9 Big Benefits of Reading to Your Child

Posted on March 8, 2020February 18, 2020 by schoolhouse

While reading to our children is fun and a chance to spend some quality time together, what many parents don’t realise is that this activity is providing far more benefits to their children than they could ever imagine. The benefits of reading to your child are limitless but for the sake of this article, we’ve listed the ones that we think are most important.

The benefits of reading to your child

1. It nurtures the parent and child bond

As your children grow, they spend their days exploring and discovering non-stop until it’s time to wind down for bed with a story. Many children look forward to storytime as it’s their special time with you where they have your attention and they feel close to you. In time, you’ll find that reading to your child gives them a sense of intimacy, one that improves your communication and helps you bond with each other.

2. It provides routine and stability to your child

One of the big benefits of reading, especially if it’s at a set time in the day such as cuddling up with a book at bedtime, is that it provides routine and stability for your child. As children are constantly learning new things day in and day out, routine and stability are essential for your child to learn to take a breath within the busyness of the day to recharge and wind down. If you do this every day, reading will become a nurturing activity rather than a task or a chore.

3. It sparks their imagination

As we read, our brains translate the descriptions that we read of people and places and things into pictures. For young children, not only does this allow them to engage in the story but it also fuels their creativity when they bring this knowledge into their everyday play.

4. It forms strong foundations for their learning abilities

If you read to your children often, you are exposing them to a wide range of language and vocabulary as well as multiple environments and experiences that they will learn to relate to. The benefits of this is that it leads to children developing skills a lot earlier than children who don’t read, skills that are essential to learning and life such as:

Communication and listening skills
Basic speech skills
Thinking skills and logic
Literacy and numeracy skills

By reading to your children, they learn to understand cause and effect, the consequences of actions, and the basics of what is right and wrong. It is also essential for their language development! Studies have shown that 8-month-year-olds who were read to often as babies have higher “receptive” vocabularies (meaning the number of words they understand) of 40% compared to children of the same age who were not read to (16%).

5. It helps them perform better in school

It’s probably no surprise that one of the biggest benefits of reading is that children who read more tend to have a higher academic performance. When you thihnk about it, it makes sense:

The intimacy of reading with your children every day makes it a pleasurable experience.
This fosters a positive attitude towards reading and learning.
Reading also enhances concentration and self-discipline.
Children who love to learn tend to have longer attention spans and better memory retention which help them perform better in school.
Reading and communicating to your children exposes them to a larger range of vocabulary which helps them communicate and learn in school.
Reading often also helps them to develop a higher competency for learning in multiple environments so they are more prepared to adapt easily to each day in school.

6. It helps them to become more accepting

Helping our children be more open-minded is something that will set them up for life. Reading does just that as it teaches children about empathy and about different cultures. From a young age, children will lose themselves in stories but as they grow, they soon learn about different cultures and customs and they start to relate to characters and imagine how they would feel in certain situations. Empathy and an open mind are both essential to help them communicate with people and to make positive changes in the world around them.

7. It helps them to conquer the fear of a classroom and become less anxious in general

Have you noticed that reading calms your children, especially when they are distressed or restless? Many children, as they grow, become nervous about new experiences or situations especially if it’s something that they find scary such as the first day of school. By reading books that are relevant to them, this can help relieve their anxiety considerably as they now know what to expect. Over time, you’ll soon find that they learn to cope better with these negative emotions too.

8. It makes them want to keep on learning

One of the best benefits of reading is that the learning never stops, no matter how old you are! When our children are babies, they develop their senses by feeling tangible materials and listening to sound effects. As they grow, they then learn the basics of reading a book (such as reading from left and write, stories continue when you turn the page etc) as well as words, numbers, colours, shapes, sounds, and concepts. As they grow even older, children expand their chain of knowledge and become motivated to find out even more about certain things that they are interested in. Even as adults, there’s always something to learn by reading!

9. It helps build confidence as well as positive life habits

Reading at home every day teaches your children that this activity is fun and not a chore. It also gives your children the confidence to be able to read out loud in a classroom full of people. While these may not seem like incredibly important traits, this simple activity sets them up for life. When it comes to reading books to study for exams or presenting to a class full of teenagers when they are older, your child will have the confidence to go ahead full steam. Not to mention that reading will become a pleasurable (and healthier) habit for them too, to wind down when the day is done!

Is reading a part of your routine?

As you can see, the benefits of reading to your children are vast. Not only is it essential for them to develop as individuals but it also brings you closer together too!

At Schoolhouse Daycare, we enjoy learning, encouraging confidence and we love life! If you think your child would enjoy life at Schoolhouse, then please do not hesitate to arrange a visit.

Need more help or advice? Find more from us here:

7 Tips for Meal Planning No Matter How Busy You Are

Posted on February 20, 2020February 4, 2020 by schoolhouse

You’ve had a busy day in work, done the school run, juggled the kids’ activities in the evening and now you have hungry mouths to feed…does this sound like your evenings in the week? Do you often have to scramble through your cupboards and fridge to find what you’re going to throw together for dinner each night? With meal planning, it’s possible to take the stress out of food and to make dinner time a well-oiled machine. Here is everything you need to know when it comes to meal planning for busy families.

