equip and prepare
There is so much information out there about parenting. We have gathered trusted and reliable information to shape a church’s response to equipping parents as well as resources that can be shared with parents.
Equip and Prepare resources
- How to equip and prepare parents as an FTD-friendly church – Document
- What do all children need to thrive – Video
- The five components of nurturing care – Website
- The importance of early childhood development – Video
- Nurturing Care for Early Childhood Development – External resource
- Executive summary – Nurturing Care for Early Childhood Development – External resource
If you want to reach parents in first thousand days
be trained in Khathalela
If you want to care for fathers in the first thousand days
be trained in Fatherhood in the First Thousand Days
All children need five things (building blocks) to thrive in life. Below are resources to equip and help parents to give all five building blocks to their child in the first thousand days.
responsive caregiving (love)
how churches can encourage mom and dad to love and care for baby
- how the church can encourage mom and dad to love and respond to baby – document
- How to listen with empathy – Brene Brown – video
- What is it like being a mother in South Africa? – blog
Have a look at the resources for parents to better inform how you can encourage mom and dad to love and care for baby
how mom and dad can love and care for baby (for parents)
- how mom and dad can love and respond to baby – document
- Parents and caregivers at the centre of what baby needs – webpage
- Why does responsiveness matter? – video
- The importance of responsive caregiving – video
- The need for cuddles – video
- 8 ways to bond with baby in the womb – document
- What a pregnant woman needs from those around her – video
- Why a mother’s love is paramount – video
- If it takes a village to raise a child build your own – video
- What can grandparents can do for children – video
- How to check in on the emotional health of your child – video
good health
resources for churches
- How to help mom and baby be healthy – document
Have a look at the resources for parents to better inform you on how to help mom and baby be healthy
healthy mom and baby (for parents)
- How to help mom and baby be healthy – document
- The importance of physical health – external resource
- Healthy habits during pregnancy – document
- Pregnancy facts – document
- Caring For Mothers, Caring For You – external resource
- Birth Preparation Pamphlet – external resource
- Baby’s Milestones – UNICEF – website
- Baby Milestones – image
- Flourish antenatal and postnatal classes – website
- The revised child immunisation schedule – external resource
- Useful numbers for mom and dad to know – document
- How to raise a healthy happy child – external resource
- Caesarean section – external resource
- Postnatal depression guide – document
- How to recognise and cope with peri/postnatal depression – document
- Why we need to talk about maternal mental health – external resource
- Documentary about postnatal depression in Khayelitsha, Cape Town – video
- Paternal Mental Health information for fathers – external resource
- The First 1000 Days: right start, bright future – Western Cape Government resource
- Developmental stages and what parents can do for good health – Western Cape Government website
safety and security
resources for churches
- Making your workplace more FTD-friendly – document
- How to help mom and dad keep baby safe and secure – document
- How to talk to parents about discipline in the household – document
Have a look at the resources for parents to better inform how you can encourage mom and dad to create a safe and secure place for baby.
mom and dad creating a safe place for baby (for parents)
- How to keep baby safe and secure – document
- How to apply for a child support grant – document
- How to apply for UIF Maternity Benefits – document
- How to register your baby’s birth – document
- Packing your bag for hospital – document
- Getting home ready for baby – document
- Useful contacts – document
- Child Support Grant – external resource
- Helplines and Resources – external resource
- What is positive parenting – document
good nutrition
resources for churches
Have a look at the resources for parents to better inform how you can encourage mom and dad give baby a nutritious and healthy diet
healthy eating for mom and breastfeeding baby (for parents)
- How mom can eat healthy and breastfeed baby – document
- How to raise a happy healthy child – external resource
- Supporting Women in South Africa with breastfeeding – external resource
- Myths around breastfeeding – document
- Breastfeeding QA Booklet – external resource
- Embrace’s range of videos of how to support mothers breastfeeding during a crisis – external resource
- The “infinite benefits” of breastmilk – video
- The A to Z of Breastfeeding – external resource
- breastfeeding plan – document
opportunities for early learning
resources for churches
- How support parents to promote early learning – document
- How to encourage families to love, play and talk to baby – document
Have a look at the resources for parents to better inform how you can encourage mom and dad to play and talk to baby
mom and dad playing, talking and reading with baby (for parents)
- How mom and dad can stimulate and play with baby – document
- Babies learn from birth – video
- The importance of play – video
- Brain development: good foundations matter – video
- Early Learning – website
- The changing understanding of babies’ brains – video
- Communication is more than language – video
- Children need to play in nature – video
- How to book share with your child – video
- What a mix up – book – external resource
- There is power in singing, reading and talking to children – video
- 11 Simple Activities for Babies: 0 to 6 Months – external website
- 50 sensory activities for 1 year olds to spark play + development – external website
- Vroom Cards – external resource
- How to be a brain builder with vroom – document
- “Let’s Play!” (and build brains everyday) – blog
- Baby talk for dads – video
- Story telling: a way to encourage dads – blog
how to help mom and dad be prepared
how to help mom and dad feel prepared
- Did you know? facts about the First Thousand Days of a child’s life – document
- The importance of Early Childhood Development – video
- What do children need to thrive – video
- Changing understanding of babies’ brains – video
- Love Notes to Mothers – external document
- Building resilient families – a toolkit for families and churches – document
- How to care for families during pregnancy – document
- How to care for families birth – 3months of life – document
- How to care for families in the 1st year of life – document
- How to care for families in the 2nd year of life – document
resources specific for dads
- Did you know? facts for dads – Sikunye resource
- Fathers do more than just ‘help’ with baby – they are essential – blog
- Dad’s don’t babysit – blog
- A stay at home dad in Belize shares his story of being super dad – video
- David Beckham shares his journey as a dad – video
- Baby talk for dads – video
- Fathers need to get involved in the First 1000 Days of their kids’ lives – external resource
- First Baby Stress in New Dads – external resource
- Story-telling: a way to encourage dads – blog
- For more information on the important role of dads in the first thousand days and the role of the church – have a look at our website
how to help teenage parents feel prepared
All the resources on this page can be used for teen moms and dads, below are some specific resources for teen parents
- Teen Pregnancy Booklet – external resource
- Western Cape First 1000 Days Booklet and website – external resource
- For more information on the role of The Church & Teen Parenting – look at our website for resources
how to provide extra support to families that are struggling
- What if mom and dad are struggling? – document
- Building resilient families – the crucial role of the local church – blog
- Building Resilient Families – the role of community care in the face of adversity – video
- Building resilient families – toolkit – document
- Caring for families in a crisis – webpage
- In the absence of a village mothers struggle most – external resource
- In the absence of a village, build your own – external resource
- If it takes a village to raise a child build your own – video
- How to support families through peri or postnatal depression – document
- Why we need to talk about maternal mental health – external resource
- What a pregnant woman needs from those around her – video
- What grandparents can do for children – video
- How to check the emotional health of your child – external resource
- How to listen with empathy – Brene Brown – video
- Developing positive supportive relationships – document
- 5 ways to help mom and dad problem solve – document
“I felt so relieved in such a way that I saw how important it is to always be there for my kid and honestly speaking I’ve never spoken to anyone about the difficulties and the happiness that I have of having my own kid besides me”
a father participant in the Fatherhood in the First Thousand Days programme
