Strong Start - Virtual support
We have developed virtual programmes hosted on YouTube to provide parents and carers with support in key areas.
We introduce the Strong Start teams and gives information about the whole antenatal video series.
Pregnancy
Body changes
Information on what is going to happen during your pregnancy and what you should expect in each trimester.
Foetal development
Information on how your baby is growing and developing in utero and in the first few weeks of life.
Keeping active
Information on how to exercise safely and the benefits of keeping active during pregnancy.
Medication during pregnancy
Information about over the counter prescriptions and recreational drug use during pregnancy.
Mental health
Information on how to care for your ;mental health during your pregnancy and where to get support.
Oral health
Information about oral health and dental care in pregnancy, babies and beyond.
Support services
Information about support services available during pregnancy and for new parents if things don’t go to plan and where to get help
Preparation
Preparing for baby
Guidance on what to prepare ready for the arrival of your baby.
Safety
Information on how to prepare and maintain a safe home and environment to protect your growing baby.
Arrival
Feeding your baby
Tips and demonstrations on how to feed your baby, breast feeding, hand expression and where to get support.
First week as a new family
Information and demonstrations on how to care for your new baby once you get home.
Safe sleep
This video demonstrates ways to ensure baby is as safe as possible while they are sleeping.
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome - SIDS
Guidance on sudden infant death and measures you can take to reduce the risk to your baby.
Support services
Information about support services available during pregnancy and for new parents if things don’t go to plan and where to get help
Supporting their changing behaviour appropriately is important as it will help them to feel secure and reassured by a consistent approach.
Become more independent
Explaining how adults can support children to become more independent with examples of strategies to try at home.
How can I help my child be more independent?
Being a child
A video explaining what it is like being a toddler, how to support their development, why children need routines and boundaries and the best ways to respond to challenging behaviour?
What is it like being a child?
Dealing with big emotions
Discussing what can happen when toddlers are trying to manage big emotions and reasons why we may see certain behaviours. The video also explains how to use strategies such as emotion coaching, now and then, time in and giving choices.
How can I help my child deal with big emotions?
Learn and change
A video explaining how children change through learning, and how to support them as well as tips and ideas to support positive behaviours.
How do children learn and change?
Play
A video explaining the importance of play for children’s learning and development and how it helps them explore and express emotions. With ideas of activities, you can do at home to support them.
Language skills at home
Tips and ideas on how to promote your child’s language skills at home.
Language and communication skills
Information on language development and ideas on how you can support your child’s language and communication skills.
Language and communication skills
Outdoor communication opportunities
Ideas of activities to try outdoors to support your child's communication skills.
Outdoor communication opportunities
Reading and rhymes
A video about how you can use reading and rhymes to develop your child’s communication skills.
Parental mental health
Parental mental health is important, everyone copes with change and stress in different ways. We've got some hints and tips you might find helpful.
Smoke free
Looking after your own health is important, this video gives information on smoking cessation and where to go for support, the benefits of quitting and the dangers of smoking during pregnancy. It also includes fire safety and safe sleeping tips to help keep you and your family safe.
Childhood immunisations
Information about the current childhood immunisations programme in the UK, and what ages you can expect your child to be invited for their vaccines. We also discuss the importance of vaccination in childhood and how the vaccinations work.
Exercise during pregnancy
We discuss exercising during pregnancy and any worries you may have, like starting a new form of exercise during pregnancy or how much is ok to do and what is safe to continue with. We tell you the benefits of exercising at this time and also the things it is best to avoid.
Fussy eating
It may be worrying if your child develops fussy eating habits, it this video you can find out some tips to discourage this behaviour and promote healthy eating habits for all the family.
Health during pregnancy
We talk about what foods to avoid and why. We have information about smoking and alcohol use during pregnancy and the risks this can have and helplines for these if needed. We have information about vitamins and supplements and also talk about weight gain and tips on how to stay active.
Healthy eating habits
The first 1,000 days of a baby’s life, which are counted from conception, are seen as a critical window of opportunity to get food and nutrition right. This video provides guidance on what your baby needs.
Developing healthy eating habits
Healthy foods
Children need a balanced diet of healthy food to ensure they get all the nutrients they need to help them grow and give them energy. This video explores the four main food groups and how to achieve a healthy balance.
Infant feeding
As well as an insight into breast and bottle feeding your baby, we share information on where to get infant feeding support and a demonstration of the most up to date advice on making up a formula feed. We also cover the health benefits and current influences on decision making about how you may choose to feed your baby.
Keeping active indoors
It can be difficult to keep active when at home, in this video you can find out how to have fun and keep active indoors whilst keeping safe around the home.
Oral health
This video shares information about oral health and dental care from pregnancy, babies and beyond. It also gives some useful information surrounding covid 19 and current restrictions that may affect your usual dental appointments in Northamptonshire.
Oral health for healthy children
Outdoor play
Sharing the importance of outdoor play and benefits of being outside. It also looks at useful information on outdoor spaces in Northamptonshire that you may wish to visit.
Sugar allowance
Find out your child’s daily sugar allowance and ways to help keep their daily intake within the recommended guidelines.
Vitamins and supplements
We talk about vitamins and supplements that are good for you during pregnancy and your growing family. Each vitamin is listed with its benefits and why it is essential for healthy growth and development with some advice on the foods that contain it as well. There is some information about free food vouchers and free vitamins and we tell you how to find out if you are eligible for these and how to apply for them.
