1 year old child care: EarlyLearn – ACCESS NYC

Your toddler’s developmental milestones at 1 year

Explainer

Everything you need to know about your growing 1-year-old

UNICEF

Congratulations, you officially have a toddler! Toddlers are more active, curious and expressive. At this age, your child may begin to use words, be able to stand on her/his own and take a few steps. To help your little one learn and grow, read books to your child and encourage active play.

Social and emotional milestones at 1 year

Some of the ways you’ll see your little one learning to connect with the people around him at 1 year.

• Hands you a book when he wants to hear a story.
• Cries when his parents leave.
• Is shy around strangers.
• He’ll put out an arm or leg to help with getting dressed.
• Has favourite toys.
• Repeats sounds to get your attention. 

Tips for parents

• Play social games with him like hiding something and coaxing him to find it.
• Try to get him to help with getting dressed by asking him to put his leg out, stand up, etc.

Language and communication milestones at 1 year

How your toddler is expressing her needs.

• Is using basic gestures like waving and saying basic words like “mama” and “dada.”
• Her babbles sound more like speech.
• Responds to simple requests you give.
• She will try to repeat words you say.

Tips for parents

• Encourage your toddler to say ‘hello’ and ‘goodbye. ’ Praise your toddler when they do so, as this can help their socio-emotional development.
• Praise your toddler when she repeats words or tries to speak with others.
• Prompt her to point to characters and objects when you’re reading to her. 

Brain development milestones at 1 year

Your child’s brain is growing!

• He is copying movements and gestures.
• Bangs objects together.
• Drinks from a cup and uses other objects correctly.
• Finds things that are hidden.
• He looks at the right object when it is named.
• Can follow simple directions and lets go of objects without help.
• He puts objects in containers and can take them out.

Tips for parents

• Give support and guidance to your toddler when he’s playing a game.
• As you notice your toddler gaining skills and being able to do some things on his own, you can progressively reduce your support but still observe and guide him.

Movement and physical development milestones at 1 year

How she’ll move through her environment.

• Can take a few steps without support.
• Gets into a sitting position without support. 
• Pulls up to stand and walks while holding onto furniture.

Tips for parents

• Try placing your toddler on flat surfaces to help her develop her gross motor skills like crawling and moving her arms and legs.

Food and nutrition milestones at 1 year

What mealtimes look like at 1 year.

• Eats a greater variety of foods, such as soft-cooked vegetables and soft fruits.
• He is starting to learn how to eat on his own.
• Can thoroughly chew his food.
• He is beginning to be able to use an open cup.

Tips for parents

• Give your toddler half a cup of food four to five times a day, along with two healthy snacks.  
• Continue to breastfeed if he wants to.

Things to look out for

While all children develop differently, you should speak to your paediatrician if your 1-year-old:

• Isn’t crawling. 
• Won’t search for hidden objects.
• Is unable to stand without support.
• Doesn’t point.
• Doesn’t say simple words.
• Loses skills she once had.

True or False?

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Caring For Your 1 Year Old Baby

Your baby has made it to their first birthday — congratulations! This is a huge milestone and should be celebrated as such. You and your 1 year old baby have certainly come a long way.

In this post, the baby experts at Mustela will discuss everything you need to know about caring for your 1 year old baby.

We’ll explain all the details about your little one’s development, senses, motor skills, eating schedule, sleeping habits, and immunizations, as well as some general childcare tips.

Caring For Your 1 Year Old Baby

Children change dramatically in their first year of life. In the first few weeks outside the womb, your newborn probably did little more than sleep and eat.

Now, just 12 short months later, your 1 year old baby is shuffling around your house, making efforts to communicate, and becoming a true individual.

All of these swift changes may have left you with a few questions. But don’t worry; we’re here to answer those questions for you.

Your 1 Year Old Baby’s Development

First, let’s cover your 1 year old baby’s height and weight. On average, one-year-old girls are 28.3 inches (72 cm) to 29.7 inches (75.5 cm) tall and weigh 18.1 pounds (8.2 kg) to 21.4 pounds (9.7 kg).

