Provide a dedicated place for daytime sleeping outdoors as well as indoors to suit the needs of individual babies.
Enable and allow babies to sleep when they need to and to wake up from naps naturally.
Provide ample seating both indoors and outside so that adults can sit comfortably with distressed, resting and alert babies. Swing seats outdoors work especially well.
Keep the environment quiet and calm, so that babies can attend to the voices and natural sounds around them.
Plan to take account of the individual cultural and feeding needs of young babies in your group.
There may be considerable variation in the way parents feed their children at home. Remember that some parents may need interpreter support.
Plan for feeding times to be slow and pleasurable. A gentle rhythm to feeding times allows babies to anticipate what is coming next and feel relaxed.
Make the nappy changing and dressing area pleasant to be in for both babies and adults, so that changing becomes a time for one-to-one relationship building.
Trained staff can introduce baby massage sessions that make young babies feel nurtured and promote a sense of wellbeing. Involving parents helps them to use this approach at home.
