Parenting guide for new parents

From pregnancy to early childhood

Pregnancy and preparing for birth

• Attend antenatal care early and regularly; follow all advice on supplements, vaccines, and tests.

• Eat balanced meals with local foods: beans, sweet potatoes, leafy greens, fruits, milk, eggs and clean water.

• Avoid alcohol, tobacco and unnecessary medicines; always ask a health worker first.

• Discuss birth plans with your partner and family, including transport to a health facility and who will support you at home after birth.

• Respect cultural traditions (naming, family blessings) while still prioritizing medical care when needed.

The first weeks with baby

• Deliver in a health facility if possible, and keep close follow‑up with nurses or community health workers.

• Start breastfeeding within the first hour after birth and give only breast milk (no water, herbs, or porridge) for 6 months unless a health worker advises otherwise.

• Keep your baby warm, clean and close to you; skin‑to‑skin contact helps with bonding and breastfeeding.

• Limit visitors in the first days if baby or mother is tired; ask family to help with chores so the mother can rest.

• Follow vaccination calendar and growth monitoring visits at your nearest health center.

Feeding and health in the first 2 years

• 0–6 months: exclusive breastfeeding on demand, day and night.

• 6–24 months: continue breastfeeding and add soft family foods: mashed beans (including iron‑rich beans), orange sweet potatoes, bananas, potatoes, cassava, ugali, avocado, eggs, fish and leafy greens.

• Feed responsive: talk to your baby, watch their hunger and fullness cues, never force but encourage gently.

• Maintain hygiene: wash hands with soap before feeding, use clean utensils, and store food safely.

• Go to the clinic quickly for fever, difficulty breathing, diarrhea, poor feeding, or if the baby seems unusually sleepy or irritable.

Love, bonding and discipline

• Hold, cuddle and talk to your baby often; eye contact and gentle voice build trust and security.

• As the child grows, play simple games, sing, tell stories in Kinyarwanda and your family language; this supports brain development and cultural identity.

• Use positive discipline: explain, guide and model good behavior; avoid harsh physical punishment, insults or shaming.

• Show respect to elders while also protecting your child from any harmful practices or violence, even if they are “traditional.”

• Involve fathers actively in bathing, feeding, playing and school support; parenting is for both parents and the wider umuryango (family).

Values, culture and community

• Teach children Rwandan values: respect for elders, helping at home, honesty, peace and unity (Ndi Umunyarwanda spirit).

• Use daily life to teach responsibility: small age‑appropriate tasks, greeting visitors politely, sharing with siblings.

• Maintain important cultural practices—naming ceremonies, family gatherings, visiting grandparents—while keeping safety in mind (hygiene, safe travel, no alcohol for children).

• Work with teachers, community leaders and health workers; they are partners in raising your child in a safe and loving environment.

• If you experienced trauma or stress, consider talking to a counselor, church leader or support group so you can parent with more peace.