Why Routines are Important for Your Child’s Well Being

Posted on by schoolhouse

You may be putting off creating a routine for your children, but trust us when we say that it is worth the effort.

Although a routine requires structure and consistency (and a whole lot of patience), all of which are difficult to achieve in everyday life, once you have established one that caters for the needs of every family member, you will see huge improvements in all aspects of your home life.

As well as massive improvements in the moods and sleep of everyone at home, routines are also important for the well being of our children. Here are some of the reasons why.

 

The benefits of a good family routine

Routines give children a sense of security and control over their environment

When life is organised and consistent at home, children feel safe, secure and looked after, especially during stressful times or during difficult stages of development. By creating a predictable daily routine, children also learn what to expect at various times of the day and experience a sense of control and satisfaction when they complete these tasks.  

Routines can help limit poor behaviour and outbursts

A lot of bad behaviour is primarily triggered by hunger, tiredness or overstimulation, therefore developing a routine where they eat and sleep at certain times will help children emotionally prepare for the next task and understand what is expected of them when the task is completed.

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

Routines help children learn essential life skills

Routines help children learn so much from learning how to perform each task (getting dressed, brushing teeth etc) to learning how the world works and what they need to do in order to interact successfully in it. A simple daily routine provides a basis for children to learn other essential skills such as basic hygiene, time-management, self-control, self-care, responsibility, independence, and confidence.

Routines help bring you all closer as a family

Routines involve doing a lot of things together and while the tasks themselves might seem mundane, this can actually really help to strengthen family relationships. When building your ideal family routine, think about how you can create them around having fun or spending time together such as reading stories before bed or going somewhere for a treat after dance class or football practice. These moments will become a special time for you and your child to share and will be remembered when they grow older and make their own traditions.

A family and dog in a forest

Next time you have a long and stressful day and you’re tempted to eat in front of the TV or let your children stay up until they tire themselves out instead of getting them ready for bed, stop and think of all these benefits they provide to both your children and your whole family.

A little effort every day means less stress for everyone and happier times together – isn’t this alone worth it?

 

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 Secrets to Soothing a Teething Baby to Sleep

Posted on by schoolhouse

We’ve all heard the stories of teething babies, the non-stop cries of discomfort, lack of sleep, and the nights filled with restless walking to try and soothe them. As parents, this is enough to give us nightmares. But it shouldn’t.

All babies are different. This means that they can start any time, display symptoms months before they actually begin to teeth or only right before the tooth emerges. If you’re lucky, they can even be teething angels and you haven’t known that they have been teething until you can see their first pearly whites.

Whatever your situation, there are a few secrets that will help you make this stage in your child’s development as comfortable and stress-free for the both of you as you possible. Here are our top 5 below which can be used anytime but especially when soothing a teething baby to sleep!

1. Soothe Sore & Painful Gums

You know your baby is teething when they chew on anything and everything to try and help relieve the pressure in their gums, so give them things to help them soothe it. This can be:

  • teething rings
  • chilled water in a feeding cup
  • a chilled flannel
  • a clean finger to rub their gums
  • a peeled and chilled cucumber or carrot
  • teething gels or painkillers

Mother holding her baby in her arms

Tip: use teething gels and painkillers with caution! Always read the instructions, use sparingly and always consult your healthcare professional for advice if you’re unsure.

 

2. Feed Soft Foods

Although harder foods are good to use when your baby needs to gnaw on something for instant relief, feeding your teething baby soft foods is essential to prevent gum irritation and to reduce inflammation at night and in the long term. This means that they can sleep easier and you too!

Tip: soft foods such as pasta and baby formula are perfect.

3. Create a Soothing Environment

Babies moods often reflect those of their environment, so keep them calm by creating a quiet and comfortable space in your home. When a baby is relaxed during the day, they are more likely to sleep through the night.

Tip: create a soothing environment with low light, soft music or white noise. Quiet and a relaxed mum and dad are also essential.

A baby lying down and looking up at the camera

4. Maintain a Bedtime Routine

The teething stage is an exception to the rule, so try to return to your normal sleep patterns as soon as possible. By keeping this routine for bedtime as much as possible during the teething stage, you’re ensuring that both you and your child gets enough rest and relaxation every night whilst also increasing the chances of them going back to self-soothing after it’s over.

5. Recognise the Cry

While it’s important to soothe your teething baby through the teething stage, you don’t want to undo all of your previous hard work of establishing good nightly routines. Recognise when a cry is for attention or coming from pain and only pick up your baby if they are in real distress. Once you know they are crying from pain, comfort them with gentle patting or rocking before settling them back to sleep.

