Your Wellbeing Guide: How to Look After Yourself and Your Family During Isolation

Posted on May 13, 2020August 20, 2020 by schoolhouse

**COVID-19: this article is to help you stay well whilst staying home with children.

While everyone is experiencing a sudden change in their lives and daily routine, it is the parents among us who are put under even more pressure as they balance staying home with children with their full-time job, health worries, and financial concerns, all while caring for the vulnerable members of the family too. Just like the NHS workers on the front line, we also view parents as the unsung heroes of this difficult period and that’s why we wish to help as much as we can.

This has been a really challenging time for families as we near the three-week mark since lockdown and what’s worse, is that we don’t know how long this will go on for. This uncertainty can cause a great deal of anxiety and helplessness, so that’s why we’ve compiled this guide. To help you make your daily life feel as manageable as possible for you and your family, this wellbeing guide contains a lot of tips that you can easily implement into your days. Here’s how to cope with isolation and how to look after yourself and your family, all whilst staying home with children for the longterm.

Tips for coping with isolation

We are not meant to be stuck indoors and made to stay still, especially for so long, so this period is inevitably going to feel stressful at times. Always remember in those moments, that that’s okay. Things are incredibly rubbish and we need these bad days to let some of that negative emotion out so that we can have some good days.

Here are essential tips for coping with isolation:

Keep a routine as much as possible – whether it’s your normal routine or a new one, stick to it every day. You might not think that making the bed, putting on clothes, washing your face and brushing your teeth is important, especially when you don’t have to do it, but it’s never been more important. Making a routine for your family will make them feel in control which is essential for their wellbeing during a time of such uncertainty. It can greatly reduce anxiety and helplessness and will give them some meaning to their day. For example, a meal plan might help to structure your days, breaking up the time and giving your family regular opportunities to gather together.
Get outside where possible and exercise together every day – movement boosts our mood and helps us sleep, both of which are essential to wellbeing so make sure the family is active. This can be going for a walk in your allowed hour outside, playing football in the garden or joining in with the Joe Wicks exercise videos for children called “P.E. with Joe.” Remember, the government is currently advising that people can go outside with people they live with once a day for exercise – as long as no one in the household is showing symptoms or has a condition that means they need to isolate more strictly.
Connect online with your family and friends – we are very social animals, so without being able to physically connect, we need to make sure that we are connecting virtually to promote our wellbeing and that of our vulnerable family members. Consider using free apps such as Whatsapp, Facebook, Facetime, Zoom, and Skype to help combat loneliness. You can even find online activities for your children to participate in too – such as science, yoga, dance etc – helping them stay entertained and giving you opportunities for a quick break.
Spend quality time together as a family – whilst staying home with children for a long time is difficult plus the added stress of isolation on top of that, the last thing you need is to put even more pressure on yourself or your family. So just make the most of this opportunity for family time. Do activities together that help you bond such as playing games, cooking together, and reading at bedtime. Show interest in your children’s hobbies and learn a new skill together. Limit screen time and create a boredom jar! Fill it with pieces of paper containing their favourite indoor activities and any new ideas and let them pick one out in moments of boredom or struggle.
Limit your exposure to social media and the news – this goes for both you and your family. Hearing constant negative news is really bad for our mental health and wellbeing, so take a step back from it. Dedicate one or two time slots in the day to check for any important updates and leave it there. You won’t miss anything by not constantly checking but it will make a massive impact on your ability to cope.

Tips for looking after yourself

There’s a reason why they say “put your oxygen mask on first before your child’s” in the flight safety speech, and that’s because you can’t take proper care of your children unless you care for yourself first. The same goes for isolation, sometimes your self-care needs to be the priority. Once you have taken some time to recharge and refuel, then you will have the strength and energy to take good care of everyone else.