The benefits of meal planning

Taking the time to plan your meals for the week may seem like a lot of work but when you see the benefits it offers, the effort is more than worth it.

Meal planning:

Helps you organise your food shopping and meals for the week which ultimately saves you a lot of time and energy.
Takes the guess-work out of what you’re cooking each night which makes dinner time more efficient and stress-free.
Makes food shopping a breeze and saves you money as you will only buy what you have planned to make.

Meal planning for busy families (7 steps!)

Trust us when we say, when you begin meal planning and you have more time together as a family in the evenings, you’ll wonder why you didn’t do this sooner and you’ll never go back! To help you easily implement meal planning into your routine, here are the 7 steps you need to take:

1. Make a list of the meals your family loves

This part is the easiest as you know what your family enjoys eating! The first step of meal planning for busy families is to write down as many meals as you can (about 30-40) and add to this list as you go along.

2. Write down what meals you will have on what days

Look at your weekly calendar and assign a meal to each day of the week (e.g. Monday – Spaghetti with Garlic Bread, Tuesday – Chicken and Rice etc). Your family may love to have pizza Fridays or pasta Mondays. If this is the case, that helps to cut down on your weekly planning!

3. Plan for leftovers or group similar meals together

Another massive time-saving tip when it comes to meal planning for busy families is to make enough that there will be leftovers. These leftovers can be for lunch the next day or, if you’re grouping meals with the same ingredients (e.g. Grilled Chicken on a Monday and Chicken Curry on a Tuesday), then you can use the leftovers to cook the next dish that you’ve planned for dinner. This saves you time, energy, and money!

4. Write a shopping list of all the ingredients you need

While meal planning, write down every ingredient you will need to make every meal including sides, seasonings, and sauces. Be thorough as you don’t want to come home after a busy day and realise that you don’t have what you need for that night.

5. Check what you have at home first

A big money-saving tip is to check if you have any of these ingredients at home first. Go through your fridge, freezer, and cupboards to cross off anything that you already have off your shopping list.

6. See what deals are on and if you have any coupons

You may not need anything that is currently on offer but if it is on your list, consider buying more of it while it’s on sale and making at an extra portion to freeze for an extra busy day!

7. Organise or batch cook the meals for the week right when you get home

This step will depend on what you prefer and how busy your week is, but the most important thing to note is to organise the ingredients you just bought right when you get home. If that means separating them into piles in the fridge for each meal so that they don’t get used for anything else, then perfect. If you know that Monday to Thursdays are extremely busy, then consider batch cooking those meals on Sunday and freezing the ingredients that you don’t need until the end of the week so that they don’t go bad.

Make meal planning a part of your family routine

If dinner time is stressful or chaotic in your home, transform your evenings into ones of efficiency and ease! By using these 7 steps for meal planning for busy families, shopping will be a breeze, you will know exactly where you are with food for the whole week, and you’ll have more time with your family. Sounds like a win-win-win to us!

At Schoolhouse Daycare, we enjoy learning, encouraging confidence and we love life! If you think your child would enjoy life at Schoolhouse, then please do not hesitate to arrange a visit.

Need more help or advice on how to encourage independence? Find more from us here:

13 Things Your Baby Loves and Why

Posted on February 3, 2020February 4, 2020 by schoolhouse

Babies love anything that involves touching, tasting, looking and listening, especially in those first few weeks – have you ever wondered why?

Whether you have or you haven’t, it’s because babies crave sensory experiences; every single one of these sensory experiences then contributes to their physical, emotional, and social development, so you could say that the brain is in a state of ‘extreme learning’ from birth.

To help satisfy this need that babies have, it is vital that parents know what their baby is fascinated with in those first few weeks to months so that they can help them explore it. Here are 13 things your baby loves!

1. Your face

When they are not sleeping, babies love to spend most of their time gazing at your face. Why? Well firstly, a newborn’s eyes focus best at around 8-12 inches which is the distance from your face to theirs when you cradle them while feeding. Secondly, a large part of our brain is said to be dedicated to perceiving, processing, and discriminating among faces so it is hardwired within us to pay close attention to people’s faces.

At around 2 months of age, your baby will be able to recognise your face and respond to your facial expressions with a smile. Up until this point, help them explore your features by making funny expressions like raising your eyebrows and opening your mouth wide.

2. The colour red or green

Newborns don’t see in colour at all so may have an early fascination with black and white patterns but as soon as their colour vision starts to kick in, many babies see bold, primary colours first. Many babies see reds and greens best first followed by blues and yellows.

3. Bigger children

Older siblings or even a jumping 3-year-old at the park can excite your baby. Why? Because children still have high-pitched voices which babies prefer. As well as this, young children are also full of energy, movement, and emotion, all of which can keep an infant captivated for a while.

4. Jewellery

Does your baby always grab your necklace or earrings? What is it about shiny and dangly things that makes your baby reach out and grab them? As jewellery reflects the light, your baby’s eyes are drawn to it. Just like they are visually appealing to us, they also draw the attention of your baby too. The only difference is is that they are at an age where they feel the urge to reach out and grab things to bring them to their mouths for further exploration.

5. Mirrors

As we mentioned before, one of the things your baby loves is faces so of course, they love to look in mirrors! For a long time, babies are intrigued by their own reflection in reflective objects. It is only until they are about 18 months old that they realise that the baby they are smiling at is themself.