One-year-old boys are a bit bigger. The median 50 percent of boys are 29. 1 inches (74 cm) to 30.5 inches (77.5 cm) in height and 19.6 pounds (8.9 kg) to 22.8 pounds (10.35 kg) in weight at 12 months of age.

Bear in mind that these figures are just averages. It’s no big deal if your 1 year old baby is bigger or smaller. Each child grows and develops at their own pace.

Your 1 Year Old Baby’s Senses

Seeing

By the time your baby is one year old, their senses are almost fully developed. Your little one’s vision is sharp, and they can see just as well as most adults. They are getting better at recognizing people, places, and objects.

Now is a great time to start exploring with your not-so-little baby. Take trips to the park or store to stimulate your baby’s sense of sight. Point to and name objects while you’re out and about.

Even if your baby isn’t quite walking yet, you can still go for a stroll. Secure your little one in their stroller and let the fun begin! Let them look at their surroundings, and their little mind will take it all in.

Direct their attention to all the trees and birds. If you’re at the park, your child can watch other children play, laugh, and run. And before you know it, your little one will be out there and you won’t be able to keep up with them!

Lastly, now that your baby can actually enjoy the scenery, take them on day trips — like to the aquarium, museum, or zoo — or overnight trips.

Hearing

While your little one’s hearing is already fully developed, they are now becoming better at understanding individual sounds and words. Basically, they are beginning to grasp that people, places, and objects have names.

Your 1 year old baby may even begin attaching a few names and words to the appropriate objects. For example, your baby probably knows their own name and responds to it at this point.

Or, if you ask where their brown stuffed teddy bear is, for instance, they may point to it or pick it up and show you. You can also give your little one other simple commands or ask them questions to see how much they understand.

Since your baby can hear pretty well by now, crank up the music! It’s so fun to watch your little one dance to the beat. Their little body will start moving and grooving to the music and respond to different genres.

The moments you’ve sung all those songs and read all those books to your baby is time well-spent. Continue reading and singing so your baby can listen to your voice, which helps shape their imagination for the years to come!

Tasting

As your 1 year old baby tries new foods, their sense of taste continues to develop. You’ve probably already noticed that they enjoy eating some foods more than others. This is perfectly normal.

Touching

Your little one is also curious about the way things feel and will want to touch practically everything they see.

Give your baby touch-and-feel books to explore, or go explore different textures outside, like the grass, soil, flowers, trees, leaves, pine cones, and more.

As your little one feels each texture, tell them what the object is. Their little mind is like a sponge and is literally soaking it all up!

If you can’t get outside, sensory toys are a great option for helping their growing mind and engaging their other senses.

While your baby explores their surroundings, be sure to keep an eye on them at all times so they don’t accidentally touch sharp objects or other potentially dangerous items.

Also, keep an eye out for anything small that they can possibly put in their mouth since they are experimenting with their sense of taste as well.

Your 1 Year Old Baby’s Motor Skills

Gross Motor Skills

Around the one-year mark is when you may see your baby taking their first steps. They probably aren’t yet walking, per se, but they are likely taking a few steps here and there or using stable objects to help them stumble around your house.

And when your little one isn’t trying to walk, they are definitely crawling around like never before. All that tummy time is paying off!

With these movements, your baby is using their gross motor skills. Gross motor skills are the movements of the larger muscles, like in their arms and legs. Using these muscles will help your baby become a better walker.

And eventually, your baby will start running, really engaging those larger muscles. It’s important to build up these muscles now so your baby can throw and catch a ball, run, kick, and have a better awareness of their body later on.

The larger muscles are also important for your baby’s balance and strength for the future. Your baby strengthens these muscles when they:

• Dance and move to music
• Do squats, moving up and down (they’ll do this before they start walking)
• Crawl on the floor
• Shake objects
• Grab a toy from your hand
• Pull up on a couch or chair

Fine Motor Skills

Your 1 year old baby is now able to pick up and grasp a wide variety of objects. This means they can start picking up smaller toys to play with, and they can use crayons to scribble on paper.

