How can I know if my child is on track?
Try one of our simple Development Checklists on the left to find out if your child is growing and learning as expected. Children fare best, when parents catch little concerns early.

If I use TV in the right way, can it help my child?  
The Canadian Paediatric Society says “Yes!”  Click here to find out more.

1 in 3 Campbell River children enter Kindergarten without the skills they need to succeed. What can busy parents do?
Parents are a child’s first teacher and early childhood experiences are so powerful they can dramatically influence which abilities a child develops and which ones she does not.  Simple every day acts like singing, reading and talking to your child can make a difference. To help your child be all she can be, try the “Activities to Encourage Development” at the bottom of our simple Developmental Checklists on the right.

Promoting good television habits
Used the right way, and with your active involvement, television can have a positive effect on your child's development.

Here are some ideas that may help:

• Limit daily television watching: One hour or less for preschoolers (some doctors recommend no TV for children under the age of two). Two hours or less for early school-aged children.
• Use the other time available to teach skills such as reading and writing, or to visit museums, zoos and aquariums. Teaching takes time, but in the end it is worth it!
• Make sure your child watches programs you are familiar with. Be sure that your child does not watch programs that show violence, sex and offensive language.
• As frequently as possible, watch television with your child. Do not use the television as a babysitter.
• Do not allow your child to have a television in his or her bedroom.
• Discuss the teaching value of a program with your child, such as the importance of sharing, giving, loving or doing the alphabet together. Programs like Mister Rogers' Neighborhood and Sesame Street are very useful in helping your child’s development. Use follow-up activities that further develop material presented on the programs.
• Be careful with the example that you set as a parent (realize that as a parent, you set an example). Children learn many of their values and ideas from their parents.
• Be sure to explain the rules of television watching in your home to caregivers such as nannies, babysitters or grandparents
• Help your child understand the differences between fantasy, make-believe and reality. Discuss and explain the reasons why he or she cannot watch certain programs. Use this as an opportunity to raise a child who is aware of the values you feel are important.
• Set a bedtime for your child that does not change according to the television schedule. If your child is interested in a program that airs past his or her bedtime, consider using a VCR to record it.
• Turn off the television during meals. Turn off the television when visitors arrive. Do not use the television as background sound.

Adapted from the Canadian Paediatric Society “Caring for Kids” parent pamphlet.  For more information go to http://www.caringforkids.cps.ca/growing&learning/goodtelevision.htm

Helping your child succeed
At birth, a baby's brain is remarkably unfinished. But between birth and age 6 look what happens:

At its peak, the young child’s brain creates an astonishing two million new cell connections every second–-more than at any other time of life. And the connections that endure are the ones that have become stabilized through repeated use. 

To find out what activities you can do with your young child to support their early brain development,  try the “Activities to Encourage Development” at the bottom of our simple Developmental Checklists on the right.

• To find out about Campbell River Region’s early learning parent and tot drop-in programs  click here. (Link to FAQ page  question (6) “I want to connect with other parents who have babies/young children at local early learning programs.”

For more information on child development visit:

Early childhood development and education
www.AchieveBC.ca

Invest in Kids: Developmental and parenting information www.investinkids.ca
Zero to Three, offers information on early brain and child development www.zerotothree.org

Thank you to Carmen Jensen, Stacey Nielsen, and Monica Swanson for their review and editing of our Developmental Checklists. Thank you also to the members of the Developmental Milestone Committee who met to review and advise on content development for the site.