Here are essential tips for taking care of yourself during isolation:

Don’t be so hard on yourself – you don’t have to feel fine or normal, it’s okay to feel worried, stressed and anxious during this time. Pretending to feel different to how you actually feel is exhausting so try your best to accept it and to find healthy ways to let it go (e.g. exercise, meditation, mindful breathing or talking to someone).
Keep a daily routine for you as well – routine is just as important for you as it is for your family so map out the best way to fit in school work with family time, exercise, meals, and your work and me-time. You won’t be able to follow this every day and change is avoidable but having some sort of structure in place will help you feel more grounded.
Stay connected with your parents, your friends, and maybe even your children’s friends parents too – you may not feel like it a lot of the time but making the effort to speak to people will make you feel so much better afterwards. Keep in touch regularly with the people who make you happy and who lift you up.
Take time out – it might be really difficult to find time for yourself when staying home with children but you really need to make your own self-care a priority. Your children need you to be at the top of your game so do something for you each day. Maybe it’s before they even get up or right after they’ve gone to bed. Whatever works for you, make time for that soak in the bath, for your exercise for that Netflix episode you want to watch or that book you want to read. Consider trying meditation or mindfulness too as this has huge benefits for your mental health. They have special courses for children too!
Seek support and ask for help if you need it – keep in touch with your GP by phone or online if you need to, and make use of helplines and other organisations that may still be able to offer online or phone support. Your mental health needs to be a priority so it’s okay if you’re finding it hard – as long as you ask for help.
Do not compare yourself to others – everyone manages differently so try not to compare yourself to what other families are doing and the way they are handling this. All this does is make you feel like you’re doing something wrong. Avoid any negative (and unnecessary) feelings by listening to your gut – what do you feel is right for you and your family?
Remind yourself that you are doing your best – as a parent, you can only do so much. You will get frustrated and stressed sometimes, you will break down and you will need some time for yourself. All of this is normal and it’s okay. You don’t have to be superman juggling a full school curriculum for your children whilst doing your work and trying to keep life normal. It’s not. You can only do your best at this time so remind yourself of that often.

Tips for looking after your family

It’s going to be a challenge having everyone inside for so long and there will be arguments. This is inevitable but there are things that you can do to lessen this occurrence and to keep everyone as well as possible during isolation.

Here are essential tips for looking after your family during isolation:

Listen to each of your children and find out what will help them as individuals – if you need more support, read our blog: Top Tips for Keeping Your Children Well During Self-Isolation.
Respect your child’s boundaries (especially with teenagers) – although finding ways to connect and spend time together is important during this time, personal space is important too. Try not to be on top of each other 24/7 and if your child doesn’t feel like talking, let them know you’re there and wait until they’re ready.
Be patient with each other – encourage patience during this time and try to get everyone to focus on gratitude. Helping them to see the positives in the situation will help them greatly in any future life challenges that they have.

Wellbeing should be the number one priority

As parents, you will often be thinking about your children’s health, wellbeing and feelings first – but remember you are just as important. Think back to that flight safety speech with the oxygen masks, only when you take care of your needs first can you continue to support your children.

This is going to be a really difficult and challenging time so don’t be too hard on yourself. Everybody’s wellbeing needs to be a priority now so that you all make it through this time as happy and healthy as you possibly can.

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 for Keeping Your Children Well During Self-Isolation

Posted on April 10, 2020April 10, 2020 by schoolhouse

Wondering how to keep your children well during isolation?

Parenting is tough. Throw in a global pandemic where you’re confined to your home and it can feel near impossible.

The next couple of weeks to months are going to be very hard for everyone, especially our children. Children are very susceptible to stress yet they don’t have the ability to fully understand it at such a young age so it can really take a toll on their mental and physical health. As children have a lot of emotional needs that need to be met for their healthy development, it’s important that we as parents try to meet these needs as much as possible during this lockdown period.

If you’re wondering how to keep your children well during isolation, here are the top 8 emotional needs of children that need to be met and our tips on how you can satisfy them.

Needs that you need to meet to ensure your children’s’ wellbeing

Children need to feel secure

Children pick up on adult’s worries and our insecurities normally, so imagine how much they are going to feel now. With so much uncertainty and panic going around, it’s going to be hard to shield our children from feeling this too; what we can do, however, is make them feel safe and secure by focusing on the things that we can control. Reassure them about the things that we know, encourage them to see the positives wherever they can, and focus on things that will make them feel more secure (e.g. their daily routine, their favourite activities, let them choose what they would like to wear etc).