Your little one can also begin to feed themselves small finger foods. Consider introducing a spoon and a sippy cup at mealtimes, and allow your baby to practice eating and drinking solo.

With these particular movements, your baby is using their fine motor skills. Fine motor skills are the movements of the small muscles, like in their fingers and wrists.

Using these muscles will come in handy down the road when your child starts tying their shoes, writing their name, cutting paper, building legos, buttoning their shirt, or zipping their jacket.

Practice these skills early on with your little one to help build and strengthen those muscles for the future by:

• Giving them a crayon to scribble with
• Giving them blocks to stack
• Giving them a spoon or fork at mealtime

These are just a few ideas to help your child build up the muscles in their fingers and wrists.

Make sure to give your child plenty of opportunities throughout the day to use all of their muscles. Remember, offer toys or safe household objects they can:

• Twist
• Spin
• Turn
• Dump
• Push
• Pull
• Bang
• Bounce
• Throw
• Stack
• Knock over

Your 1 Year Old Baby’s Communication

Communication, both verbal and non-verbal, really starts taking off around the 12-month mark. Your little one may be able to utter a few words — Mama, Dada, and the all-important “no” are a few common ones.

But most of your 1 year old baby’s communication is non-verbal. They are likely now pointing at objects, shaking and nodding their heads, and using body language to communicate their feelings.

Now is the perfect time to introduce sign language to your baby, especially for basic words like “thank you,” “more,” “please,” “yes,” “no,” and so on.

Teaching your baby these signs early on will help them communicate with you better, especially if your little one is still working on their verbal communication skills. Plus, you’re teaching them two languages!

For example, your little one might grab their shoes if they want to go outside, or maybe they’ll pull your finger and lead you into the kitchen if they’re hungry. They’ll find ways to communicate with you to let you know what they want even if they can’t verbally say it.

Savor these sweet little moments of watching your little one get creative in finding ways to communicate!

Your 1 Year Old Baby’s Eating Schedule

Healthcare professionals agree that a substantial portion of a baby’s diet should be breast milk and/or baby formula until one year of age. At this point, with the go-ahead from your baby’s pediatrician, you can consider weaning your baby.

If you prefer to continue breastfeeding, that’s great. Breastfeeding can continue for the first two years of a child’s life. But some moms choose to wean their babies around the one-year mark.

Your child started eating solid foods sometime around six months of age and now, at one year old, their body is ready to process pretty much anything. The only catch is that your little one’s teeth are still coming in, so they might not be able to chew tougher foods.

You can also begin introducing cow’s milk to your child’s diet after their first birthday. They may not like the taste at first, but be patient and continue to feed it to your little one. They’ll get used to it soon.

When you do decide to give your baby cow’s milk, skip the low-fat milk and choose Vitamin D whole milk instead. Your baby needs the extra fat contained in Vitamin D milk.

That being said, don’t give your baby too much milk. They may actually fill up on that rather than on food, which is not ideal.

You want your baby to fill up on calories from their food, not from their drink. We recommend only offering your baby milk at breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

At this age, your baby should get three meals per day and at least two snacks per day. Offer your baby water throughout the day and skip the sugary juices for now.

For meals, your baby is now pretty much eating what you’re eating. However, remember some tougher foods and foods that are a choking hazard might not be suitable. Use your best judgment.

Start with breaking the food, especially meat, into smaller pieces, and let your baby use their fingers (their pincer grasp) to pick up their food.

Meals can easily become playtime…and that’s OK! Except if they’re throwing food all over the table, of course!

Let your baby explore. See what they like and what they don’t like. Maybe just offer one food at a time instead of offering your baby a full plate of different foods at once.

For example, give them some veggies first (something you know they might be hesitant to try). If you give them something when they’re really hungry, they’re more likely to try it and actually eat it!

