The following list summarizes what really matters everyday activities for parents and children that have been proven to work. The facts that support these Seven Essentials are not based on one or two studies, and they do not promote one person's philosophy or slant or some company's products. They are based on scientific evidence from over a thousand papers and articles. To the best of our knowledge, these guiding principles represent a true synthesis of what is really known.

The Seven Essentials are:

Encourage exploration with all the senses, in familiar and new places, with others and alone, safely and with joy.

Mentor in basic skills, showing the whats and whens, the ins and outs, of how things and people work.

Celebrate developmental advances, for learning new skills, little and big, and for becoming a unique individual.

Rehearse and extend new skills, showing your baby how to practice again and again, in the same and different ways, with new people and new things.

Protect from inappropriate disapproval, teasing, neglect, or punishment.

Communicate richly and responsively with sounds, songs, gestures and words; bring your baby into the wonderful world of language and its many uses.

Guide and limit behavior to keep your child safe and to teach what's acceptable, and what's not, the rules of being a cooperative, responsive, and caring person.

These Essentials will help in all walks, ages and stages of life. And their value extends beyond the first 18 months. Keep adapting them to your child's development and readiness for new advances and new stages of growth. Note that the word parent comes from the Latin root, parents, meaning to bring forth. These Seven Essentials will help you to truly bring forth the best in your child.

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