Parenting toolkit and mobile app launched by Early Childhood Development Agency

Both resources were launched on Saturday morning by Minister for Social and Family Development Chan Chun Sing at the Early Childhood Parenting Conference. Speaking at the event, Mr Chan encouraged parents to let their children grow at their own pace and not pin their own expectations and unfulfilled dreams on them. But he acknowledged that society is "hyper competitive", which was why the Early Childhood Development Agency came up with the two resources to support both parents and educators.

Get the full story from The Straits Times.

Here is the media release from the Ministry of Social and Family Development:

2013 EARLY CHILDHOOD PARENTING CONFERENCE - 23 NOVEMBER 2013

ECDA's New Parenting Resources

Parents have an important part to play in supporting their children's development through building positive relationships, creating developmentally appropriate experiences and a nurturing home environment. At the Early Childhood Parenting Conference 2013, ECDA will launch new resources to support parents in building a strong foundation for their children in their early years.

• "Parenting Moments" Toolkit

The "Parenting Moments" toolkit provides a guide to raising confident, creative and caring children who feel positive about themselves and are eager to learn. It recognises that every child is unique and guides parents on how to support their development according to their child's needs, strengths and interests. The toolkit contains practical tips on child development, as well as ideas and suggestions for positive parent-child bonding, including:

o How children learn and develop, to help parents support and provide experiences that foster their holistic development with developmentally appropriate practices.

o Five key domains of holistic child development which parents can use as a guide to activities and interactions that develop their child holistically according to their age group.

o Role of Parents in playing an integral role in the lives of their children, shaping and guiding them at each stage of their development.

The "Parenting Moments" toolkit is available on www.growatbeanstalk.sg.

• "APParent in SG"

ECDA's new free mobile application "APParent in SG" is designed for parents of children from birth to 7 years of age. It provides access to a suite of child development resources and content, as well as parenting information and ready to use practical ideas that can be readily accessed from mobile devices. It contains the following features:

o Mobile version of the "Parenting Moments" toolkit and ECDA's new magazine "Beanstalk", which brings parents and educators together with the latest resources, news and research on child development and the early childhood sector.

o List of events relevant to parents from ECDA and partner agencies.

o Weekly updates of content and new parenting tips.

Complementing "APParent in SG", ECDA will also launch "Grow@Beanstalk", which is an online portal for parents and educators. It provides articles and activities which are holistic and age appropriate, as well as access to a suite of child development information, practical tips and community resources.

"APParent in SG", will continue to be enhanced to provide parents with more useful content and features. It can be downloaded from Apple Store and Google Play from 23 Nov 2013 onwards.

Launch of Four Storybooks Based on the General Principles of UNCRC

In 'Is Rainbowsaurus So Different from Us?', share the experiences of Libby the Rainbowsaurus as she moves into a new neighbourhood filled with Blusauruses and tries to fit in. 'The Best Recipe for Tofu' tells of the struggles of a kitten called Tofu who works long hours selling fish and lacks adequate rest and care. In 'Elvis and the Feathers School of Music', find out if Elvis the frog fulfils his dreams of joining a music school to develop his singing talent. Lastly, in 'I Want to Be a Cheese Taster', marvel at a class of adorable little mice discussing what they want to do when they grow up.

Commissioned by the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF), this series of storybooks brings to life the four general principles of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC): non-discrimination; devotion to the best interests of the child; the right to life, survival and development; and respect for the views of the child. The UNCRC is an international treaty that recognises the rights of children and the need to consider the best interests of children in all matters that concern them. Singapore acceded to the UNCRC in October 1995. For more information on the UNCRC and to download the stories in e-book format, please visit https://app.msf.gov.sg/Publications/UNCRC.aspx.