Parents

Mums and dads are the most important people in a young child's life. They're as exciting as celebrities or superheroes.

If you ask a child "Who is the best person in the world?" they'll almost always say "my dad" or "my mum".

You're their first teacher. You'll teach them good relationships and good communication skills. This will give them the best start in life.

When you cuddle a child who's afraid or cross, or play with them and make them laugh, you teach them how to be resilient.

When they're building a tower out of blocks and the tower falls over, say, "Don't worry, let's start again." Help them to try again, and they feel a sense of pride in what they've done. That resilience can last them a lifetime.

Babies are born ready to learn. The 1001 Critical Days cross-party manifesto says: "In the first years of life more than 1 million new connections are formed every second in a baby's growing brain." This brain activity is a reaction to the everyday things going on in the home and their interactions with you. The more often something happens the stronger the connection in the brain will be.

Often the simplest games will please your baby the most: Peekaboo is almost always a winner. Your baby will also enjoy it when you sing softly to them. You don't need to have a great voice. Babies recognise their parent's voice and it's often calming to hear a familiar nursery rhyme or song.

You don't need expensive toys for babies and young children. They learn best from everyday experiences with you, because you are their best toy.

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