UNICEF USA Parenting Resources
Expert advice, practical tips and valuable resources to help parents raise children who are healthy, resilient, happy and hopeful.
As parents and caregivers, we strive to provide our children the best. Yet, it's so easy to feel uncertain about what the best truly is.
Some things are a given. Children need nutrition, regular check-ups, love, and a safe, nurturing environment. These essentials lay a solid foundation for every child's growth and development.
But of course, kids need many other things, too. Those needs change, sometimes unpredictably, as they get older.
Do all children require the same amount of sleep? Do all kids take their first steps at the same age? How long should a child breastfeed? Can there ever be too much of a good thing — stimulation, attention, parental help navigating obstacles? How do you strike the right balance?
The truth is, there's no one-size-fits-all answer when it comes to parenting. What's right for one child may not be for another. This is what makes children unique and parenting a rich and rewarding experience.
UNICEF USA Parenting is here to help. There's lots to explore, and new topics are always in the works. Combining UNICEF's extensive resources and guidance with science-based facts, advice and tips from other trusted experts, the UNICEF USA parenting hub is your partner in navigating every stage of your child's life.
What do you want to know?
Here's what to expect at each stage of your child's development, including milestones to look out for and parent tips to make every moment count.
Child Development
Parents have extraordinary power to shape their child's future happiness, health and well-being. It all begins with pregnancy, which is its own journey. Once the baby arrives, learning to be a parent isn't always easy. Here, some tips from experts and advice to help parents see their children through the milestones of their early years.
Developmental milestones
2-month-old babies' developmental milestones
4-month-old babies' developmental milestones
6-month-old babies' developmental milestones
9-month-old babies' developmental milestones
1-year-old toddlers' developmental milestones
Health
Every parent's fondest wish is to help their child grow up healthy and happy. Along the way, myriad challenges arise. From understanding how to foster healthy habits and the benefits of vaccines to coping with teen anxiety and depression, parents must navigate complex situations and milestones. Here, expert-backed advice and practical insights for nurturing children and teen's physical and mental health.
Teaching Your Child Healthy Habits
Childhood illnesses and vaccines
Safety tips
How to Keep Kids Safe and Healthy During a Heatwave
8 Strategies to Keep Your Child Safe — Online and Off
Protecting Your Child From Cyberbullying
How to Protect Your Child From Violence, Exploitation and Abuse
Mental health and well-being
Protecting Your Child's Mental Health at Every Age
5 Ways to Support Your LGBTQ+ Child
How to Support Your Child's Mental Health
How to Help Your Anxious Child
Parents’ self-care
5 Tips for Dealing With Uncertainty in Times of War
Child Care
Any activity you do with your child, even the most mundane, profoundly shapes their world. Singing at bathtime, reading before bed, chatting in the car on the way to soccer practice, cuddling on the couch while watching a movie. These are all opportunities to make memories and strengthen the bond that will give your child the confidence to strike out on their own, knowing they are loved. Here, discover how these interactions foster growth and enrich your journey together as a family.
Parenting through an emergency
How to Talk to Children About Climate Change
What do you want to know?
Just when you think you have this parenting thing down, your growing child, tween, or teen hits a new milestone you feel less equipped to handle. Or school, your community, even the world changes, and you struggle to keep up.
UNICEF USA Parenting is working to be there for you — adding new topics to meet your family's needs and the changing times. So bookmark this page and check back soon.