Then offer the meat followed by fruit. Most one-year-olds have no problem eating fruit, so you can save the best for last! Remember, you decide what your baby eats. They decide how much.

Lastly, allow your baby to sit at the table with the family for meals. Mealtime is more than just eating. It’s about the experience of gathering around the table and spending time with family.

Starting early will help your family establish a good mealtime routine that you’ll cherish for years to come!

Your 1 Year Old Baby’s Sleeping Habits

Your 1 year old baby is sleeping roughly 13 to 14 hours per day. More than likely, your baby is sleeping around ten hours at night and then another three or four hours during the day. Daytime sleep normally comes via a mid-morning nap and an afternoon nap.

However, at this age, you might notice your baby starting to drop one of those naps, with daytime sleep eventually merging into one long nap. Your little one might sleep 12 hours at night now with one two-hour nap during the day.

Some one-year-olds experience sleep regression, which means they may have previously slept well through the night but are now having trouble. This is normal and, while it can be tough on parents, is nothing to be worried about.

Sleep regression can happen when your baby’s sleep patterns change naturally or when there are changes to your location or schedule.

But, if your 1 year old baby is waking up frequently during the night, establish a bedtime routine and allow your little one to lie in bed when they are still awake (rather than letting them fall asleep somewhere else and then carrying them to bed).

This helps them learn to fall asleep on their own. It also helps them fall back asleep without you and your partner if they wake up in the middle of the night.

Expert tip: If your little one struggles with eczema or sensitive skin, dress them in our Stelatopia Skin Soothing Pajamas for a comfy and restful night’s sleep!

Your 1 Year Old Baby’s Immunizations

When you go to the doctor’s office for your 1 year old baby’s checkup, be prepared for a round of immunization shots. Assuming your baby is current on all their previous shots, here’s what they will receive at the one-year visit to the doctor:

• The first round of Hepatitis A vaccine
• The third round of Hepatitis B vaccination
• The fourth round of HIB vaccine
• The fourth round of PCV vaccine
• Measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella vaccine (MMRV)

It’s never fun to watch your baby get shots, but immunizations are extremely important, so make sure your little one is up to date.

General Childcare Tips For Your One Year Old

At 12 months of age, your baby is able to move around the house with relative ease. That’s why it’s so important to babyproof your home and always keep an eye on your little one. Never leave them unattended, not even for a second.

As your little one is now eating more solid foods than ever, introduce new foods one at a time and keep an eye out for signs of allergies, like hives or rashes.

Pay attention to your baby’s dirty diapers too. Loose stool is an indication of a new food disagreeing with your little one’s tummy. Consult a doctor if your baby has diarrhea for more than 24 hours.

Finally, always take excellent care of your little one’s delicate skin. Skin conditions like baby acne, eczema, and cradle cap are not uncommon but are easily treated with adequate attention to your child’s skincare routine.

Bathtime

Bathtime is a good activity to help your one-year-old wind down and relax before they go to sleep. But you might notice your very active one-year-old is a little more fidgety in the bathtub than they once were.

This is because they’ve learned a lot of new skills by now — standing, pulling up, and possibly walking. And now you’re noticing them practicing their new skills in the bathtub, which can be cute but dangerous.

So keep an eye and a hand on your baby at all times when they’re in the tub. A good rule of thumb is to go ahead and wash your baby first and then let them play.

Sometimes they can play for too long and then get fussy, which makes washing them a little bit tricky. So go ahead and wash your baby first and then let them play their heart out.

While you’re washing them, try our Organic Cleansing Gel with Olive Oil and Aloe to not only clean your baby’s skin but also to keep it healthy. Then, let your baby explore and use their senses with our Multi-Sensory Bubble Bath!

To wrap up your baby’s day after their bath, give them a little massage and hydrate their skin with our Hydra Bebe Body Lotion. Now your little one is definitely ready for a good night’s sleep!

Prepare For Toddler Take-Off!

