AUGUST PLAYBOOK

We love babies! With La Fuerza, we celebrate infants every day.

And we celebrate the hard work and emotion of supporting children’s development. When parents and caregivers respond to their babies’ cues with kindness, follow their lead in exploring their world, and take their emotions seriously, their children have what they need to thrive.

It’s never too early to give our children a great start in life. So, let’s celebrate the powerful influence of responsive caregivers… from day one and every day.  

Let’s lift up all the ways that affection nourishes our children and ultimately helps them succeed in school and life.

Key Messages for Parents:

• Your child’s story is just beginning. As a caregiver, you are writing the first chapter and setting the foundation and tone for the rest of their lives.

• Exploring music, sounds of everyday objects and instruments with you is important in developing school readiness and early math. You can help your child become a strong learner by exploring movement together and following their lead to encourage curiosity.

• Notice what grabs your child’s attention, point to it and give it a name to help to build early language skills while letting them know you care about their interests. This is just one way to build early communication with your baby and toddler.

• Trying new practices like “serve and return” is a great way to build strong bonds and support future learning development. Your children benefit from patient back and forth interactions with you. Let’s play!

• It’s never too early to explore books together by pointing and naming what they see, in whatever languages you know. Young children may have a short attention span and that’s okay. And sometimes they want you to repeat the same book multiple times!

• For Breastfeeding Awareness Month, we are reminded of the miraculous way babies are nourished physically and through connections. Intimate moments of connection with your baby are important for you, too.

• Caregivers come in all shapes, sizes, and colors. Our caregivers might be our grandparents, the nurse, or babysitter. Honoring all the caregivers in your child’s life makes them feel cared for and builds healthy bonds.

How do you show your child that their feelings matter to you?