A baby lying face down on a bed sleeping

As hard as it may be to follow these tips to teething success, it is essential for both you and your teething baby to get enough rest and relaxation during this time. Try your best and be strong, trust us when we say your efforts will be worth it.

 

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:

How to Master Potty Training: the Ultimate Guide

How to Develop a Peaceful Bedtime Routine

7 Common Nursery Worries and How to Overcome Them

How to Master Potty Training: the Ultimate Guide

Posted on by schoolhouse

Potty training is a milestone in your child’s development, a moment of celebration (that your child has accomplished a big thing and for the end of changing nappies!); this moment should be eagerly anticipated for, not dreaded by parents.

To help you get through it in a breeze, we’ve put together this ultimate guide so that both you and your children can become masters of the potty!

WHEN to start potty training

 

“Typically, children will start potty training between 18 and 30 months old.”

 

There’s no set time on when you should start potty training your child because everyone is different. Some children may start a lot earlier than what is considered ‘normal’ and others may take longer to master it. The important thing is to start when YOUR child is showing signs of readiness.

A baby sitting on the potty

Signs can include:

  • A dry nappy after naps
  • A dislike to wearing dirty nappies
  • Noticing other children using the potty
  • Telling you when they are going to the toilet
  • Isolating themselves when they go to the toilet
  • An interest in being independent and being proud of their accomplishments

By waiting till your child is ready to be potty trained (even if all of their friends have already started earlier!), you can be sure that this transition will be as gentle and smooth as possible for the both of you.

 

HOW to start (and master) potty training

Potty training can be easy and quick or difficult and long, but the important thing is to be persistent and stay positive for as long as it takes. Just remember your ABC’s!

A – ASSESS – your child’s readiness and your own

Many parents begin potty training when their children are about 2 and a half, whereas some children are ready at 18 months or not interested until after age 3. Start when your child is ready. Try not to pressure them – if they are not ready, it will only be counterproductive. Also, always avoid potty training during transitional or stressful times such as moving, adding a new baby to the family, or if you are going through a separation.

B – BUY – the right equipment

Try out different options to see what your child responds best to. Do they prefer a child-sized potty chair because they are afraid of the big toilet? Or would they prefer a special adapter seat that attaches to your regular toilet? You’ll get better results if your child likes it, so let them help you choose what one they want and where they want to put it and encourage them to become familiar with it as much as possible.

A child in a shop

C – CREATE – a routine that works for the both of you

Encourage your child to sit on the potty every morning, before an evening bath or before they go to bed so that they can get used to using it as part of their daily routine. First, you can encourage them to do this fully clothed or just in a nappy, then you can move on to teaching them that they have to undo their trousers and pull down their underwear before they go to the toilet. All of this is practice and it is essential to helping your child develop a healthy routine.

D – DEMONSTRATE – for your child

As with most things in life, our children learn by imitating us, so allowing them to watch us use the bathroom is a natural way to help them understand what using the toilet is all about. When you’re using the bathroom, talk them through your routine and why each step is important. With some encouragement, this will help your child become familiar with the process and will allow them to pick it up quickly when doing it themselves.

E – EXPLAIN – the process in its entirety

Children need to understand the importance of the bathroom routine so try to explain everything that you can as simple as possible. The best way to explain is always whilst demonstrating, so next time they go to the toilet in their nappy, take them to the potty and sit them down. You can use this as a learning opportunity from emptying the nappy in the toilet to letting them flush it down and watch it disappear. Many children learn visually, so read them books on potty training, watch videos and take them into the bathroom to help them absorb this information.

A dad talking to his son on a hammock

F – FOSTER – the habit as much as possible

Practice makes perfect so encourage your child to sit on the potty whenever they feel the urge to go to the toilet. If you can, let them roam around the house bare-bottomed sometimes and remind them that the potty is there if they need it as this is often a quicker way to learn. Just make sure they know that they can ask you for help anytime and that it’s okay if they have an accident sometimes. Be as positive and reassuring as possible, praise them when they use it, and let them know that learning takes time and that making mistakes only makes us better learners.

G – GRAB – some training underwear

Training underwear helps your child undress for the potty on their own which is a critical step in becoming completely potty trained. Whether you opt for cloth or disposable training underwear, make sure to introduce them gradually into the routine and only progress to “big-kid” underwear when they look for the potty whenever they need to go.

Tip: Parents have said that although cloth training underwear are less convenient, they work better as your child can really feel when they’ve had an accident in them.