Reaching your child’s first birthday is a special time. It’s a great opportunity to reflect on the last 12 months and think of all the amazing things to come. Toddlerhood is next, so take lots of photos and enjoy the journey of parenthood!

Care of a newborn baby in the first months

After a long-awaited discharge from the maternity hospital, some mothers may be confused. Even if young families prepare in advance for the role of parents, new questions often arise after the birth of a child. When to start walking with a newborn? How to bathe a child? Whether to process the navel? Sometimes the answers to them are not easy to find: either there is too little information on the Internet, or, conversely, there is so much of it that some publications contradict each other. In this article, you will find answers to popular questions about childcare. I hope that the material will help you gain not only new knowledge, but also self-confidence.

What should be the temperature in the children’s room?

First, it is important to understand that the baby’s body temperature is labile. After all, thermoregulation in a child is only being formed. This means that the body temperature of a newborn can be either higher or lower than the values ​​that adults are used to. And if the deviations are minor, then you should not worry.

Secondly, if we talk about the ambient temperature, then we must take into account that babies are more likely to overheat than to hypothermia. Therefore, a comfortable temperature for newborns is approximately 20-22 degrees. For premature and underweight babies, it is sometimes advisable to warm the air up to 25 degrees in the room. In this case, the correct solution would be to gradually reduce the temperature in the room, bringing it closer to 20 degrees. Humidity for a newborn is optimally kept at 55-65 percent. This will avoid overdrying of the mucous membrane of the nasal passages and ensure comfortable breathing for the baby.

How long to walk with a newborn?

One of the first questions that some mothers are puzzled after discharge is: when can I walk with a newborn? The answer is simple – you can walk right away! Contrary to the popular stereotype, there is no need to sit at home, waiting for the baby to grow up.

A healthy child comfortably tolerates walks after discharge from the maternity hospital. The main thing is to know how to dress the baby for a walk, not too warm in summer and warm enough in winter.

We must not forget about protective creams and frostbite sticks before winter walks. And if you are going for a walk in a hot summer, you should use sunscreen for babies with a filter of at least 50.

It is impossible to answer the question of how long to walk with a baby without knowing the circumstances: the baby’s age and season, weather conditions. You can start as early as 30 minutes, gradually increasing the time of the walk.

When can you bathe a newborn?

There is a misconception that a baby should not be bathed until the umbilical wound has healed. In medical language, this process is called “epithelialization”. In fact, the baby can and even needs to be bathed immediately after being discharged from the maternity hospital. It is not necessary to wait for the umbilical cord to fall off and the navel to heal completely.

In addition, many clinicians now recommend “dry cord management.” This means that the wound does not need to be treated using aggressive local antiseptics. The decision on the need for treatment, the appointment of local drugs or the restriction of water procedures is made only by the pediatrician based on the examination of the baby.

How long does it take for a newborn’s navel to heal? The umbilical wound usually stops bleeding after a few days, and the cord remnant falls off on its own within about 1-2 weeks. Then the umbilical wound gradually tightens and the navel heals. If the remnant of the umbilical cord does not fall off for a long time, or if there are signs of inflammation of the navel, be sure to consult a doctor

How to bathe a newborn?

How do you prepare for bathing your baby? Let’s try to put such an important procedure into 5 steps.

The first is to prepare everything you need before the baby is in the bathroom. Easy access to bathing products, water at the right temperature, a surface (table) with a towel where you can put the baby after bathing. Suitable water temperature for bathing a child is 36-37 degrees.

Second – enlist the help of household. Until the baby grows up, and the parents do not master the rules for bathing a newborn, it will be correct and safe to insure each other.

Third – in which water should a newborn be bathed? Is it necessary to bathe a child in boiled water? Should I use herbs for bathing a newborn? Should we add any disinfecting components (potassium permanganate, or simply “potassium permanganate”) is confidently leading in the top parental questions? We answer – clean water is enough for bathing a baby, and it does not need to be boiled. It is reasonable to use herbal decoctions for preparing aromatic drinks, but it is not recommended to use them for bathing a newborn – the risk of allergic reactions in a child is high.

