Caring for a baby or young child

An intense experience

Caring for a baby or a young child brings highs and lows. Sometimes both occur in the space of a few days, hours or even minutes. It’s not unusual to go from feeling like you’re coping and moving forwards to it suddenly feeling like you are failing and going backwards. 

Daily life can feel non-stop as their age and needs mean they demand a lot of your attention at all hours of the day and night. It isn’t easy to take a break, find support or do the things you usually enjoy.

Lots of guardians we speak to also say they feel pressure to ‘naturally’ know what to do or figure things out on their own. This increases stress levels when faced with challenging situations and can make them feel isolated and reluctant to ask for help.

You need to know that it is normal to have questions, not know what to do, and to feel stressed at times. There are places that can give you expert support and the sooner you get it, the more quickly you can gain confidence and control.

Three types of support

Our support for guardians caring for babies and young children is in three categories:

• Care - how to look after babies and young children

• Practical - things you need and things to do

• Wellbeing - coping with the emotional and physical demands 

We’ll briefly cover each in this guide and we encourage you to contact our support team for judgement-free, personalised support. 

Care

There are lots of aspects involved in keeping a baby (roughly 0–2 years) or young child (roughly 1.5–5 years) safe and healthy.

One thing all babies and children under guardianship have in common is that they have experienced early-life trauma. Research has shown that infants experience the effects of stress and neglect even in pregnancy.

That means trauma is something for every guardian to be aware of as it can impact a child's behaviour and development in many ways, some of which may not be obvious.

Caring for babies

We support guardians caring for babies with the following topics.

• Sleeping 

• Crying

• Teething and illness

• Behaviour - our behaviour guides can be a helpful starting point

• Feeding and weight

• Nappies and toileting

• Dressing

• Development stages - our ages and stages guide can be a helpful starting point

• Connecting with each other

• Vaccinations and immunisations

• Tummy time

• Safety (at home and travelling)

• Play ideas

• Crawling and walking

A great source of advice on all of these topics is the Pampers website. It includes clear, practical tips and techniques to help you understand what’s happening and what you can do. It uses both videos and guides and is backed by research and professionals.

Your local health visiting service is another important resource. Health visitors are specially trained children nurses. They are responsible for making sure babies, infants and their parents/carers can live healthily, safely and successfully together. 

Health Visitors can listen to any of your questions and concerns, watch your baby for signs and help provide care or connect you to support.

You can arrange direct visits with health visitors or children nurses or attend one of their regular local drop-in clinics. They should also offer you child development reviews at nine months and 2–2.5 years old. 

Caring for young children

We support guardians caring for young children with the following topics.

• Sleeping 

• Behaviour - our behaviour guides can be a helpful starting point

• Tantrums 

• Walking and co-ordination

• Social skills

• Eating

• Toileting

• Connecting with each other

• Play ideas

• Development stages – our ages and stages guide can be a helpful starting point

• Special needs and disabilities

A good first source of online advice is the Toddler section of the Pampers website. This covers helpful information about how children develop and offers practical guidance on common situations and things you can do. It includes lots of helpful videos, clear guides and links to activities.

Local Family Centres across the UK also provide dedicated care and free resources for you and the child you care for.

Buckinghamshire Council’s website lists Family Centres and the services they offer. The centres can also be a great place to meet other parent carers and children. You can speak to a childcare professional and ask questions – they can also meet the child you care for. 

Attending a childcare setting (such as a day nursery or preschool) can also be really beneficial for the child's development and your own wellbeing.

All 2 year olds under special guardianship orders are eligible for free childcare. 3–4 year olds can be eligible for up to 30 hours a week. 

Contact our education team to learn more or read our guide on finding a school or childcare setting.

Practical

Caring for a baby or young child can involve lots of changes to the things you need in the house and on the move. It will also involve finding new activities to do together. 

Pampers provides an ‘ultimate checklist’ of baby essentials, which is a good starting point to know what things you’ll need (as well as identifying the ones you probably don’t). You’ll also find recommendations on where to get them.

When it comes to picking up the things you need, Facebook Marketplace can be a great for finding affordable local items. You might be able to get anything from toys and beds, storage and clothes, some of which is brand new or barely used.

We get lots of questions about local activities and classes too. A good local source of information is Little Ankle Biters Buckinghamshire, which is regularly updated and helps you find age and development appropriate activities. Some are free, including RhymeTime and local ‘parent and toddler’ groups. 

For free entertainment and inspiration at home, the BBC’s CBeebies website has a range of activities, ideas and things for young children. There is a dedicated “grownups” section of the CBeebies website with guides, videos and tools on everything from potty training to outdoor activities.

Wellbeing

Caring for a young child can place a great deal of stress on your emotional or physical wellbeing.

It can be a huge change to your daily life and alter the routines, friendships and activities you typically rely on. For some, it can also be an isolating experience, as your focus and attention is on the child with less time than usual for yourself or meeting others.

It’s not selfish to have your own needs and to benefit from support. Investing in your own wellbeing is also investing in the care of the child you care for.

Our support team can provide an understanding and non-judgemental place you can be heard and share any challenges. Our experienced team can provide practical support and guidance to help you cope with the demands of caring for a child. 

Read our ‘support for you’ guide for more places you can go to for help.