A circle of colourful nappies

H – HANDLE – setbacks gracefully and positively

Temporary setbacks are completely normal so expect them and be prepared to shower your child with positive reinforcement. Don’t get angry or punish your child. Teaching our bodies to develop new habits takes time and it truly isn’t your child’s fault. With reinforcement and praise every time they use the potty, you’ll see that your child will soon become a master of the potty!

 

When your child is mentally and physically ready to learn this new skill, they will, so it’s worth it for both you and them to wait until they are really ready to start.

 

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? See more from us here:

How to Encourage Your Child to Get Involved

8 Ways to Help Your Children Protect Their Teeth

How to Prepare Your Child (and Yourself!) for School Separation Anxiety

How to Encourage Your Child to Get Involved

Posted on by schoolhouse

While children can be quite talkative in the privacy of their own homes, it’s not uncommon for them to be quiet in social situations in the outside world; this shyness can just be in their nature or it can be their anxiety of new people or situations getting in the way. Whatever the reason, shyness isn’t necessarily a bad thing in itself but it should be addressed if it is keeping your children from fully relaxing and enjoying being young.

If you find that your child refuses to join in with social situations, clings to you or cries or hides behind you when people address them, here are a few things that you can do to help them overcome this and build their confidence so they can get involved.

1. Don’t label them

One of the most important things that a parent shouldn’t do is to call their child shy. Why? Because labels restrict our children and actually encourage them to behave in a certain way. To a quiet child, their behaviour is normal to them, it’s natural, so when a parent says “Oh don’t worry about him, he’s just shy,” this communicates to your child that being shy or quiet is a problem. Your child might not think of themselves as shy, but if they hear it enough times, they may think that something is wrong with them and they’ll come to believe it.

A little girl hiding under pillows

Instead, consider saying “it takes him a little while to get comfortable in a new situation” or use more positives descriptions such as he’s pensive or observational.

2. Find a great nursery

All children can shine in the right environment, so find a nursery that will encourage your child to develop socially as well as academically. The best nurseries will have programmes where the teacher-to-student ratio is no more than 1:8 and where they encourage parents and children to come in and familiarise themselves with the environment and the staff. Let the teacher know that your child is quiet in social situations so that you can come up with a plan together of how to help them feel more at ease and encourage them to get involved.

3. Talk to them and listen

It’s important that you help your child to understand and process their feelings, so try to talk about them as much as possible. Encourage them to talk about how they feel by asking them what they like and don’t like about parties or why they are quiet in social situations. By talking about their fears and having you listen, you can empathise with them and help them address their concerns so that they feel comforted. No matter how small their fears are, don’t dismiss them and try to relate to them. Say things like “sometimes, I feel shy/scared too in new situations” and tell them what works for you so they can try it too.

A mother and her son looking at eachother

4. Practice and prepare

As with most things in life, practice makes perfect and preparedness is key! To help your child practice for social situations that may make them nervous, why not try acting them out? Making games and role-playing scenarios can really help them to practice essential skills whilst spending quality time with you so it’s a win-win situation. As well as practising meeting new people or certain situations such as sharing, you can also prepare them for them. If you have a party coming up, why not arrange to take them to that friend’s house a few days before so they can get familiar with the family and the house? If they know what to expect from the day, you will find that they will be much less anxious or fearful when it comes and will be more liekly to get involved.

5. Always be optimistic and help them discover their strengths

Being quiet or shy is often associated with negative speech which can then lead to assumptions such as “other kids won’t like me” and self-doubt. This is really detrimental to a child’s development so try to avoid being negative and always think about how you can encourage and reassure your children. Teach them about different personalities and how “being normal” is subjective. Give them positive reinforcement by telling them that they are fun and praising them when they’ve done something new or gone out of their comfort zone to get involved. Remind them that they are doing great, that they’ll be okay and always talk about their strengths. Yes, they may be quiet sometimes, but that means that they are a great observer of people, that they are very aware of their surroundings and they can often relate to people and emotions better than others.

A father kissing his daughter on the cheek

When it comes to shyness or timidness in our children, it is essential that we help them learn about it so they can recognise it and overcome it. As you help your child to become more socially adept, always remind them that you’re just teaching them important life skills to help them feel comfortable, not because you wish that they were different.

 

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.

 

Looking for more help and advice? See more from us here:

How to Prepare Your Child (and Yourself!) for School Separation Anxiety

8 Ways to Help Your Children Protect Their Teeth

What Is Heuristic Play and Why Is It Good for Our Children?

