When should my child learn to read?
Learning to read is an essential part of a child’s development, if they are to function comfortably in today’s society. Many people ask: At what age should a child learn to read? How young is too young; and what are the risks if I wait too long?
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How to Regulate your Emotions: A Critical Skill for Parents and Children
Most would agree that there is not a parent among us who doesn’t have days where they feel overwhelmed by the pressures of being a parent or primary carer. No matter who you are, where you come from or what you do, parenting is a great equaliser and at one time or another, we all have those moments where we struggle to control our emotions during times of stress or pressure. We may end up reacting in ways we do not like and later feel overwhelmed by regret.
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Your Perception Is Your Reality!
“I’m not what I think I am, I’m not what you think I am, I’m what I think you think I am”. As confusing as this quote from Cooley is, it is the way most of us live our lives. We seem to be caught in the external trap of judgment of what we think others think which in turn sets our own limited way of thinking.
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Story time – when books trump technology
We’re hearing more and more lately about the importance of reading to and with children; and its impact on language and literacy. Whilst more concrete evidence now exists of the impact on a child’s cognitive skills and the associated flow-on effects throughout their lives, it has been no secret that reading to and with children is a good idea. However, an abundance of technology, combined with the increasingly busy lives of families, mean that many simply aren’t finding the time.
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TURNING INTO MUM
I’ve never dreamed of having a baby. My husband did. I dreamed of having a career and being the CEO of a very large corporate by the time I’m 40. I liked my busy lifestyle. Flying around, meeting important people and giving advice on things that were and felt a lot bigger than me. So I agonised over, what everyone assured me, was going to be a complete change in my life and that you can “forget your career”. I was scared.
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Why Do I Feel Out of Control When I Drink Wine, Check Facebook, Eat Chocolate and Binge on Netflix?
If you don’t partake in any of these activities and sometimes feel out of control, you are a far more evolved human being than I am. I call the over usage of all these pleasurable activities - “buffering”. We do these things to avoid our negative emotions – sadness, boredom, shame, anxiety, fear and even restlessness. We use the activities as a distraction from the discomfort of these emotions.
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Battling the Baby Eczema Blues
Summer is over, autumn leaves have fallen from the trees and winter has arrived. Winter is a challenging time for families. Not only do you worry about making sure everyone is keeping warm, avoiding the sniffles and trying to find activities for those wet and windy days. But trying to manage your family’s skin as well? Especially if any of you suffer from dry skin, eczema or dermatitis.
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Baby Massage - a way to get to know your baby
Over the past few years I have worked with loads of mums & dads who recognised that they struggled with getting to know their baby! There is so much emphasis placed on getting everything ready for baby; all the material things that may be needed like cot blankets, bumpers, nappies, bottles, dummies, formula, clothes, etc. Then the books and don't forget googling the different colour baby's poop could be and if it is normal, the different skin rashes, etc.
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How to Deal with Loneliness in 3 Step Process
Loneliness is a feeling that we try and avoid. The most intense feeling of loneliness I remember was as a child sitting in a classroom full of people. I vividly remember the feeling scared by its power. From that day onward I tried to avoid any negative emotions. But now I understand what created that feeling of loneliness. I know some tools to relieve some of that emotional discomfort and I have learned how to move forward when I feel lonely. I’m going to teach you these things today.
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People Pleasers are Not Kind
Are you a people pleaser? Do you make decisions because you are afraid of what other people might think? People pleasers think they being kind but they are not being kind to themselves and sometimes not even or others. People pleasers hold back the truth.
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A Guide to Golf Lessons
Ensure you have comfortable athletic wear, shoes and an eagerness to learn with an open mind. Your instructor will likely provide any additional equipment needed, not required initially but having your own set of clubs is a good investment as you progress in your golfing journey.
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Storytelling - Art, Explore & Creativity - Mini Artist
For all the things about children developing in art, is all related to be able to be more independent in life and explore things and have the ability to express themselves , understanding them. Through art , is a way to knowledge things of what they like, how they think and what they see. We try and understand children and guide them to understand and knowledge topics in life by reading stories looking through other people artwork. And to be able to think and train their brain.
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Is it Possible to Be More Present With Our Kids?
One major obstacle holding us back from being more present with our kids, are our feelings. We feel restless and bored and agitated and frustrated and annoyed and disappointed. Yes, there is fun and enjoyment and love and humour but somehow I don’t think you need help with that side of life.
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10 TOP TIPS for working from home with children:
Working from home is great! BUT can be a challenge when you have children under 5 years old. Or what about when the school holidays roll around? The kids are on holidays, but you may not necessarily be!
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5 easy tips for better breathing
Our modern stressed sedentary lifestyle has shifted our breathing patterns away from our natural breath. Many of us have adopted poor and ineffective breathing patterns, negatively impacting our physical and mental health.
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7 Tips to Improve Your Child’s Difficult Behaviour
Try to be calm when a negative behaviour arises. If you react to your child’s misbehaviour, you will either have a big fight on your hands or your child will learn that if they get a reaction to a specific behaviour, they will repeat that behaviour next time. To diffuse rising tension, turn towards your child and talk in a quiet and firm voice.
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It Takes A Village To Keep Kids Safe
After recently completing the very informative and at times confronting Child Safety Training from the Office of The Children’s Guardian (OCG) I am even more compelled to ensure child safety is put at the forefront of my dance school and encourage other dance school owners to do the same.
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Self-Care For Mums
Exercise, even for just a short time, clears the head (and helps our sanity!) Walking, swimming, tai chi. Even dancing around the house has proven fun benefits – watch out, though, as the family may want to join in.
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Amazing listening in under a minute!
START DOING THESE FIVE THINGS AND YOU’LL HAVE AMAZING LISTENERS IN UNDER A MINUTE! DON’T BELIEVE ME? GO TRY! As a behaviour consultant with almost fifteen years of experience working with families....
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Women and Super
I was recently having a chat over coffee with a group of other Mums in business (truthfully I was doing a bit of market research) and I asked them if they felt that they had less super savings than they should have considering their ages and stages. A conversation then followed about the gender pay-gap, taking time out of the workforce to raise a family and finding yourself sole breadwinner due to either illness or relationship breakdown.
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