6. Banging

One of the things your baby loves is making noise and plenty of it (so remember that when they are banging on their high-chair with their cutlery!). As much as it may drive you mad, it is them learning cause and effect (e.g. when I bang this, it makes this noise). Encourage them to do so as it will help to develop their fine-motor skills.

7. Screaming

Just like banging, some babies love to make those ear-piercing screams. Again, this can easily give you a headache but it is all for a purpose. Babies who do this are simply exploring their vocal repertoire as previously, they were only able to communicate with you by crying. Again, this is their way of experimenting with cause and effect (e.g. if I make this noise, what will mum/dad do?).

8. Tiny spots

Have you noticed that some babies are fascinated with details? This could be a little screw on one of their toys or a smudge on the carpet, basically anything that seems insignificant to you. As newborns can only see in black and white, they notice contrasts or the edges of objects more than we do and as they grow, they feel an impulse to touch it, study it, and spend time looking at it.

9. Peekaboo

When thinking of things your baby loves, peekaboo is bound to come up on the list. This is because it is a fun and amusing game to start with. As your baby grows, however, they’ll soon understand the concept of the game (that you’re just hiding waiting to surprise them rather than gone) and they’ll even start to enjoy initiating the game themselves!

10. Being tickled

Young babies love being touched and getting your attention, so tickling their belly or feet will get you a smile or laugh in return. As your baby grows into a toddler, this becomes even more of a thrill for them too, not to mention that laughing together helps you to bond and become closer as a family.

11. The remote control

As babies grow older and start to test cause and effect, the remote control becomes intriguing. So many different buttons to press and so many different results. At around 18 months, the curiosity is at it’s highest as they want to imitate what you do but you keep putting the remote control out of reach. Toddlers revel in pretend play and make-believe, so the remote control may be a fascination for many.

12. Funny words/sounds

As your baby grows and starts to understand what words and sounds are considered ‘normal,’ if you ever do something out of the ordinary, they absolutely love it! Blowing raspberries or making funny word combinations like “okey-dokey” or “lovely-jubbly” will get your child’s attention.

13. Animals

There are many things your baby loves but nothing else seems to have a magical effect on them quite like animals do. Unlike toys, animals like cats and dogs move in unpredictable ways, they are interactive and they stimulate their senses. All of these excite your baby!

At Schoolhouse Daycare, we enjoy learning, encouraging confidence and we love life! If you think your child would enjoy life at Schoolhouse, then please do not hesitate to arrange a visit.

Need more help or advice on how to encourage independence? Find more from us here:

How to Encourage Your Little Ones to Be More Independent

Posted on January 10, 2020January 16, 2020 by schoolhouse

While it feels amazing to have our children need us and there are moments where we’d love to keep our little ones little forever, as parents, we do know that our job is to help our children grow into independent and confident adults who contribute to society.

Now, this may be an unwelcome and even scary thought, but it doesn’t have to be! Why? Because your children will always need you whether it’s to change their nappy and tie their shoes or to financially plan and choose a university.

To help your children grow into self-sufficient and successful grown-ups, here is how to encourage independence while they are young.

Why is independence so important?

Have you noticed that all babies and young children tend to ‘want to do things by themselves?’ This tendency is the beginning of independence and, as a parent, it is really important for you to encourage this.

As well as promoting confidence and self-esteem along with nurturing a true sense of belonging, there are many Reasons Why It Is so Important to Encourage Independence In Children. Read our previous blog to find out more!

How to encourage independence (8 tips!)

1. Encourage exploration

To keep our children safe, especially in the early years, we keep them on a fairly short “leash.” While this is necessary to protect them and to build their sense of security as it teaches them that they always have a safe place to return to, sometimes it can lead to too much dependence and therefore, a lack of self-confidence.

Once your children have established their sense of security, it’s down to you to encourage them to explore the world beyond your safety net. This allows them to test their own capabilities, to learn about themselves, and to start to find a sense of competence, security, and independence within themselves.

2. Praise effort

Always try to praise the effort of trying rather than doing something right. Not only does this reduce frustration and anxiety for your children when they try to perform a task, but it also ensures that they don’t become afraid to fail. Children who have a fear of failure won’t even try, so don’t focus on the results!

To nurture independence, encourage your children to try new things, to go beyond their comfort zones and be creative without the pressure of succeeding. If you praise the effort of them doing so then they will be much more willing to keep trying new tasks in the future.

3. Give them the choice

When thinking about how to encourage independence in your children, one of the easiest ways is to turn over the reins to them. Give them the choice. There are so many decisions that are made every day, so pose the question to them. Do you want an apple or banana today? Do you want to wear your red shoes or blue shoes?

Allowing children to make simple choices gives them a sense of control and dominion over their lives which leads to independent thinking. It also helps them take ownership of those choices and to feel accountable for them at a very basic level. Think about it, how can they have a tantrum over wearing red shoes when they picked them?

4. Include them in the family

If your children feel like they play an important role within your family, then you’ll soon find that they’ll want to help with even more tasks! To encourage independence, assign them a task within the usual family routines. This could be something as simple as setting out napkins at dinner or putting the toys away before bed. As well as independence, this also builds confidence and makes them feel a sense of pride that this is their job as well as satisfaction when they do it well.