 

Other resources to help with separation anxiety

Babycenter.com

Anxietybc.com

How to Develop a Peaceful Bedtime Routine

Posted on by schoolhouse

Many parents dread the time of day when it’s time to wrestle the kids to bed. When children resist going to sleep, the house is filled with whining and screams of “no” and “I don’t want to” where every step of brushing their teeth, putting on their pyjamas and finally getting them into bed is a battle. It’s no surprise that parents fall onto the couch after the war exhausted thinking of where the evening has gone. But it doesn’t have to be like this.

Whether you may believe it or not, a relaxing and peaceful bedroom routine is possible and anyone can achieve it. You may already be achieving it and for that, we can only say “well done!” but for those of you who are not, this article is for you.

Healthy sleep habits are such an important and vital part of healthy development for children, so here is our advice on how to develop a peaceful bedtime routine in your home.

Read: 5 Healthy Habits to Adopt in 2018

What do you consider to be a perfect bedtime routine?

Before you can create a bedtime routine that will suit you and your family, you first need to think about what a perfect routine would be for you. Consider:

  • What time do you want your children in bed?
  • What activities do you want them to do before bed (e.g. put away toys, brush teeth, wash face, shower or get their backpack ready for tomorrow)?
  • What common excuses does your child use for not going to bed and how can you eliminate them/incorporate them into your routine (drink of water, use the toilet etc)?
  • What activities can you add to your routine so that you both enjoy it (read a book together, sing a bedtime song, snuggle, talk about the good things that happened today etc)?

Once you know what your ideal evening would look like, only then can you start working towards making that your reality.

A woman sleeping with a dog next to her

3 things that you can do to end the day more peacefully

Create a ritual and connect before lights out

When both you and your children have had a long and sometimes stressful day, it is beneficial for everyone knowing that the evening will end peacefully. To ensure this, create a ritual that will create a calm and soothing atmosphere before bed. You can decide what you would like to do and then discuss this with your children to see what would make their perfect bedtime routine too. When children feel involved they are more likely to want to follow this routine.

Make sure that your routine involves a lot of one-on-one interaction as children just want your attention. Often, children only play up to get your attention, so spending some time in the evening reading together or singing bedtime songs can really make a difference to how your child behaves. Even if you have many household duties or are stressed from your work day, it’s essential that you put that aside and schedule some time to be with your children. You’ll soon find that you feel less stressed for it as you say goodnight and close that door knowing that you’ve spent quality time together.

A newborn sleeping and holding his mother's finger

Set a time and stick to it

So you know when you want your children to be in bed, now you need to start working your routine backwards to figure out what time you need to start preparing for bed. Contrary to what many parents do, a routine shouldn’t be started 10 to 15 minutes before lights out. Children need plenty of time to wind down and relax before they transition into bed.

Having a set time each day where the bedtime routine starts is great because not only does this mean less stress for you, but it also allows your children to know when they need to start getting ready so that they can finish their games or stories before settling down. This allows them to be in a much better mindset to sleep well. Once you have your times, stick to them as much as possible. It’s okay to be flexible when times call for it but you need to set your limits such as the number of stories you’ll read to make sure that the routine is as consistent as possible.

An alarm clock

Limit screen time, especially after dinner

There is nothing more stressful for you than nagging your children to do something and 20 minutes later, they are still staring at the screen of the TV or the iPad. We’ve all been there and it is incredibly frustrating, but what’s more is that it is actually very harmful to our children. Bright screens can ruin a bedtime routine as they stimulate the brain and negatively affect our sleep patterns, so you need to be thinking about how you can limit this before bed.

Limiting screen-time at least 30 minutes prior to bed is enough time for your child to focus on relaxing and getting into the right frame of mind for a good sleep state. With a peaceful bedtime routine that starts well before bed, however, this shouldn’t be too much of a problem if your child knows that there are no screens once the routine starts.

A little girl on the computer with her mother

So there you go, bedtime no longer has to be a huge hassle if you just take control and take some time to implement these new and healthy changes. Don’t be disheartened if it doesn’t take straight away, however, as there are no instant fixes to a problem. Be patient and take the time to develop this routine and you’ll soon find that your evenings are so peaceful that you won’t know what to do with yourselves!

 

Do you have more advice on developing healthy habits? See more from us here:

 

How to Recognise if Your Child is Stressed and What to Do

8 Ways to Help Your Children Protect Their Teeth

5 Reasons Why Messy Play Is Important and Benefits Children

7 Common Nursery Worries and How to Overcome Them

Posted on by schoolhouse

When our little ones are going to nursery or school for the first time, it can be both exciting and nerve-wracking. For parents, there are worries about how your child will cope away from you and if they’ll make friends, and for our children, they may have a lot of worries as they have so many new things that they will be facing.

