It is well known that our under 5’s struggle with times of change; whether it is a change in their usual routine, transitioning from play to mealtimes, or from home to centre, all have the potential for less than ideal outcomes (think meltdown). This unprecedented time of transition, from weeks of home life with one another back to ‘the usual’ routine of work and days spent at school or Gems, will be challenging for everyone (adults included!).
Read MoreAs we prepare to enter Level 2, we all have a lot of readjusting to do and our children are no exception. Right along with us, they will be reentering our wider society which will look very different than it used to. Children are adaptable and resilient, but they’re no fools. They are acutely aware of the change in the air.
Read MoreWe all know toddler’s love the word “no”. You ask them to do something and you get a negative response. This is the period in their life where they are learning that they are actually separate beings to you, that they can have a measure of control over their world. And they love to test this out! Pushing boundaries is a big part of toddler development and they have an irresistible urge to test out this newfound power of assertiveness …
Read MoreI hope that this finds you well and content in your bubbles. We are now almost 4 weeks into this experience, and I think it’s fair to say that our perceptions of it have shifted somewhat. Maybe what seemed like a bit of an adventure to start with has now become somewhat more of a daunting reality. Maybe it’s the other way around...the scariness of those early days may have been replaced by a feeling of having stepped off the hamster wheel and you may be relishing extra family time?
Read MoreHaving resilience goes a long way in the current climate, the question is where did our resilience come from and how do we make sure our kids have bucket loads of it to help them deal with any difficulties (both big and small) that come up for them in the future.
As adults (and children) we are all going through a lot at the moment and how resilient we are is one of the things that is helping us cope, or not cope as the case may be for some.
Read MoreVisiting The Nest at any Gems and you will see Heuristic Play and Treasure Baskets either in use or set up ready to be explored. This type of play is present for the majority of our day in The Nest and I wanted to share with you some ideas as to how you can offer opportunities for this at home for your child…
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These urges are building blocks for the human brain; they require repetition, sometimes lots and lots of repetition; and they usually need to happen right now, which explains why our little people are so determined to do these things. A huge part of learning happens through experiential play, so for a child to work out what will happen if they add their glass of water to their dinner, they need to do just that.
Read MoreBeing a toddler is hard at the best of times. They thrive on the predictability of routines and ritual, of being close to their ‘people"‘ …
Read MoreWe all have times when we are stumped! We find ourselves wondering "where do we go from here".
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