Teach your child to be eco-conscious.
The future is in our children’s hands. It is never too early to start to teach your child to be eco-conscious. As a parent, you play a major role in helping your child form a green mindset and develop eco-friendly skills. Why start at an early age? It’s important to teach your child about the environment at an early age because these lessons will become their normal behaviour. In other words, the habits they learn, the eco-friendly skills they possess, and the time they spend learning about nature will shape the future of environmental sustainability. Establishing good habits. The best place to start is by being a role model yourself. Children look to their parents for guidance and mimic their behaviour. So, if you want to teach your children about recycling, you should be practicing recycling as a part of your household routine. Some simple habits to establish early are: Recycling (which items go into which bin). Always use bins, so no littering. Keep lights off when not in use. Turn off the water when they brush their teeth. Use reusable bags for a grocery shop. Use reusable water bottles, cutlery, and straws. Donate outgrown clothes and toys. Ride, cycle or use public transport where
Mother’s and Father’s Day Activities.
Mother’s Day and Father’s Day can be opportunities to recognize the diversity of family structures. I have created one post of Mother’s and Father’s Day activities that can be used for both celebrations to combat the gender stereotypes that are normally associated with these special days. I never understood why dads received tie or tool-themed cards while mothers received flower-themed ones. Therefore, I would love to see more inclusive practices when it comes to celebrating these special days. Finally, toddlers are capable of small, simple gestures of love and affection. This can include decorating a colouring sheet to give to a parent, creating a handmade card or contributing to a special activity to mark the occasion. Little things like these can make a world of difference to a parent’s day! Free printables: Mother’s and Father’s Day Activities. To begin, claim your free printables here! ´All about my parent´ is both great for the kids to express their thoughts about their parents and for a parent to receive. Fun Mother’s and Father’s Day Activities. Scavenger hunt! Create a playlist of all your mother´s or father’s favourite songs. Play the music and invite them to the living room to relax and listen to his favourite songs together. Or
Meltdowns – the secrets that science can tell us.
Meltdowns, tantrums, the terrible twos
It’s Important to Make Mistakes in Your Parenting.
Having a small child is exhausting. It may be wonderful, fulfilling and hilarious at the same time, but no one can deny that it is relentless. I often flick through Instagram hearing well-meaning advice only to have fear running through my veins. Am I getting it wrong? Do I have to think about yet another thing? I’m keen for this blog to be different and not induce that dreaded parent guilt that we all feel from time to time. So, I decided to tell you that it’s Important to make mistakes in your parenting (within reason). Why Mistakes are OK We all know that our relationship with our child (the attachment relationship) is hugely important for their development. This puts pressure on us to be available, predictable and nurturing for our children – and do this consistently! However, life isn’t always like that (especially when we are juggling so many demands). What I love about the world of attachment is that it recognises that we can’t get it right all of the time – in fact, it’s about being a “good-enough” rather than perfect (aka unobtainable and stressful trying to be) parent. So, how can making mistakes actually enhance our relationship? As you
Self-Care Moments
As a parent, you may have subconsciously developed a habit of forgetting to prioritise your own needs. Or perhaps you believe you simply do not have enough time to spend on yourself due to work and family demands. We are so busy that the thought of thinking of one more thing like self-care triggers us to become overwhelmed. Perhaps if we looked at the idea of self-care moments it would appear to be more manageable? No matter how busy you are, it is not wise to neglect yourself and your needs. Note: you can practice self-care with your children present. Self-care does not have to mean ´without children´ What is Self-Care? Self-care is an intentional act of nourishing yourself to strengthen or maintain your overall wellbeing. Self-care is about replacing self-judgements and comparisons with self-compassion and acceptance. Furthermore, it is an individual responsibility that needs to be integrated into our daily lives consistently to form part of a healthy lifestyle. It does not need to be complicated, expensive or a long period of time to have a positive impact on your wellbeing. Self-care can be a quick and fun activity, looking after your physical needs, or anything that gives you a feeling of satisfaction. What
Practical tips for working parents who have found themselves without childcare.