While it may be tempting to succumb to this worry, it is really important that parents keep things positive and express excitement for nursery or school (even if they don’t feel that way), and if your child still has worries, to address them and help them overcome them.

To help you enjoy this exciting time without all the unnecessary worry, here are seven common concerns that parents have about nursery and our tips on how you can overcome them healthily!

Worry 1: What if they get upset when it’s time for me to leave?

This is one of the most common worries that parents have and it’s no surprise really, as no matter how much you prepare for that first day when it’s time to leave our emotions tend to get the best of us.

What you can do: Practice saying goodbye with your child before the big day and come up with your own personal ritual to give them comfort. This could be a handshake, an Eskimo kiss or a special phrase you might say after a big hug. Keep goodbyes short and sweet as that will be best for the both of you.

A father kissing his daughter on the cheek

Worry 2: What if I break down when it’s time to leave?

Even when you try your best to talk positively about nursery and school so that your child feels good about it, it might not be enough to calm your own worries about that day. With that being said, however, it is crucial that you don’t get emotional in front of your child as they sense our nerves and take them on themselves.

What you can do: Do everything you can to keep it together in front of your child. The easiest thing to do is think of something funny and smile. When you smile, your whole body relaxes and your child will sense this and relax too. If that’s not enough, think how good it will be for your children if you relax and practice breathing deeply from your stomach and concentrate on softening your facial expressions.

Worry 3: What if they miss us when we are gone?

Don’t assume that your child will have a hard time adjusting being away from you because you may project your worries onto your child. In reality, it will be strange at first but your children will be occupied all day until that perfect moment when you’re reunited at the end of the day.

What you can do: It’s important that you don’t set your children on a track to develop anxiety when they think about leaving you. Concentrate on developing positive traits in your children to help make adjusting to change that much easier; developing self-control and peer-related social skills will help them throughout their whole lives so just think about this when you’re teaching them.

Worry 4: What if they don’t make friends?

This is a common worry among children and parents and even as adults we worry about meeting new people whenever we are doing something new, so this is completely natural.

What you can do: Help your child build the social skills they’ll need. Sharing, playing collaboratively and kindness are a huge part of nursery, school and life there afterwards, so reinforce these morals at home and they will be making friends in no time. Where you can, try to organise play dates and give more encouragement to children who are shy.

Worry 5: What if they don’t adjust?

Again, don’t assume that your child will have a hard time adjusting because in reality they will most likely love their educational environment and make new friends in the process.

What you can do: To make the transition easier, visit the nursery or school before the first today so that your child can familiarise themselves with the new environment and see how nice it is. They can even meet their teacher so that they start looking forward to their first day instead of being scared.

Two girls drawing

Worry 6: What if they don’t learn what they are supposed to?

Try not to dwell on what your child may or may not learn and whether they will be on the same level as the other children. There is a lot of variability among preschool-age children so it is normal for them to learn at different rates.

What you can do: All you can do is try to stop worrying. Even if you think that your child is “behind,” it is important to remember that they will pick up most of their social skills, fine and gross motor skills, and even academic skills, just from playing with others and in their own time naturally. If you want to, you can complement nursery activities with similar ones at home.

Worry 7: What if they don’t cooperate with the teacher?

Some parents tend to worry about the possibility that their child may be naughty or disrupting and won’t cooperate with the teacher.

What you can do: Lay some groundwork at home to prepare them for nursery/school. Get your child used to listening to an adult by reading books out loud to them and if they get up and walk away or interrupt, remind them that you are reading and that you would like them to sit quietly and listen.

A mother and her son looking at eachother

You may or may not have noticed that all of these common worries start with the dreaded “What if?” These are what are known as “hypothetical worries” meaning that parents are worrying about things that may or may not happen, things that are out of their control. This is counterproductive and can have a negative impact on you and your children, so don’t dwell on things that might not happen. Instead, take an active approach with your anxiety and help your child prepare for the next stage of their lives.

 

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.

 

Do you have more nursery worries? See more help and advice from us here:

 

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What Is Heuristic Play and Why Is It Good for Our Children?

How to Choose the Best Educational Toys: the Ultimate Guide for Parents

Posted on by schoolhouse

Toys are meant to be played with but they can also promote skills that are vital to your little one’s development.