Find out more about Age Appropriate Chores for Children to Help Them Learn Valuable Life Skills!

5. Promote problem-solving

Just like giving your children a choice, you can also give them the opportunity to come up with solutions to problems too. Try asking them “how?” questions such as “how do you think you could have made your brother feel better after you took their toy?” and “how can we clean up this mess we’ve made?” This is an easy way to foster independent thinking and you’ll soon find they’ll become excellent problem solvers!

Independence tip: as they get older, try to involve them in planning and rule-making too. Not only will they be more willing to follow them, but this also ensures that your decisions address their needs and interests too!

6. Add to your routines

While fostering independence is important for growth and development, our little ones are still young and prone to becoming overwhelmed. To prevent them from getting frustrated, try adding some independent tasks to their existing routines; it could be something as simple as helping them learn to take their socks off themselves as they get ready for bed or to help you put the toys away before dinner. Children find comfort and safety in structure, so add these in over time.

7. Be patient and have fun

Becoming independent obviously isn’t going to happen overnight so be patient with the process and make it fun! Children learn best through hands-on experience and practice so find what works for them. Some children may need a more structured approach (e.g. learning a new skill every month in a fun and engaging way before moving on to the next), while others may benefit just from you encouraging free exploration throughout the day.

If you’re becoming stressed from thinking about how to encourage independence, take a step back and see what your child is naturally taking an interest in. Start there and soon you’ll find that other ‘child-led’ activities will start to happen organically.

8. Learn when to coddle

It’s an amazing feeling watching your little ones accomplish tasks for themselves, your heart will swell with pride. However, as much as independence is an important quality to nurture, it is important that you remember that they are still little too. There will be moments where they will need to be comforted and they’ll need the freedom to act like “babies” again so be flexible and give them the type of support that they need at that moment.

Don’t be scared!

Raising your children to be independent thinkers and to take a proactive role in their everyday lives is a necessary task as a parent, so don’t be afraid of it. It won’t mean that your little ones will need you any less!

If you give your children love and respect, if you show confidence in your children’s capabilities, if you teach them how to control their lives and give them the freedom to make their own decisions, all you are doing is making sure that they can take the best care of themselves while you’re not there and teaching them that they always have you to turn to when they need help or support.

At Schoolhouse Daycare, we enjoy learning, encouraging confidence and we love life! If you think your child would enjoy life at Schoolhouse, then please do not hesitate to arrange a visit.

Need more help or advice on how to encourage independence? Find more from us here:

Tips to Get Your Kids to Bed When They Try to Stall at Bedtime

Posted on December 16, 2019January 16, 2020 by schoolhouse

“I’m hungry?” , “Can I have another story?” , “I need a drink of water?” , “I need to go to the toilet”

…do any of these sound familiar?

If you’re having trouble with the bedtime routine, don’t worry, you’re not alone! Studies have found about a quarter of children aged between 1 and 5 will actively resist bedtime by calling out to you or leaving their bedroom after being put to bed.

It’s a very hard transition for some young kids, separating from their parents at the end of the day, so to help you ease them into sleeping alone, here are some quick tips for overcoming the ‘stalling at bedtime’ routine.

6 tips to overcome stalling at bedtime

1. Accept that this is going to take time

Perfecting the bedtime routine is likely to take up a good part of your evening for a few weeks as you train your little ones, so the sooner you accept this, the less frustrated you will feel in the moment. Children tend to feel how you are feeling which doesn’t help them to fall asleep so try your best to stay as relaxed as possible.

2. Work out their bedtime

Sometimes, stalling at bedtime could be because your little ones aren’t really tired yet. If they are still napping in the day, assess whether they are ready to give up that afternoon nap or push back their bedtime to half an hour later. As toddlers become young children, they need less sleep than they did in the day so consider helping them transition. It’ll make your life a whole lot easier!

3. Lie down with them until they settle or fall asleep

Many parents resort to this tactic because it is the easiest and it works! It can be a difficult habit to break, however, and sometimes this isn’t an ideal way for you to spend your time. While bedtime is a great time to connect, here are some steps you can take to help your child learn to fall asleep by themselves:

First, lie down with your child and tell them that you will leave when they are asleep.
After a few nights, lie down with them and tell them that you are going to leave before they fall asleep. Remind them again about 5 minutes before you actually get up and make a point of reassuring them that you will come and check on them in 10 minutes.
After they get used to this, start to sit in a chair beside the bed and leave before they actually fall asleep. Offer your child a teddy bear or blanket to cuddle with instead of you.
Gradually move the chair closer to the door and shorten the amount of time you stay.

4. Cover all the bases before you tuck them in!

If you make sure that your child has had a snack, some water, they’ve used the bathroom, and they have their chosen cuddly toy or blanket all before they are tucked in, this will minimise the chances of them making excuses to get back up again. This will help most of the time, but remember that nobody is perfect! Sometimes we even climb into bed and need to get back up again to use the toilet!

