world of his body - through sight, hearing, taste, smell, or touch. For example, to check from the age of two months whether the baby sees, it is advisable to present a small object at a distance of 25-30 cm and see if he focuses his gaze, and also to move the object right and left and see if he follows the object in motion.

It is also important to know that the baby has additional sensing abilities beyond those we are used to checking, such as the pressure sensation of the internal tissues, balance and body direction, and of course - hunger, pain, thirst, and movement.

Feeding the baby should be done with the body attached to the feeder's body (whether breastfeeding or from a bottle), where each time the baby's body is attached to the feeder's body from a different side (when feeding from a bottle simply change sides in the middle of feeding). Thus, the baby learns to recognize his body and its boundaries through the stimulation of both sides of the body.

Eye contact and physical touch are extremely important for the baby's development at these ages. Gentle touch, hugs, and kisses give the baby confidence in the world and in the people around him. Also, it's important to be sensitive to the baby's responses to touch – when dressing and undressing, when putting him in the bath or bed, etc. Movements at a monotonous pace, walking, rocking, and also practicing baby massage can help in developing physical communication with the baby.

A stable and familiar physical and human environment and familiarity with the caring figures will help the baby trust the world and make connections. It is highly recommended to talk to him, sing to him, and explain what is being done. These actions also help in developing the sense of hearing and language learning. And of course, it's equally important to listen to the baby.

And a few closing words... This period of the first year in the baby's life is an exciting and charged time. It's important to be attentive to the processes the baby is going through and the processes we are going through with him, to be open and to process the feelings and emotions that arise.