Children need to eat, drink and sleep normally

Our wellbeing largely depends on how we treat our bodies, primarily, how much we rest it and how we fuel it. To ensure that your children are as well as they can be during isolation, stick to the routine of regular meals times and bedtimes as much as possible. Having a balanced plate or box of healthy snacks will nourish their bodies while sufficient sleep will rest their brain, calm their emotions, and repair their body. When we are well-rested and nourished, our immune systems are working at their best.

Read: How to Create a Daily Routine that Works for Your Family

Children need to feel a sense of achievement and purpose

You might not think that young children need to feel a sense of meaning in their life, but they do. These needs are usually met when they achieve something in school or when they are a part of an extracurricular group. To help your children still feel this is isolation, decide on what tasks they can help you with around the house. Maybe they can be in charge of feeding the pets or laying the table at dinner time? Maybe completing a puzzle or designing their own treasure hunt around the house for you to do will satisfy them? Find what works for them, whatever makes them feel like a valued part of the family and don’t forget to praise their efforts.

Children need attention

Your children may be wanting more attention from you during isolation and while this can sometimes be down to boredom, it might because they need their emotional needs met too. It’s really hard to juggle working from home with taking care of your children full time, but where you can, try to spend real one-on-one time with them. It can be something as simple as sitting down to play Lego for an hour, baking with them or snuggling down to read a book before bed. If you set expectations with them every day, such as you can have scheduled playtime with them between these times, they will know when they are expected to play alone and will be far happier to do so as they know that they get time with you later.

Children need to move (a lot)

If you want to know how to keep your children well during isolation, you need to get them moving. Children usually burn off so much energy while at school so they are going to have a lot of it while at home for a long period of time. They need to burn this off otherwise it will be released in the form of tantrums. Lack of exercise makes us all sluggish and grumpy anyway (which is bad for a whole family at home for so long), so get everybody moving to release those happy endorphins. Go for a walk in your one hour outside, involve your little ones in whatever exercise you like to do such as yoga, and get out in the garden as much as possible. You can even set them the task of making up their own dance/yoga/karate/gymnastics routines to show other family members or friends via video chat – that’ll be good for everyone involved.

Children need a sense of community

Children are so social so with schools shut and extracurricular groups not running, they may miss this sense of community. To help keep them connected with others, try setting up video calls with other families, painting pictures to stick on windows, or writing messages and cards for friends. Lots of children’s services are providing online videos to keep children busy, active and entertained, such as fitness, yoga, art and storytelling or encouraging online challenges, so incorporate these into their daily routines.

Children need a strong emotional connection

This is a difficult time for everyone, especially for you when you have to balance work, parenting, worry, and trying to give your children both educational stimulation and entertainment, so don’t be too hard on yourself or your children. Children need to feel particularly cared for and free from judgement at this time, so make a game out of your days and try not to put pressure on about homework and school packs. Break up your day by changing activities and encouraging creativity. Think little and often when it comes to learning and mix this with fun, calming activities such as reading.

Children need privacy (and so do you)

Having the whole family in such a small space for a long time can be difficult so to avoid unnecessary arguments, give everyone some time by themselves. To do this, it can be as simple as giving your children blank pieces of paper to draw on while you work in the next room or you can encourage playing in separate spaces to allow rest and quiet for the rest of the family.

Make isolation a period of connection and creativity

As we said, the next few weeks and months are going to be tough for us all so looking after our wellbeing needs to be a priority. If you’re wondering how to keep your children well during isolation, you just have to keep up as much of a routine as possible, try to keep stress levels low, give them as much love and attention as they need, and help them take control of their days so they feel safe and secure at home.

By satisfying your children’s needs at this time, they will be able to refocus their attention on things that will make them remember this time as a period of connection, creativity and calm.

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:

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.