5. Ask your child what would make them feel comfortable

If you feel like the stalling at bedtime is never going to end, talk to your child. Ask them what is wrong and why they won’t go to sleep. Some won’t be able to answer but some may surprise you! Maybe it’s something as simple as leaving a night light on or installing a rail so that they feel more secure in bed. It could even be something as nonsensical as a certain object looking “creepy” in the dark which once removed makes all the difference!

6. Try a bedtime pass

If you’ve tried everything and your child is still stalling at bedtime, one of the most effective techniques to overcome this is said to be the “bedtime pass.” When your little one has one pass for each excuse they use (e.g. one pass to get a drink after bedtime), they soon learn that they can only use it once. Any other time your child gets out of bed and leaves their room, you just simply return them to their bed without comment. Children learn by association so after a few nights, you’ll soon find that they will leave their room less or not at all!

Remember to be patient and consistent!

Overcoming stalling at bedtime can feel like a mammoth task but a lot of parents have made it through to the other end! All it takes is a lot of patience, a lot of consistency, and a lot of praise when they go to bed straight away.

At Schoolhouse Daycare, we enjoy learning, encouraging confidence and we love life! If you think your child would enjoy life at Schoolhouse, then please do not hesitate to arrange a visit.

Need more help or advice? Find more from us here:

Top Tips on Getting Your Kids Out of Bed and Off to School

Posted on November 15, 2019January 20, 2020 by schoolhouse

After the relaxed, lazy days of Summer, early mornings, packed schedules and homework are not welcome! The change of pace is enough of a shock but now the mornings are getting colder and darker too. As if it wasn’t already difficult enough to get the kids out of bed and off to school!

To get the kids used to earlier wake-up times (without creating chaos), here are some quick tips on getting your kids out of bed.

Tip 1: Get them to bed earlier

The easiest way to get back to your routine of early mornings is to get your little ones to bed earlier. For example, about a week before school starts, wake them up an hour earlier than usual (e.g. if your 6-year-old is going to bed at 9 p.m. but needs to get back to an 8 p.m. bedtime for school, wake them up at 7 a.m. instead of 8 a.m.).

After a couple of days, slightly adjust this again by making their bedtime slightly earlier and waking them up earlier too (e.g. now their bedtime will be 8:30 p.m. and you will be waking them up at 6:30 a.m.). Over time, their body clock will adapt to an earlier bedtime and wake up time naturally, you just have to remember to start this a couple of days in advance!

Tip 2: Stick to a healthy evening routine

The evening routine is an essential one so ease your kids back into this the week before school starts. After dinner, turn off all technology and spend some quality time together. This could be something as simple as helping them lay out their clothes for the morning and then reading a book together. If you keep everything calm in the evenings, you can be sure that your children will wind-down a lot easier ready for an earlier bedtime.

Example evening routine:

Homework and use of technology after school.
Dinner at a set time (this could be the technology cut off for the evening).
Choose and lay out clothes for the morning and pack their school bag with them.
Use the bathroom and brush their teeth.
Drink a little bit of water before they sleep.

Tip 3: Set a tech cut off

Even though we mentioned this in the tip above, we can’t stress enough how important limiting technology in the evenings is to your children’s health. As our children are growing and developing, sleep is just as essential to their health as the right nutrition is.

If your children use a lot of technology before going to bed, they can get less shuteye than they need. This may not seem like a massive issue but over time, this can lead to daytime inattention, exhaustion, and generally poor quality and duration of sleep.

We know that limiting technology can be difficult, especially with older children but it will help you substantially when getting your kids out of bed in the mornings. Put simply, exposure to blue light emitted from electronic devices tricks our brains into thinking that it’s daytime and time to stay awake so limit this for your children in the evenings.

Tip 4: Help them create a wake-up routine

Having a wake-up routine will help your children get ready (as overtime, our body works on autopilot when it comes to repetition) but it will also help you to create a well-oiled machine to get your little ones out the door on time! Getting your kids out of bed and off to school is far easier with a wake-up routine so consider implementing one like the one below into your mornings.

Example morning routine:

Set a calming alarm.
Encourage your children to drink some water.
Use the bathroom, wash their face and brush their teeth.
Make the bed and get changed.
Have something warm for breakfast.
Check their bag before leaving for school.

Tip 5: Invest in a lightbox

If there is a lack of morning light (especially during the Winter), you may find that buying a lightbox helps your little one’s wake-up. The idea is that, just like morning light, the lightbox will increase the intensity of light gradually to naturally wake your children. Natural wake up times lead to many benefits such as your children feeling more awake in the mornings with a better mood, higher energy, and they will likely be a lot more productive in school too!

It just takes planning, preparation & practice

Getting your kids out of bed shouldn’t be difficult, it just takes planning, preparation, and practice! Whether you need to get them back into a routine after the summer holidays or adapt their routines as they grow older, by using these tips, you will be able to do so with no problems. They’ll also allow you to help them develop healthy habits too which will help in those teenage years when sleep is a way of life!

At Schoolhouse Daycare, we enjoy learning, encouraging confidence and we love life! If you think your child would enjoy life at Schoolhouse, then please do not hesitate to arrange a visit.