When bathing a baby with increased skin dryness and a tendency to peel (initial manifestations of atopy), it is recommended to use special bath oils, and after bathing, apply baby emollients to the skin – special moisturizing emulsions.

Fourth – duration of bathing the child. Focus on a conditional interval from 10 to 40 minutes: 10-15 minutes is enough for a full-fledged bathing procedure for a baby, and if the baby is tired and the mother is still inexperienced, this can be limited. But in order to fully enjoy the water procedures, the baby needs about half an hour, and the older the baby, the more willingly he spends time in the water. By the year, the duration of water procedures usually reaches an hour. An evening bath becomes a familiar ritual for a child, helping to form the right bedtime.

Fifth – bath toys. While the baby is very tiny, he takes a bath using a special slide for swimming or using a baby bath. Bathing toys are not yet interesting for the baby – he enjoys communicating with his mother, being in the water, and pleasant sensations. But after 3 months, when the baby outgrows the swimming slide and his bath, it’s time to move into an adult bath (provided that the parents are already confidently managing the little swimmer). Now is the time to add a play element to the bath. Make sure toys are labeled according to the child’s age and safety standards.

How often should a newborn be bathed? It is not necessary to wash the child every day, 3-4 times a week is enough. Frequency with age

Wipe the newborn after bathing with soft, soaking movements. The scalp of the child can also get wet, and the moisture will be absorbed into the towel.

After bathing, the baby should be breastfed or given water to drink.

Newborn hygiene.

What do you need to know?

Hygiene is an important aspect of newborn care. Washing, treatment of folds, care for the eyes of a newborn, prevention of diaper rash in a child.

It is better to wash the child after a night’s sleep, and then treat the baby’s eyes with a cotton swab moistened with warm boiled water in the direction from the outer edge of the eye to the inner one. Do not use the same cotton pad for different eyes!

Don’t know how to clean your child’s ears? Outside only: Wipe the ear canal and creases behind the ears. You can’t put ear sticks or turundas into the child’s ear canal.

Wash your newborn frequently, at every diaper change.

In care, it is important to use the minimum amount of cosmetics. Here, baby products based on panthenol, lanolin, baby skin care emulsions and bathing oil / gel can come in handy.

How to enjoy motherhood while caring for a baby?

The most important thing is to delegate authority correctly. The baby is the fruit of the love of dad and mom equally, which means that dad can and should share with mom the admiration for the first smile and the first conscious coo, and the hassle of disposing of diapers or processing the breast pump after expressing milk.

The second most important thing is help in everyday life. Not every mother can openly ask for help around the house, and here it is the sensitivity and attention of family members that should support a young woman and a baby in such an unusual and difficult period.

Good nutrition, healthy sleep, attention of relatives – three “pillars” on which comfortable motherhood is based. By the way, about nutrition – the diet of a nursing mother should be varied and saturated with basic nutrients. Eat well and feed with pleasure!

How to ensure the safety of the child?

The pediatric community has a list of rules to help keep your baby safe:

• Never leave your baby unattended on a changing table or other surface.
• Do not shake (shake, rock vigorously) the child.
• In the first month of life, especially in the first days after discharge, it is not recommended to leave the baby alone with pets.
• Use rollers, baby carriers and positioners wisely.
• Organize a sleeping place for a newborn: it should not have lush ruffles, pillows, even bumpers and blankets are not needed at first and can be dangerous. It is better to use a sleeping bag or swaddle the baby*.
• Do not leave the baby in the prone position during a long night’s sleep.
• Do not be shy to contact a pediatrician in any incomprehensible situation.
• Always use an infant carrier or car seat to safely transport your child in the car**. Children under one year old can only be transported in a Class 0 infant carrier.

Read about safe sleep arrangements for your baby (both co-sleeping with mom and in a separate bed) here.