As a parent, one of the most rewarding parts of watching our children grow is to see them learn and develop as people, so why not choose the best educational toys and watch this every day?

With so many choices of toys available, this guide will help you choose the best ones for supporting your child’s development. 

Select toys that match your child’s interests and abilities

Your child has to be interested in a toy before playing with it, so make sure you choose toys that are age-appropriate and ones that match your child’s interests. This may be a trial and error approach at first, but you’ll soon see what your child is most interested in. Then you can match toys accordingly such as alphabet blocks if your child likes building as this will help their development with letter and sound recognition. Again, make sure that the toys you select are age-appropriate as you want them to challenge your child without them getting bored.

wooden building blocks spelling play

Look for toys that promote heuristic play

Heuristic play is the sensory exploration of ‘everyday items’ which is very beneficial to the development of children. You can promote this same type of play through the types of toys that you select, just make sure that they are open-ended and can be used in a variety of ways. Toys like building blocks or bricks and arts and crafts materials give your children the freedom to be creative and use these objects however they want. Plus they can be used as many times as they want!

Many open-ended toys encourage STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) learning in a fun and natural way, which are essential lifelong skills.

Read: What is Heuristic Play and Why is it Good for Our Children?

Choose toys that promote social skills and collaborative play

You want to be encouraging your children to be as social as possible from an early age as this contributes greatly to self-confidence, communication and interaction in later life. By choosing toys that promote the development of social skills, such as board games, puzzles, experiment kits and building materials, you are teaching your children to share, take turns and essential skills such as negotiation and compromise. As your children grow, they’ll only learn different developmental skills such as teamwork and problem-solving.

Opt for toys that spark imagination, providing opportunities for pretend play

Pretend play is essential for our children to engage in as not only does it develop creativity, but it also helps to promote language and literacy skills. From taking on different characters and acting out new situations to trying to communicate and building their vocabulary, toys that can provide these opportunities are great for our children. Opt for toys like play kitchen sets with pretend food, shopping tills with pretend money, or DIY and workshop sets with pretend tools and you’ll soon your children grow into their own.

Seek age-appropriate board games that are great for improving math and language skills

Board games are incredibly fun but they can also drastically improve math skills for young children. From counting as they move around the board to reading the questions and learning essential strategy skills, board games can help develop math and cognitive skills no matter how many times they are played. Just remember to choose games that are age-appropriate as you don’t want them to be too hard that your child is deterred from playing or too easy that it doesn’t challenge them or help them develop.

Pieces on a board game

Pick toys that encourage exploration of the real world

Exploring, discovering and learning about the real world is something that we never stop doing, even as adults, so why not start helping our children do this early to build their understanding of the world around them? Toys that invite children outdoors such as binoculars and a bird book, a bug-catching kit or science kits, can really get them involved in nature, promoting a natural curiosity and desire to learn that will be invaluable for the rest of their lives. Providing hours of discovery, children will be asking a variety of how and why questions that are also essential for critical thinking.

The best educational toys are ones that capture your child’s attention and keep it, continuously challenging them to explore and discover. Just remember to get involved with them, as nothing is greater for their development than interacting and bonding with their family while they play!

 

 

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.

Looking for more ideas and inspiration? See more from us here:

8 Ways to Help Your Children Protect Their Teeth

5 Reasons Why Messy Play Is Important and Benefits Children

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8 Ways to Help Your Children Protect Their Teeth

Posted on by schoolhouse

We all want our little ones to have the happiest and healthiest smiles, so help your children start out right by helping them protect their pearly whites. Here are 8 ways to do just that.

Take them for a checkup

It has been recommended that children should see a dentist by their first birthday as early preventative advice and care can be given if needed. It also allows children to learn early that seeing the dentist regularly is important and ensures that they are not scared. Plus, who doesn’t love getting a “good job!” sticker?

Make sure they eat healthily

The food children eat directly affect the status of their dental health long term, so teaching our children nutritional health is just as important as promoting oral hygiene habits when it comes to helping them protect their teeth. To foster a healthy and well-balanced diet (and promote these positive habits throughout their life), children should avoid sweets, desserts and sugary drinks, especially before bed. Limit snacking and promote three meals a day made up of lean meats, fruit and vegetables, cheese and low-fat dairy products, unsweetened foods and water instead of sugary juices or drinks like coke.

blueberries, blackberries and raspberries

Cut back on juice

Although juice is healthy, it is very high in sugar and when children drink it all day long, it can lead to tooth decay. Try to limit juice to the mornings or only as a treat as children shouldn’t have any more than 100ml a day. Always promote water as much as possible, using squash with no added sugar as an alternative.

