Comprehensive Wellness Tips for Birth to 5 Years Old

SPIRITUAL WELLNESS

Sing

Sing to your children.

Read

Read age-appropriate devotionals at bedtime.

Worship

Join your church children’s ministry rotation so they can experience worship with you.

FINANCIAL WELLNESS

Prepared by the GuideStone Team**

Save and Invest

• Take advantage of tax benefits and the power of interest by opening accounts such as:
• A 529 college savings plan
• A pre-taxed dependent care account to use for daycare
• An interest-bearing saving account in your child’s name
• Set up automatic contributions to these accounts.
• When investing in 529 plan mutual funds, select investments appropriate for your financial objectives.
• Learn more about ways to invest for your children or get started.

Plan for Health Care

• Utilize benefits covered by your health plan for savings in the long run. Preventive care could be covered at 100% and required by public educational institutions.
• Save money for unplanned medical events as your child grows.

Check Your Life Insurance

• Make sure parents/caregivers are covered by enough life insurance to support young children’s needs from birth to college. It’s important to review your coverage and financial considerations whenever a life milestone occurs.
• Consider adding your child to a life insurance policy of their own.
• Update your beneficiaries on your life insurance policies and investment accounts. Learn how.

PHYSICAL WELLNESS

Prepared by nurses, doctors and other medical professionals at Lockton and Highmark*

Take Care of Immunizations

Make sure your child stays up to date on immunizations.

Ensure Nutrition

Ensure proper prenatal and infant nutrition as you go from prenatal supplements to breast/bottle feeding to solid food.

Babies are born with the fully developed ability to swallow, suck and breathe.

Foster Motor Skill Development

Foster motor skill development through activities such as tummy time as is appropriate for every infant developmental stage. Infant and toddler physical development occurs rapidly over the first years of life, and it is essential that caregivers understand the various stages of infant and toddler development to be able to respond to their needs appropriately.

EMOTIONAL WELLNESS

Prepared by nurses, doctors and other medical professionals at Lockton and Highmark*

Pay Attention

Stay attentive to your child’s verbal and non-verbal cues.

Allow Expression

Allow your child to express their emotions (e.g., anger, sadness, happiness, etc.).

Show Affection

Show affection through any opportunity you get with your child with positive words as well as physical affection like hugging.

RELATIONAL WELLNESS

Prepared by nurses, doctors and other medical professionals at Lockton and Highmark*

Foster Healthy Attachment

Bond with your child by playing, giving hugs, reading books, and spending time with him or her.

Introduce Relationships

Expand your child’s relationships by introducing him or her to trusted family members or friends.

Seek Out Socialization

Create opportunities for socialization by scheduling play dates.

VOCATIONAL WELLNESS

Prepared by the GuideStone Team*

Take Care of the Paperwork

• Make sure your newborn has a Social Security number (SSN) for numerous reasons, including future employment eligibility.
• Add your newborn as a dependent on insurance policies when you receive the SSN as soon as possible. For GuideStone, you must add the child to the policy within 60 days of birth. Learn how.

Learn and Cultivate Interest

• Observe your child to discover their interests and how they play. Listen to them and be open to their ideas.
• Ask your child what they would like to do or be when they grow up. Expose your child to their areas of interest early and often. For example, if your child wants to be an astronaut, consider a trip to a space museum or NASA.

Introduce Responsibilities

While at home, teach your child life skills through age-appropriate tasks:

• 2 years old – Place dirty clothes in the hamper and pick up toys.
• 3 years old - Set the table and clean up the bedroom.
• 4 years old– Pick out clothes for school and outside activities.
• 5 years old – Feed and clean up after pets, help make snacks, make the bed, and water plants.
• Consider paying the child an allowance for doing quality work.