How to wash baby clothes?

Taking care of the baby in the first months of life, it is important to take a responsible approach to choosing a detergent for washing children’s clothes. The skin of a child differs from the structure of the skin of an adult, and the subcutaneous vessels are located closer to the surface, so the likelihood of a reaction to a low-quality product is many times higher.

The requirements for children’s washing powders in terms of toxicological indicators also differ significantly – they do not include a number of certain additives that can be in universal washing powders. When choosing a baby powder, it is better to focus on the age marking corresponding to the age of your child. With this tool, you can wash clothes of all age categories above this age. That is, children’s underwear should not be washed with the usual means, but adult clothes can be washed with baby powder.

Scheduled examinations of the child: monitoring the health of the baby!

It is important not to forget that the health of a newborn depends not only on the efforts of the parents, but also of the pediatrician. The first examination of the child will take place no later than 1-3 days after discharge (the timing may vary slightly from region to region) ***, and it is carried out by a local pediatrician or patronage nurse. If the baby has any diseases or is at risk for the development of any pathology, then the newborn is examined on the day of discharge. If the discharge from the maternity hospital fell on weekends or holidays, then patronage is carried out by the on-duty pediatrician of the polyclinic.

Patronage of newborns is carried out free of charge under the MHI (compulsory medical insurance) system for all children without exception. Important – even if there is no registration and medical policy, then patronage is still available! Parents always have a choice: patronage can be carried out in private medical centers or polyclinics at large children’s hospitals offering their patronage services.

Next, scheduled examinations of the newborn will be supplemented by visits to doctors of other narrow specialties – pediatric neurologists, orthopedists, surgeons, and in due (declared) terms of examination, the mother will be able to make sure that everything is in order with her baby. Thus, the mother’s confidence in the well-being of her child will be based on

A confident and calm mother, surrounded by the care and support of loved ones, with a baby who regularly undergoes medical examinations, will be able to enjoy her motherhood to the maximum. But it is precisely this feeling – pleasure and delight – that we experience when looking at our babies, even if the neonatal period, smelling of milk and lanolin, is far behind.

1. Nutriclub – healthy nutrition and child development

2. 0-12 months

3. About mom

4. Baby Care Tips

Combining work and child care

The vast majority of Russians support the idea of ​​paid parental leave, while there is no consensus on what period should be paid. More than half of the respondents believe that a woman should take the entire parental leave. However, about a third of Russians are in favor of sharing vacations between men and women. The mother’s part-time job is considered to be the optimal strategy for combining work and childcare. The material was prepared on the basis of the results of the next wave of the international ISSP survey.

Parental leave. In accordance with art. 256 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation, parental leave is granted until the child reaches the age of 3 years. But payments of benefits during parental leave are provided only until the child reaches 1.5 years of age (Article 14, Federal Law No. 81-FZ “On State Benefits for Citizens with Children”). Almost all respondents believe that parental leave should be paid. Slightly less than half of Russians (46%) indicated 3 years as their preferred duration of paid leave. Among women, this length of paid parental leave is supported by 51%, and among men only 39%%. Among the respondents who indicated a different desired length of paid parental leave, the answers were approximately evenly distributed between the options “less than a year”, “1 year”, “1.5 years” and “2 years”. Interestingly, only every 10th respondent considers the actual period of paid parental leave up to 1.5 years to be preferable. Such results may indicate both a polarization of opinions regarding the required duration of paid leave, and poor awareness of the current legislation.

According to the Labor Code of the Russian Federation (Article 256), parental leave can be used in full or in parts not only by the mother of the child, but also by the father, grandmother, grandfather, other relative or guardian who actually cares for the child. The majority of Russians (60%) believe that a mother should take the entire parental leave. Approximately equal shares of Russians (18% and 17%) believe that the mother and father should split parental leave in half, or the mother should take most of the leave, and the father the smaller one. The opinion that a father should take all or most of his parental leave does not find support among the majority of Russians. The views of men and women on the distribution of parental leave are practically the same. However, support for the use of maternity leave entirely by the mother is lower among young Russians aged 18-24 (50%), residents of Moscow (52%) and Russians with higher education (54%).