Need more help or advice? Find more from us here:

Reasons Why It Is so Important to Encourage Independence In Children

Posted on October 17, 2019January 16, 2020 by schoolhouse

Independence is important because…

It promotes confidence and self-esteem as well as motivation and perseverance in school.
It fosters self-reliance, allowing your child to feel they have control over their life.
It gives your child a sense of importance and belonging which is essential for building social relationships and for contributing to the world.
It develops their levels of self-awareness and sensitivity towards others which teaches them to help those around them.
It teaches them self-motivation as they have the freedom to find their own reasons to achieve.
It provides them with the belief that they are competent and capable of taking care of themselves which makes them resilient to external challenges.
It allows them to become good decision-makers as they have the freedom to consider various options before choosing the one they feel is best.
It develops other vital qualities such as patience, concentration, self-help, cooperation, self-discipline and self-trust.
It gives them the freedom to experience life fully and learn its many important lessons.
It makes them happy and healthy as they feel a great sense of achievement and success as a direct result of their own actions.

Find out Why it is Essential to Encourage a Growth Mindset in Your Children!

Giving ‘our little people’ the gift of independence lets them know that we value them so that they grow up with a strong sense of self-belief that they can do anything they put their mind to. Not only does this help our children grow and develop, but it also fosters them to be confident and competent communicators, curious and resilient explorers, and creative thinkers.

Start to encourage independence

You may not want your little ones to grow up too quickly but independence is something they need to learn. If they don’t, then they may react with anger and resistance, suffer from feelings of abandonment, and develop a seemingly indifferent attitude.

The last thing we want for our children is for them to feel insecure and be vulnerable to external hazards, so start to encourage independence now. This will help them to develop into strong, competent and capable adults ready to take on the world and its challenges.

Now you know WHY it’s important to encourage independence in your children, read our next blog to learn HOW!

At Schoolhouse Daycare, we enjoy learning, encouraging confidence and we love life! If you think your child would enjoy life at Schoolhouse, then please do not hesitate to arrange a visit.

Need more help or advice? Find more from us here:

From Newborn to 12 Months: A Quick Guide to a Baby’s Sleep Schedule

Posted on September 30, 2019September 30, 2019 by schoolhouse

Having a newborn baby is exhausting, especially in those early days but there is a light at the end of the tunnel! Yes, in those first few weeks, sleepless nights will feel never-ending but trust us when we say that you will master sleep schedules somewhere along the way and you will be enjoying a full nights sleep every night again soon. To help you navigate the unpredictable sleep schedules of a newborn’s first year, here is our quick guide.

A rough guide to your baby’s sleep schedule

A baby’s sleep schedule is completely unique to each baby but there are some patterns that we’ve outlined here to help guide you through that first year. Here’s what to expect at each stage.

0-6 weeks

In the first few weeks, a newborn’s sleep schedule will be irregular and erratic. Think of this stage as the sleep-eat-poop cycle where the baby will sleep the majority of the time, only waking to eat and be cleaned up. Although the baby is asleep for many hours in this first stage, this is the usually the most exhausting stage for parents as they are unable to get more than a few hours of sleep themselves at a time.

Sleep tip: Avoid introducing sleep aids or associations if you can, but ultimately, just do what you need to do to make sure both you and your baby are getting enough rest.

Suggested schedule

Wake up: 7 AM

Total time asleep: 15-18 hours

Naps: 3-5 naps each lasting 15 minutes to 3 hours long

Time awake between naps: 30 minutes to 1 hour

Bed time: 9:30-11 PM

Longest stretch of sleep in night: typically 2-4 hours

2-3 months

Once you have survived the first few weeks, you should start to see the resemblance of a sleep pattern emerging! By this time, you’ll still be exhausted from the first 6 weeks so you will be more than happy to be getting more sleep. Around the 2-3 month mark, your baby will be able to stay awake a little longer between sleeps and you’ll start to get an idea of the times that they tend to get sleepy.

Sleep tip: Avoid introducing bad habits at this stage such as feeding or rocking to sleep. These aren’t sustainable in the long run so the aim is to lay a solid foundation for healthy sleep patterns from the get-go. To do this, take note of your baby’s ‘sleepy’ cues so that you can put them down to sleep before they become overtired.

Suggested schedule

Wake up: 6-6:30 AM

Total time asleep: 14-16 hours

Naps: 3-4 naps each lasting 30 minutes to 3 hours long

Time awake between naps: 45 minutes to 2 hours

Bed time: 8-10 PM

Longest stretch of sleep in night: typically 3-6 hours

4-6 months

Just when you thought that you were getting a handle on your baby’s sleep patterns, they now may start to change. Around the 4-6 month mark is a time of transition for your baby, a transition that is different for each individual. Where some babies may be down to just 2 naps per day and sleeping all through the night, others may be experiencing a sleep regression or fighting to get their baby to sleep during nap-time.

The good news is is that this transition is only temporary and a full nights sleep is on the cards very soon!

Sleep tip: Transitions are challenging. Some may be visible such as transitioning out of swaddling or moving from a bassinet to the crib but some you may not be able to see. By now, you know your baby and their needs so note any changes and adapt accordingly.

Suggested schedule

Wake up: 7-8 AM

Total time asleep: 12-15 hours

Naps: 3 naps each lasting 1 to 3 hours long

Time awake between naps: 1.5 to 2.5 hours

Bed time: 8:30-9:30 PM

Longest stretch of sleep in night: typically 4-8 hours

6-10 months

At this stage of a baby’s first year, you should see a distinct sleeping pattern and, at some point, your baby should be reaching the ‘sleeping through the night’ milestone. If yours isn’t, however, try not to worry too much. Every baby is different and some take longer to progress than others – 70-80% of babies are sleeping through the night by 9 months old.

