Skillnaija All courses →

Infant & Child Care: The First Five Years

Feeding from breast milk to family meals, growth and milestones, immunisation, the danger signs that mean go now, safety at home and on the road, play and early learning, protecting children, and the professional childminder's job.

Start learning free More Civic & Life Skills courses

Free account required to open the lessons. No card, no fees.

About this course

The first five years shape a child's whole life, and most Nigerian parents and carers learn from advice that is part wisdom, part myth. This course gives families and childminders clear, current guidance in plain words. You will learn why the early years matter so much and how to use the child health card, how to breastfeed well and what to do when it is hard, how to start family foods at six months with Nigerian meals that give enough iron and protein, how to follow growth and milestones and notice when to ask for help, how immunisation, deworming and malaria prevention fit together, the danger signs that mean a child must see a health worker now, how to make a home and a journey safe from burns, poisoning, drowning and falls, how to play, talk and read with a child every day and discipline without beating, how to protect children from abuse and look after yourself as a carer, and what a professional nanny or childminder does. It continues from the Pregnancy Preparedness course and works alongside First Aid. It is education, not medical advice: every decision about a sick child belongs to a health worker. Free, like every Skillnaija course.

At the primary health centre in Kubwa, Abuja, Nurse Halima plots six-week-old Chidera's weight on the growth chart, writes the date of her next visit and hands the child health card back to Amina Eze. 'Guard this card like a certificate,' she says. At home, the house is full. Amina's mother, Mama Nkechi, has come for omugwo and has firm views on everything from bathwater to pap. Four-year-old Ifeanyi keeps asking when the baby is going back. Esther, 19, starts as the family's nanny next week, and Amina returns to work in six weeks. That night Obinna asks what every new parent asks: with advice coming from every direction, what exactly do we have to get right? Nurse Halima's answer, when they put it to her, is short. Five things, for five years.

What you'll learn

Course syllabus — 10 lessons

  1. The first five years matter most15 min
  2. Breastfeeding and feeding the young baby16 min
  3. Complementary feeding from six months16 min
  4. Growth, development and milestones15 min
  5. Immunisation, deworming and routine health15 min
  6. When a child is ill: danger signs and getting care early16 min
  7. Safety at home and on the road16 min
  8. Play, talk and early learning16 min
  9. Protecting children and caring for carers17 min
  10. The professional childminder and the project17 min

Your project

Your Child Care Plan

One document (Google Doc with view access, or an uploaded Word or PDF file) with a headed section for each of the six parts. No identifying details or photos of real children.

Certificates on Skillnaija are earned, not issued for attendance: you submit this project, it is graded against a rubric, and passing issues a certificate anyone can verify. See the full project brief, rubric and free workbook →

Frequently asked questions

Is Infant & Child Care: The First Five Years free?

Yes. Infant & Child Care: The First Five Years is completely free on Skillnaija. You need a free account to open the lessons, and there is no charge for the course, the project, or the certificate.

How long does Infant & Child Care: The First Five Years take to complete?

5 weeks · ~3 hrs/week. There are 10 lessons, about 3 hours of material in total. You learn at your own pace and your progress is saved.

Do I need any experience to start Infant & Child Care: The First Five Years?

Beginner. You can start from scratch — no prior experience is assumed.

What will I learn in Infant & Child Care: The First Five Years?

You will build practical skills in Early childhood development basics, Breastfeeding support, Complementary feeding with Nigerian foods, Growth monitoring and milestones, Immunisation and routine child health in outline, Recognising danger signs in a sick child, Home and road safety for children, Play, language and early learning, Positive discipline, Safeguarding and child protection, Carer wellbeing, Professional childminding routines. Every lesson is written for a Nigerian context, with examples drawn from how the work is actually done and paid for here.

Do I get a certificate for Infant & Child Care: The First Five Years?

Yes, but it has to be earned. You complete the course project — Your Child Care Plan and submit it for grading. Passing the project issues a verifiable certificate; finishing the lessons alone does not.

Related Civic & Life Skills courses

Ready to start Infant & Child Care: The First Five Years?

It's free, it's self-paced, and it ends with something you can show an employer.

Start learning free