Combining work and child care. Respondents most often chose the option “Mother stays at home and father works full time” as the best option for combining work and caring for a preschool child. This option is supported by exactly half of men and 43% of women. In second place in terms of attractiveness is the option in which the mother works part-time, and the father works full-time. However, only a third of the men surveyed and every fourth woman surveyed like it. Every tenth respondent believes that both parents should work full time. A part-time schedule for both parents was supported by less than 5% of those surveyed.

The least desirable way to combine work and care for a child, 38% of respondents consider the situation when the father of the child stays at home, and the mother works full time. A quarter of respondents do not accept full-time work of both parents. The option, when the mother does not work, and the father works full time, was named the least desirable by 13% of the respondents. There are no significant differences in the answers of men and women regarding the least desirable way of combining work and caring for a preschool child.

Russians have different attitudes towards the need for a woman to work with a preschool child and a schoolchild. A quarter of respondents believe that a woman who has a child of preschool age should not work at all. This position is held by a third of men (32%) and only a fifth of women (20%). The majority of Russians (59%) support the work of a woman with a preschool child on a part-time basis. Such a schedule is considered correct by 52% of men and almost 2/3 of women (64%). Only 12% of respondents believe that a woman should work full-time.

Most Russians believe that a woman who has children in school should work. Less than a tenth of the respondents oppose it. Part-time work for a woman with a schoolchild is considered attractive by 52% of respondents. This option is supported by slightly more women (55%) than men (49%). One third of the respondents, both among the general population and among men and women, believe that a woman with a child of school age should work full time.

Key findings. Almost all Russians support paid parental leave. It is obvious that for more than 40 years of the existence of this maternity support measure (maternity leave up to 1.5 years has been partially paid since 1981), Russians have become accustomed to material support from the state for a rather long period after birth child. However, the opinions of Russians about the duration of such a vacation are divided. Slightly less than half believe that the entire leave to care for a child under 3 years of age should be paid, while the rest believe that only part of the leave should be paid. However, such a range of opinions could arise, among other things, due to the fact that the length of the paid leave period does not correspond to the total possible length of parental leave. In addition, from 2020, families with an income of no more than two regional subsistence minimums for each family member can apply for monthly childcare allowances from 1.5 to 3 years from the federal budget or from maternity capital, depending on the child’s birth order. Probably, such an innovation could create an illusion among a part of the population of the existence of a fully paid leave to care for a child under 3 years old, which could not but arouse the support of the population.
Although 60% believe that all childcare leave should be taken by a woman, one third of the population is still in favor of sharing the leave between a man and a woman. The opinion that a woman should work full time if the family has a preschool child does not find support among Russians. A woman’s part-time work, or the choice of the role of a housewife, is preferred. Among women, the need for part-time work is quite strong, which is a fairly rational strategy. On the one hand, a woman does not lose her professional skills and qualifications and increases the material well-being of her family; on the other hand, flexible and part-time employment makes it possible to devote sufficient time to small children and everyday life.
A different attitude to the employment of a woman with a schoolchild. Most of the respondents believe that a woman should work and not remain a housewife. At the same time, the demand for shorter working hours remains high, including among women themselves. This indicates that the most preferred strategy in Russian society is the “working mother” strategy, which allows finding a balance between work and family.

Elena CHURILOVA

Research Fellow, International Laboratory for Population and Health Research, National Research University Higher School of Economics

The all-Russian survey of the Levada Center was conducted on October 20-26, 2022, based on a representative all-Russian sample of the urban and rural population of 1,604 people aged 18 and over in 137 settlements, 50 constituent entities of the Russian Federation. The study is conducted at the respondent’s home by a personal interview. The distribution of responses is given as a percentage of the total number.

Statistical error for a sample of 1600 people (with a probability of 0.