Sleep tip: If you want to reach this milestone quicker, begin to implement a consistent bedtime routine, learn your baby’s sleepiness cues, and start breaking any sleep associations in the months previous.

Suggested schedule

Wake up: 7 AM

Total time asleep: 11-15 hours

Naps: 2-3 naps each lasting 1 to 3 hours long

Time awake between naps: 2 to 3 hours

Bed time: 8-9:30 PM

Longest stretch of sleep in night: typically 5-10 hours

10-12 months

By the end of their first year, your baby should be starting to sleep through the night whilst spending much more of their day playing and exploring instead of sleeping (albeit a few day time naps). The biggest challenge now is any potential sleep setbacks. Although sleep regression usually happens at 8-10 months old, some babies can experience it at 12 months old. This can be caused by changes to their routine or environment, by separation anxiety or different milestones.

Sleep tip: Avoid sleep setbacks by staying consistent in your routine. This minimises confusion and prevents sleep regression.

Suggested schedule

Wake up: 6-7:30 AM

Total time asleep: 11-14 hours

Naps: 1-2 naps each lasting 1 to 2 hours long

Time awake between naps: 2.5 to 3.5 hours

Bed time: 8-9 PM

Longest stretch of sleep in night: typically 7-12 hours

A few sleepy tips to remember!

Your baby’s sleep schedule is incredibly important, so here are a few tips to remember to make getting them to sleep just that little bit easier.

Pay attention to your baby’s sleepy cues so that they don’t become overtired. Overtired babies will become fussy and harder to settle for sleep.
Learn your baby’s sleep cycle so that you can identify when anything changes.
Always place your baby on their back to sleep. Remember the ABCs of safe sleep: Alone, on their Backs in an empty Crib or bassinet.
Stay consistent with the feeding and sleep schedule, adapt to your baby’s changes and most importantly institute that consistent bedtime routine.

You know best when it comes to your baby’s sleep schedule

Every baby is different so don’t worry if your baby isn’t following the most common milestones that we have mentioned in this guide. You know your baby, you know their habits and needs, and you know when something isn’t quite right, so follow your own baby’s sleep schedule and foster healthy sleeping habits that will set them up for the future.

At Schoolhouse Daycare, we enjoy learning, encouraging confidence and we love life! If you think your child would enjoy life at Schoolhouse, then please do not hesitate to arrange a visit.

Need more help or advice? Find more from us here:

The 4-step Guide to Clean a Messy House Fast

Posted on September 12, 2019October 15, 2019 by schoolhouse

Although our children are little, they can sweep through our houses like tornadoes in a matter of minutes leaving mess and destruction in their place. As parents, we are then left to pick up the pieces thinking “how can something so small make such a big mess?”

In moments where we need a tidy space to reclaim our sanity but we know that our efforts will be completely null and void the very next day, we need to clean a messy house fast. Here are 4 quick and easy ways to do just that.

A clean house comes down to 4 key areas

Want your house to look tidy in a flash? If you’re overwhelmed with mess and don’t know where to start, these 4 areas are key. If you tackle these first, these will have the most visual impact and your house will look clean and tidy and ready for guests in no time.

Start with surfaces

Cluttered worktops and tabletops make your home look a lot messier than it actually is so clear these surfaces first. Whether you just stack the items into organized piles or put the items away in their designated places, the space will immediately appear bigger and much tidier and ready to welcome guests.

Cleaning tip: what are the items that are frequently cluttering your surfaces? If they are piles of important documents, file them on a shelf elsewhere; if they are magazines or books, read them and recycle or give them to charity; and if they are toys, put them away.

Wipe down the kitchen

The kitchen should be next on your list when it comes to trying to clean a messy house fast. Why? Because it is such an integral part of your home and one of the most popular places to congregate. When tidying this hotspot, try to clean and tidy generally so that it looks spick and span on the surface.

Cleaning tip: clear off the worktops first so that they have as few items on them as possible. Next, wipe down the worktops and appliances, clean the sink and sweep the floors to make the space look clean and open.

Tackle the bathrooms all at once

Bathrooms can look grubby because of their white surfaces, but what’s great about bathrooms is that they don’t take long to clean and they look so good when they are. When you clean your bathrooms, clean them all at once. Keep a bucket under your sink with a sponge, multi-surface cleaner, kitchen roll, and bin bags, and just take this from room to room with you to tackle them all quickly.

Cleaning tip: if you’re short on time and a guest is coming over, just clean the bathroom that they will be using. Add a diffuser to make it smell even nicer.

Finish with the floors

The last area that you should focus on to clean a messy house fast is the floors. As they are such a big surface area, you’ll be surprised how much of an impact an open and clean floor makes. Just sweeping floors in a rush can make a massive difference visually, but if you have the time, mopping the floors and hoovering the rugs and carpeted areas can completely transform rooms.

Cleaning tip: sprinkle baking soda on carpets and let it sit for 20 minutes before hoovering. You’ll find that this helps with stubborn odours.