Children will have accidents, especially as they become mobile and start exploring the world around them. This is part of developing and learning. However, if you are aware of the dangers in your home you can hopefully prevent any major incidents.
Welcome and introduction
This video explains more about child safety and introduces the other videos available in this series.
Safety - Welcome and introduction
Burns
There are many things in your homes that can cause burns and scalds to your children. This video explains how you can minimise the risk of your children receiving a burn.
Car seats
Every day in the UK, 12 children under 10 die in a car accident, or are injured. Car seats save lives. This video looks at car seat safety, and how to keep your baby or child safe in the car.
Choking
Asphyxia is when the body is deprived of oxygen which can be caused by suffocation, strangulation or choking. This video will support you to minimise the risk of asphyxiation.
Falling and drowning
Falls are the most common cause for accidental injury in children. This video explores what you can do to prevent falls and drowning.
Fires
Everyday fire risks are present in our homes. This video shows you how to minimise the risk of fire in your home.
Highchairs
Highchairs are very useful but, as with any baby equipment, they can be dangerous if used incorrectly. This video explains how to use a high chair safely.
Online safety
Social media is a useful way of keeping in touch but you need to be aware of the risks associated with what you share. This video explains what you should consider when you are online.
Poisoning
Poison is any substance that is harmful to your body. Many different types of poison exist and poisoning is one of the most common reasons for a visit to Accident and Emergency. This video looks at different types of poisons that can be found in the home and what you can do to prevent poisoning.
Safe sleeping
Cot death, also known as sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), is a common worry for new parents. Cot death is rare, about 200 cases occur a year in the UK, and usually happens in the first 6 months. There are no definite known causes for it but experts agree that there are some factors which may contribute to cot death. This video explains some measures you can put in place to minimise the risk.
Stair gates
Safety equipment can help to create a safer environment for your child but it doesn’t replace the need for supervision, especially with younger children. This video gives advice on using stair gates and other considerations.
Welcome and introduction
This video explains more about what school readiness is and introduces the other videos available in this series.
School readiness - Welcome and introduction
Asking for help
Children need to be able to ask for help if they need it when they are at school and also to let an adult know if they are feeling unwell. This video gives ideas on how to support your child to be able to do this.
Bedtime routine
It is important for children to establish a good bedtime routine before starting school so they can get used to their new transition. Having a well-established bedtime routine can benefit children both physically and mentally. This video gives you ideas on what a good bedtime routine could look like and how to implement it.
Being away from parents
When your child starts school it is important that they are comfortable to be with the teachers without their parents being there. Learning to be independent helps children feel good about themselves, and make more choices independently, make friends and leads to growth in self-confidence. This video provides ideas on how you can help your children grow their independence.
Buttoning and unbuttoning
When your child is at school they will need to get changed for PE, go to the toilet by themselves, and get their coats on to go out in the playground. If they can do all of the above with minimal help then it gives them a sense of achievement and good self-esteem. Find out how you can help them to learn these skills through this video.
Enjoying stories
Sharing books, stories and rhymes develops skills to support the transition to school. This video gives tips on sharing stories at home.
Explanation of Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum
Most school reception classes, preschools, nurseries, child minders in England follow the Early Years Foundation Stage or EYFS. This video gives an overview of this curriculum and what aspects are most important for school readiness.
Explanation of Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum
Following instructions
Following instructions is an important skill which children will need in school. This video gives you ideas of how to help your child learn to follow instructions.
Going to the toilet unaided
It is important that children can use the toilet independently when they start school, as teachers and assistants will not be able to physically assist. This includes wiping appropriately and flushing, This video provides some tips on how to encourage your child to develop these skills.
Mark Making
Fine motor skills involve the use of the small muscles that control the hand, fingers, and thumb. They help children perform important tasks like feeding themselves, writing and drawing and much more. It’s important to start working with children on building their fine motor skills early on. This video gives you ideas on how to build fine motor skills at home.
Learning new things
Your child will be learning lots of new things when they start school. This video shows you how you can increase your child's confidence in trying new activities so they will challenge themselves in a learning environment.
Knives and forks
When children start school it is preferable if they can use cutlery for eating school dinners or to be able to open their own lunch boxes if they take a packed lunch. Find out how you can support your child to develop these skills at home, through this video.
Sitting still
The ability for children to sit still and listen for short periods of time is a really important skill for children to learn in order for them to get the best out of their school based learning. This video provides some ideas and activities that you can try to help develop your child’s listening skills.
Sharing and taking turns
Sharing and turn taking are important life skills that all children need to learn in order to play co-operatively and make friends with other children. This video gives you a few ideas you can practise at home to prepare your child.
Tidying up
It is important that children understand the importance of having their own independence, including having responsibility of looking after their own things. Tidying up is a big aspect when it comes to the classroom and this is something that children will have to learn when they start school. This video explains how parents can help to develop their child’s independence and a ‘can do’ attitude.
Wash hands and wiping noses
Knowing when to wash your hands and wipe your nose is a great skill to teach your children in order to avoid unnecessary child illness, and avoid spreading germs. This video provides some ideas on how to teach this at home.
Last updated 13 October 2023