Nurturing Bright Futures – Working Together to Give Southend's Children the Best Start in Life

Foundations for Growth

The importance of foundations for growth

“When we think about what children need to thrive in their early years, a strong sense of self is key. This means helping them build pride in their culture, racial identity, and heritage. At the same time, we must recognise the structural barriers, such as racism and xenophobia, that can affect a child’s holistic development. Only by understanding and addressing these barriers can we ensure every child has the best possible start in life.”

Liz Pemberton, 2025

The early years, even before birth, shape the foundations for lifelong emotional wellbeing and development. When children feel safe, loved and understood, they are more likely to thrive. Strong emotional foundations help them become resilient, confident and independent. These foundations support their ability to form secure relationships, express their needs, explore the world and manage their feelings. Children with strong emotional foundations are often better prepared to separate from caregivers when the time comes and are more ready to embrace new experiences. These beginnings underpin all other areas of development.

For some children their first days or years may not have provided the positive start they needed. This can impact on their ability to manage emotions, build trusting relationships and feel confident in new situations. However, the brain has an incredible capacity for growth and change and with the right support, new connections can be made. As a result, these children may continue to develop at their own pace, requiring ongoing support and encouragement along their journey. Through supportive relationships with caring adults, children can begin to feel secure and ready to explore the world around them and reach their true potential.

Celebrating your unique child

Strong emotional foundations are built from everyday moments; cuddles, routines and feeling heard. Some children naturally seek comfort, while others show their feelings in different ways. However your child expresses themselves, know that your consistent love, reassurance and attention will help them feel safe and secure. Emotional wellbeing looks different for every child and that’s okay. When children feel safe, they’re more able to explore, learn and build positive relationships.

When it comes to managing your child’s feelings and behaviours, remember that you are doing your best and that truly matters. You are only human and it’s completely normal to make mistakes along the way. What’s most important is how you respond afterwards. Mistakes offer a valuable opportunity to model growth and resilience. By acknowledging what happened, offering a genuine apology and reconnecting with your child, you show them that relationships can be repaired with honesty, love and care.

"We were very lucky to find our wonderful childminder. My boy is always so eager for Thursday to roll around. Choosing childcare is such a big decision, but I’ve always felt at easy leaving my child in her lovely setting.”

Mum of Taylor, age 4.

Foundations for Growth: Growing and learning together - A developmental guide

age range, what your baby might be doing, how you can support them
Age range	What your baby might be doing	How you can support them
During pregnancy	Baby hears your voice and starts bonding with you from the womb Begins to sense your stress and calmness	Talk, sing and read to your baby whilst they are in the womb to help them recognise your voice and feel comforted Create a calming routine before birth Take time to relax, eat well and attend regular check-ups Look after your mental wellbeing - it helps your baby too
Birth to 3 months	As your newborn’s vision develops they can focus on objects that are close Learns to recognise your face, voice and smell Starts to feel safe and secure with you Cries to communicate need	Get up close and face to face when talking to your baby so they can see your face and follow your expressions Respond quickly and to their cries Talk and sing to help them feel connected Hold and cuddle them often
3 to 6 months	Smiles coos and babbles with expression Beginning to imitate sounds and expressions Cries in different ways to show hunger, pain or being tired… Calms if comforted by you Reacts to people’s emotions	Echo back your baby’s coos, babbles and noises Offer smiles, cuddles and play Tune into the meaning of their communication and clues they give you with their bodies Keep routines consistent to feel safe. Use soothing voices to reassure them when they are upset
6 to 12 months	Shows affection and expresses emotions Starts to become anxious around strangers Looks to you for comfort and reassurance	Talk about feelings in simple words Comfort them when they’re unsure Let them explore but stay close for support
12 to 18 months	Becomes more aware of their feelings and those of others Uses gestures or words to show emotions	Help them name feelings e.g. “You’re feeling sad because you dropped your toy” Praise their efforts to calm themselves Give comfort and explain changes in routine
18 to 24 months	Starts to play with others and show empathy Can get easily frustrated or overwhelmed	Be patient and calm during tantrums Promote sharing or turn-taking in play Offer simple choices to help them feel in control
2 to 3 years	Shows a wider range of emotions and may have tantrums. This is a natural part of their social and emotional development Begins to assert independence and test boundaries	When your child shows a particular emotion, name it and talk about it with them, e.g. ‘you’re smiling, you’re feeling happy to see me,’ or ‘you’re crying because you’re feeling frustrated you can’t play with that car” Stay calm and consistent with routines.
3 to 4 years	Understands turn-taking and starts to show empathy May seek comfort from familiar adults when upset	Try playing simple turn taking games that encourage your child to wait for a short time for their go! Use stories and play to explore feelings. Encourage and praise kind behaviour
4 to 5 years	Can talk about feelings and manage some emotion Builds stronger friendships and seeks emotional connection	Help your child work out how their body feels when they’re experiencing an emotion, e.g. ‘you look excited! Is your heart beating really fast?’ Or ‘you look nervous. Does your tummy feel wobbly?’ ‘You seem angry. Are your fists tight and your face hot?’ Reassure them that the way they feel is ok – we all feel happy/sad/ upset sometimes and feelings will pass Encourage talking about their day Support them to resolve problems and celebrate efforts