Limit use of the sippy cup

While the sippy cup is a great tool for helping young children move from a bottle to a glass, it can lead to problems if parents let them drink from it all day long. Unless a child is drinking water, a sippy cup can lead to decay on the back of the front teeth if the drinks are sugary.

Aim to ditch the dummy after 2 years of age

A dummy is perfect for babies but when your children reach 2-3 years of age, using it can affect how their teeth line up and even the shape of their mouth. When your child reaches 2, you need to be trying to wean them off it, otherwise, you need to consult a doctor if they’re still using it when they are 3.

A little girl with a pacifier laughing at a snail

Check children’s medicine

We all know that children’s medicines are flavoured so that they will be more willing to take them, what’s surprising, however, is just how sugary they are. When your child is taking medicine, make sure to check the sugar content and brush their teeth afterwards to decrease their chance of cavities. If they are on long-term medications such as medicine for asthma and heart problems, then consult your dentist about how often to brush because it could be as often as four times a day!

Teach and model good habits

Children will learn habits from parents so it’s crucial that we model good ones! From even before your baby has teeth you can gently brush their gums with water and a baby toothbrush and when they have teeth, brush twice a day with an infant toothbrush and fluoridated toothpaste. It is essential that we teach good oral hygiene, so brushing, flossing and even mouthwash are things that we can instil in our children from an early age.

Use oral health care as a bonding experience

We all read bedtime stories to our children so why not make brushing our teeth together a part of that routine? You could even make brushing their teeth a group activity, making a chart and giving everyone gold stars or a sticker when they’ve done a great job. Children are much more likely to join in when they see grownups brushing their teeth, so take the time to do it together and teach your little ones the importance of health, hygiene and family time.

A family and dog in a forest

 

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.

Looking for more ideas and inspiration? See more from us here:

5 Healthy Habits to Adopt in 2018

5 Reasons Why Messy Play Is Important and Benefits Children

What Is Heuristic Play and Why Is It Good for Our Children?

12 Questions You Need to Ask Your Nursery

Posted on by schoolhouse

When it comes to our children, we want the absolute best for them and to take care of them always. While we can always try our best, we do have to work, and when they are young, this means taking them to nursery or daycare where they can stay throughout the day.

Leaving our children in someone else’s care can be tough for many parents, therefore choosing a suitable nursery can be one of the most important decisions that they’ll ever have to make.

To help you find the best nursery for your children, we’ve put together a list of essential questions to ask that can aid in your decision.

  1. Are you registered with the Care Inspectorate Wales?

  2. What are the opening hours and how long can my child stay?

  3. What if I need to change a day or book an extra day? How much will that cost?

  4. What is the staff turnover like?

  5. What experience and qualifications do your staff have?

  6. What is a key worker?

  7. What food will my child have whilst they are with you?

  8. How will food allergies be managed?

  9. Where will my baby sleep?

  10. What do I need to provide for my child?

  11. How will I know how well my child is developing?

  12. When do I need to pay my bill?

Two girls drawing

As a well-established and successful day-care provider, we at Schoolhouse Daycare think that these are the essential questions that any parent should ask a new nursery that they are considering for their children. If you want to find out more, you could always drop in for an unexpected chat and you can ask more in-depth questions such as:

  • How long have your staff worked here?
  • How do you ensure the safe recruitment of your staff?
  • What are the ratios of staff to children?
  • What’s a typical daily routine that my child will have?
  • What activities/play opportunities to you provide for the children?
  • How do you manage children’s behaviour?
  • How do you support children’s learning and development?
  • How do you ensure the safety of the children in your care?
  • Can I see the nursery’s registration certificate and latest inspection report?

Not only will this allow you to see the environment for yourself, but it will also give you confidence if the staff are very prepared to answer all of these questions and you can see a lot of happy little faces around! Most nurseries should be happy to show you around, so organise a visit and ask your questions to give yourself peace of mind.

 

Looking for more ideas and inspiration? See more from us here:

What Is Heuristic Play and Why Is It Good for Our Children?

5 Reasons Why Messy Play Is Important and Benefits Children

How to Keep Your Children Safe in the Sun

What Is Heuristic Play and Why Is It Good for Our Children?

Posted on by schoolhouse

Heuristic

adjective

“enabling a person to discover or learn something for themselves.”

Have you ever experienced a specific moment with your child where they’d rather play with the box that a new toy has come in rather than the toy itself? Or even another everyday object over a new toy? If you have, this is what is known as heuristic play.

