Baby’s Second Year: Bite-sized Reminders for Mummy and Daddy

Avoid prolonged near work activities such as using the tablet or reading if your little one is below the age of two. Do monitor the amount of time your child spends on devices with screens as it is best to try to keep screen time to less than 1 hour per day.

When reading with your child, make sure the book is placed an arm’s length away from his eyes. The room should also be properly lit.

Make sure the tablet or mobile phone screen is held or placed at least 40-50 cm away from your child's eyes. The room should also be properly lit.

After 40 minutes of reading or other near work, make sure your little one takes a 3- to 5-minute break. He should rest his eyes by looking at greenery outside or into the distance.

Let your little one spend at least 2 hours per day outdoors. This is the only proven way to prevent/delay myopia. Don't forget to cover up and put on sunblock!

Once your child starts walking, let your child explore out of the pram for example let your child play with different equipment at the playground with supervision. Provide opportunities for your child to move often.

Bring your child outdoors where they can engage in sensory play for example engage in sand play, picking up s like leaves or twigs or perhaps some water play at the pool with supervision.

As parents play a key role in creating an environment to enable opportunities for play, expose your child to a wide variety of leisure-time physical activities through physical activity and free play.

Children who are at least 2 years old and are capable of walking unaided should be physically active (includes structured and unstructured free play) for at least 180 minutes spread throughout each day in safe environments.¹

Additionally, for children from the ages of three, 60 minutes of the time spent actively should be of moderate- to vigorous- intensity.²

¹National Physical Activity Guideline 2011

²WHO, Physical activity Guidelines 2020

Waiting for a growth spurt to help your child to outgrow his chubbiness? It's much more effective to help him build good eating and exercise habits, and to make sure he doesn't eat more calories than needed.

Genes may play a role in obesity, but lifestyle factors like food and exercise — which you can control — are perhaps more important. Help your child keep a healthy weight by offering him a variety of healthy food and encouraging him to be active!

Let your baby eat in a relaxing and distraction-free environment. Switch off the TV and put the tablet away during mealtimes!

Brush your baby's teeth twice a day, once in the morning and once at night before bed.  Protect your little one's pearly whites from tooth decay!

Do not put your child to sleep with a milk bottle containing formula milk. Wean your child from the milk bottle to a cup. Brush after milk, before bed, to prevent tooth decay.

Keep your child away from sugary foods and beverages and don’t forget to bring your child for early dental check-ups.