A tidy house means a tidy mind

While a messy house is a symbol of a home well-lived in full of memories, there are always moments where it can get you down. To keep on top of the cleaning, try tackling these 4 areas frequently and you’ll soon find that your house looks tidy and smells great the majority of the time. If not, just whip out these 4 tricks when you are expecting a guest!

At Schoolhouse Daycare, we enjoy learning, encouraging confidence and we love life! If you think your child would enjoy life at Schoolhouse, then please do not hesitate to arrange a visit.

Need more help or advice? Find more from us here:

A Guide to Nap Transition: How to Start Reducing Your Baby’s Naps

Posted on July 15, 2019September 29, 2019 by schoolhouse

Is your baby refusing to nap or shortening their nap on their own? If you feel like your daytime routine is suddenly getting off track, it might just be because a nap transition is coming on.

In the first few years of your baby’s life, establishing a solid nap schedule and bedtime routine is arguably the most important element. Not only for your sanity but because these years are full of changes, growth spurts, and milestones for your baby.

Sleep schedules are a revolving door of adjustments and pain points, but like with most things in life, with a lot of trial and error they can be mastered. To help you start reducing your baby’s naps, here’s our quick nap transition guide which tells you how much your baby should be sleeping, how to spot when you need to start reducing naps, and finally how to start dropping them.

When does my baby need to drop a nap?

From a newborn to preschool-aged, a baby will transition from sleeping nearly all day to a single nap per day before giving it up entirely between the age of 3-5.

Like everything else when it comes to babies, however, there is no set schedule for this. Every baby is different with different sleep needs and family routines, so it is up to you to decide when to start weaning their naps.

To help you determine when the right time is for your baby, here are the common time-frames for nap transitions:

Newborn-Baby (1-5 months) – typically 4-5 naps per day depending on how much awake time your baby has in between each nap. Around 4-5 months, it is recommended that you have a bedtime routine in place with 4 longer naps in the daytime.
Baby (5-9 months) – typically, older babies nap 3 times per day or twice if each nap is longer.
Toddler (10-15 months) – it is recommended to look out for any nap transition signs around the 1-year mark. However, on average, most babies tend to transition to one nap per day between 15-18 months.
Toddler (15+months) – Toddlers will nap once a day for 1.5-2.5 hours until the average age of 3-4 years old. This is the time that it is recommended to start dropping the final nap but some toddlers may nap until they begin nursery.

Signs that you need to drop a nap

As we said previously, every baby is unique, so while you can use the rough guide above to determine whether your baby is on track with the average nap transition timeline, you should always listen to your baby’s needs before adjusting their schedule.

Here is how to spot a nap transition is on its way:

Your baby is refusing to nap – this can happen suddenly and it tends to be the afternoon nap as they feel sufficiently rested from the morning nap.
Your baby is shortening their nap – when your baby begins to shorten one or more naps consistently, especially over a weeklong period, it is time to drop a nap.
Your baby/toddler is fighting the nap routine – many babies and toddlers just suddenly start fighting the start of naptime or have trouble sleeping for more than 30 minutes or start pushing their nap by a significant amount of time.

Put simply, if putting your baby down is a struggle, this is usually a sign of a nap transition heading your way!

Just make sure that your baby/toddler is:

Sleeping consistently through the night (10-11 hours of uninterrupted sleep)
Not waking up in the night

If you do this first, then you can be sure that your baby/toddler is ready to give up a nap. If you don’t and you start weaning them off, this can lead to a sharp increase in night-waking, overtiredness and bad moods, as well as them being more prone to outbursts and tantrums.

If you are worried and you don’t know if it is the right time to transition your baby, monitor their sleep pattern over two weeks. If they are consistently sleeping through the night and are showing signs of wanting to transition in the day, then they are ready for the switch.

How to start reducing your baby’s naps

Even when your baby has told you that it’s time to start reducing their naps, you can still expect a period of adjustment to the new schedule.

If you’re lucky, your baby may fuss through the first couple of days but then fully adjust to the new nap schedule straight away. If you’re not so lucky, then you will need to help them ease into the routine slowly over a short period.

Here are a few different ways that you can start weaning your baby’s naps:

Shorten their naps – if your baby is starting to wake up early from their afternoon naps, shorten their morning naps so that they get sufficient rest throughout the whole day.
Push back their nap until you can eliminate it – you can use this method at any age to eliminate naps. E.g. if you are trying to transition from 2 naps per day to 1, start pushing the morning nap later and later by 20 minutes every day. Eventually, a 10 am and 2 pm nap will become one 12 pm nap before you have to put them to bed exhausted later in the day.
Adjust their bedtime to compensate – making dinner time and bedtime earlier even just by 30 minutes can make dropping a nap much easier. This also allows you to put your baby/toddler to bed before they become overtired and resist sleep.

Listen to your baby and yourself

Although this guide is meant for you to follow to make nap transitions easier, always listen to your baby and your gut. Your baby will tell you when they are ready for you to start reducing naps, all you have to do is find what method works best for both of you.

At Schoolhouse Daycare, we enjoy learning, encouraging confidence and we love life! If you think your child would enjoy life at Schoolhouse, then please do not hesitate to arrange a visit.