I want to share with you some practical tips for working parents who have found themselves without childcare. With some of us back in lockdown, isolation or worried about governments reimposing restrictions / lockdowns, I have decided to share some tips to navigate the changing situation. I don’t want to make the same mistakes I did earlier in the pandemic that led to my burnout. Practical tips for working parents. It is important to have a strong work and home life integration during these periods of juggling work and childcare. Structuring the day in advance will remind the family that there is a time for learning, working and downtime, too. It’s important to take breaks when you need, including lunch / snack breaks and time for a walk to burn some energy. Creating a routine for children during COVID-19 can provide structure and predictability during times of uncertainty. Routines also promote a sense of safety and reassurance. A common question parents have is, how on earth can we make this work? One way to structure your family´s day is by creating a visual timetable, with different activities assigned both to the kids and to yourself. This way they know if you’re available without having
The Power of Routines for Taming Toddler Energy.
“Silence is Golden. Unless You Have a Toddler…Then It’s Just Suspicious” We all accept that toddlers are high energy little beings. Sometimes that energizer bunny craziness can just feel overwhelming for parents every day, so structure goes by the wayside. Do not underestimate the power of routines for taming toddler energy. These expert parenting tips will help you tame the chaos. The Power of Routines for Taming Toddler Energy. Let’s first get real with ourselves and ask: Is it possible that your toddler has been trained (by you) that the rules of your home are open to negotiation? In other words, “Are You for Sale?” Being for sale means that you’ve allowed your child’s pleading, whining, or negotiating to get the best of you. When your child sniffs weakness, it gets exploited, and chaos ensues. The good news? With just a few little adjustments, it’s within your power to regain harmony in your household. The best way to get started is to create and implement a routine that you stick with. The Power of Routines. Toddlers get a sense of security and stability when they know how their day will unfold. This study for example, mentions how simply having a set bedtime for toddlers can result in their optimal
Kindergarten Readiness.
Starting kindergarten is a big milestone for you and your toddler. It is an exciting time of learning and growth. I want to share some kindergarten readiness tips from the perspective of a teacher. I do value fostering early literacy and numeracy skills however, sometimes I think it can be easy to place too much importance on these. There are so many everyday toddler activities, like getting dressed, preparing food, or tidying up, that we miss opportunities to develop our child’s independence To begin with, I will highlight and share some practical skills that young children sometimes struggle with when first starting school. It can really make their transition into kindergarten a lot smoother if they have started practicing some of these at home. The Kindergarten Day. Firstly, let’s look at how your child will predominately spend their day. In kindergarten, most of your child's school day will be working with and relating to other children. Therefore, it is heavily reliant on social and communication skills as they learn to: Cooperate and collaborate on projects. Talk and play with peers. Share toys and taking turns. Follow directions. Work alone. Relate to an adult other than parents. How to Prepare for the Transition. You can create opportunities
A Healthy Balanced Diet for a Toddler.
Healthy Eating for Toddlers. Toddlers are very active little people. A lot of toddler activities require a lot of energy. So, it is important that we know how to fuel their bodies for proper growth and development. Click here for ideas on how to involve your toddler in meal preparation. A healthy balanced diet for a toddler can also get them into the lifelong habit of consuming a healthy diet. What is a healthy balanced diet for a toddler? You might be surprised to hear that a healthy balanced diet for a toddler is not the same as a healthy balanced diet for an adult. Toddlers, aged 1 to 4 years of age, have very high energy needs to sustain their growth both physically and mentally. A balanced dietary pattern for a toddler consists of three meals and two to three snacks a day. A toddler’s diet should consist of a balance of the following foods: Starchy carbohydrates. Fruit and vegetables Dairy, and protein, including meat, fish, eggs, pulses and ground seeds, nuts. Drinks like milk and water. The high sugar, salt and processed fat foods are not needed in a toddler's diet but can occasionally be given in small amounts. So how does a
Supporting Language and Communication in the Home.
Regardless of where we’re living right now, life looks much different than it ever has in our lifetime. Many families are at home with children, struggling to play the role of the teacher in addition to all our other roles. If this is you, you’re not alone. Better yet, there’s help in the form of well-intentioned tips that may not make it all better. However, they can certainly be useful during a time when we need access to all the tools in our toolbox. As parents, we want to be supporting language and communication in the home. But often we anticipate our children’s needs without them ever having to communicate. However well-intentioned we may be, we’re missing language opportunities. For example, when we do routine things like help them put on their clothes or prepare their breakfast, without using language. Everyday routines are essentially toddler activities at home that we can use to support their language and communication in the home. Tips For Supporting Language and Communication in the Home. Gestures Count It’s not uncommon to get caught up in the use of words that we forget about other forms of communication. One common way toddlers communicate is through the use of gestures. If