What is heuristic play?

 

The term “Heuristic Play” was coined to describe the interaction of babies and children with everyday objects – not toys.”

Today, children are surrounded by loud, colourful toys that tend to be made out of plastic or wood, and while these might be good at stimulating some of the senses, they tend to lack the sensory and heuristic properties critical for supporting creative thinking and problem-solving skills.

wooden building blocks spelling play

With heuristic play, this involves the sensory exploration of ‘everyday items,’ anything from some rice or pasta or a wooden spoon to a piece of string or sticks from the garden. The difference between this and playing with toys is that toys are often limiting in what they can do, meaning a car is meant to be rolled back and forth, while heuristic play with any household object allows your child’s creativity to take over. Having an open-ended object to play with stimulates innovation, creativity and imagination as your child discovers the ways the object can be used, all characteristics of which are essential to learning and development.

Why is heuristic play good for our children?

 

“Toys that do less, actually teach more.”

1. It stimulates creativity and imagination

Imagination leads their play with heuristic objects, rather than muscle memory taking over when a child knows that a noise happens when they push a button. With heuristic play, open-ended play opportunities allow children to explore, learn and develop in a completely natural way.

Baby playing with tissue paper

2. It supports gross motor skills and brain development in infants and toddlers

Infants and toddlers, in particular, require a variety of sensory exploration to support their cognitive growth and development. With heuristic play, they are able to do this on a much wider scale than with toys that may limit their abilities to develop.

3. It stimulates multiple senses and critical thinking

When a child pushes a button on a book and it makes a sound, they learn that this action makes that sound and that sound corresponds to whatever context is on that particular page. With heuristic play, children can make sounds from banging different objects together or knocking them against another surface. However, unlike the toy, this leads them to figure out the context for themselves – why did that make this sound? What would happen if I banged this item with a different item? All of these questions only come about by exploring and they are far more valuable later in life when our children need to develop certain skills such as innovation and critical thinking.

4. It promotes early mathematical conceptual learning

When a child is exposed to a variety of items that range in size, shape, weight and texture, the time they spend exploring only aids their mathematical conceptual learning. This doesn’t tend to happen with typical toys as the need to explore is lessened when they know what the toy is meant to do.

Rice, noodles and potatoes lined up in piles

5. It allows children to gain an understanding of the world around them and encourages independence

The mantra that “toys that do less, actually do more” is very relevant to heuristic play. It means that basic, everyday objects that we consider boring (or not toys) actually offer a world of possibilities to learn for our children. While they learn to play they also start to gain an understanding of the world around them, and more importantly, especially with children today, they learn that they don’t need much to self-entertain. It is through handling and exploring these objects that babies and toddlers begin to make their own choices and decisions and start to develop as people.

How can I encourage heuristic play?

To help support your child’s learning and development, all you’ll need to do is provide them with more opportunities for open-ended discovery. Here at Schoolhouse Daycare, we use the ‘treasure chest’ method where we fill a box with heuristic objects of different sizes and textures and let the children discover them for themselves. Obviously, we always keep a watchful eye on them as we supervise, but it is essential that you allow them the freedom to choose and explore the objects without offering them the objects first. You can easily do this at home by filling a box with household objects such as egg boxes, measuring spoons, and shower puffs and sometimes outdoor objects such as leaves and pinecones. Just remember to rotate them fairly frequently to encourage new and different learning experiences.

A little boy reaching into a toy box

Usually, 30 minutes a day is enough for the treasure basket heuristic play, so make sure that you clear a space for it with no other toys around, have the TV off and take the basket away once your child is satisfied so that they don’t tire of the objects. It is also important that you supervise and observe but don’t encourage or distract. Your child needs the freedom to explore on their own at their own pace. As well as the treasure basket, you can offer heuristic play opportunities at any time, such as taking your children outdoors more often or even in moments where you’re doing chores, such as letting your child play with the basket of pegs as you hang up the washing.

We are not saying toys are bad, we are just highlighting how important heuristic play is to our children’s development so that you can mix it in with their day-to-day life. By offering your children heuristic objects that support their creative thinking or taking them outdoors to explore nature, you will essentially be giving them the best start in life in order for them to become better adults when they grow up – isn’t this all we want as parents?

 

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.

Looking for more ideas and inspiration? See more from us here:

5 Reasons Why Messy Play Is Important and Benefits Children

5 Healthy Habits to Adopt in 2018

10 Things to Do with Your Children Over the Summer Holidays