Toddler Sense has launched Toddler Travellers, a new range of nationwide classes designed to support parents through parenting anxieties during baby and toddlerhood. 

A new study by Toddler Sense shows that 37% of parents felt under pressure for their child to walk quickly. A further 20% had faced negative comments from their own family members.

Unrealistic expectations of childhood development are found to lead to anxieties around what is deemed ‘normal’, with two fifths of parents believing that their mental health has negatively affected their parenting at some stage**. 

Dr Lin Day, child development expert and founder of Toddler Sense explains: “Important milestones such as taking first steps causes a lot of undue worry for new parents and added pressure from family, friends and social media, to get their child to walk before they’re developmentally ready. The normal age range for walking is very broad. Some babies walk as early as eight months and others as late as two years. Premature babies generally walk later than full term babies of the same age. The skill is usually achieved at the age they would have been, had they been born at term, and sometimes later. While some babies simply have their own timetable, which cannot be rushed.”

This survey also revealed that 33% of parents worried about their baby’s physical development, including their balance and ability to stand up independently.

Toddler Traveller sessions offer practical, social and emotional parenting support on all aspects of a child’s learning and development. One hour sessions provide opportunities for parents and children to interact together through playing musical instruments, singing, dancing and rhyming to support speech development and language skills as well as achievable, practical games that parents and children can enjoy together to build confidence.  

https://www.toddlersense.com/

*Independent survey commissioned by Toddler Sense and conducted by third party provider Censuswide (independently compliance-checked and verified) – polled 1,008 participants (UK parents with babies and young children) who answered survey questions on toddler development in October 2019.

**Research by childcare.co.uk – biggest stresses for parents