In an increasingly global world, driven by online activity, television, devices and extracurricular activities competing for our attention, it’s no wonder fewer children are getting the chance to play daily in nature. This guest post from Karen Clarkson, nature play advocate, mum of two and founder of The Outdoor Kids Projecttells us of the scientific benefits of raising outdoor children.
If you feel tired just thinking about Christmas, you’re not alone. While Christmas is a magical time, it’s also a chaotic one with endless shopping and planning, wrapping paper and presents. While the adrenaline is pumping as we tick items off the to-do list, our children are watching – and picking up on our stress.
The trick is to switch the focus of the holiday season. Prioritise simpler becomes…well, simple! Here’s some great ways families with young children can flip the Christmas craze on its head.
If you care about the environment, you’ve no doubt wondered ‘how can I teach my children to do the same?’. The best way to inspire children to look after our precious resources is to lead by example.
Forget about educating them on the dreary details, instead focus on how you’re helping our environment thrive. We know life’s busy and often ‘easy’ wins over ‘what’s eco’, which is why we believe making little changes is the way forward (and more sustainable in the long run).
Looking for somewhere child friendly, fun and engaging for your next coffee group catch up? Or are you new to the area and would like to make friends with local mums? Feel like getting out of the house with your baby, toddler or preschooler for a few hours, without too much hassle or worry?
We’ve transformed an area of New Shoots Pakuranga into a new pre-school space, with an exciting outdoor learning programme. The children in this space closely connect with Papatūānuku in a 3 day a week outdoor “bush kindy” programme called Tane Mahuta. The other 2 days are spent doing meaningful, environmental project based learning back in the centre.
Laura Henry - an ECE consultant from the UK, recently interviewed two of our New Shoots Directors - Nikki and Kelly. This podcast is a fantastic way to find out more about what makes New Shoots tick.
You may have only heard the term mindfulness bandied about, or maybe you already practice yoga or meditation, but how can we use mindfulness to help our kids manage tricky transitions like bedtime?
For many parents, getting out the door feels like an Olympic sport. Even though you’ve been in training for weeks, months or even years it doesn’t seem to be getting any easier, does it? Locating jackets, sun hats, extra snacks, those elusive drink bottles…and the keys, oh where are the keys!?
It’s evident that many people don’t understand HOW you can teach a baby. Like, what do you teach them? They don’t read or write, many children under one don’t even talk! We are obviously just babysitters attending to the needs of our most vulnerable, needy citizens, right? Wrong!
Parenting comes naturally right? It’ll be innate and intuitive, we’ll just ‘feel in our waters’ what to do and instinctively meet our child’s every need until one day, we’ll pat ourselves on the back as we realise, they have blossomed into a happy genius. But life with children just isn’t like that. It can be fraught, worrying and perplexing as you wade through screeds of parenting-related garb, wondering whether you’re doing it right or if you should start saving for therapy now?
The time has come for you to find a childcare centre for your child.
Once you start doing your homework it seems like you are spoilt for choice - there are so many options to choose from…. How do you make the right decision?
Starting solids is a milestone that provides maximum opportunities for your child. It’s not only about nourishment, creating healthy eating habits or trying a range of tastes and textures, learning to eat provides crucial building blocks for future development such as learning to chew, to speak, non-verbal communication cues and hand-eye coordination.
Starting your baby or toddler at a childcare centre could be one of the most challenging transitions you’ve had to face since becoming a parent. How will they cope? How will you cope? How do you answer all their questions? What if they cry when you leave them?
Daylight saving is coming to an end. Are you worried about how your child is going to cope with the change? Shifting bed times can be hard work and not just for our little ones! By knowing how your child might react and having a few strategies up your sleeve, you’ll be better equipped to handle what’s thrown at you
Struggling to manage the post-holiday clutter? Back into the weekly routine and fighting your way through piles of ‘stuff’? You’re not alone.
Many of us have discovered the season for giving is leaving us with way too many ‘things’. As the hodgepodge mounts up, and we run out of time to sort it, we’re left feeling overwhelmed and disorganised.
There is no denying the level of emotions that can accompany biting. Whether your child is biting or being bitten, the emotions can be intense. When biting is ongoing it can be a stressful time for all of the people involved. There is a definite stigma surrounding biting. The reality is, as unpleasant as it is, that for young toddlers biting is a common behaviour and part and parcel of their development.
Becoming a parent is overwhelming. Suddenly we are responsible for this small person and as our primal instincts to protect them emerge, we find ourselves wanting to shelter them from life's storms. Sadly, just like the weather we can't control what happens in life. The good news is, we can prepare our children for this wild, wonderful world by nurturing their developing sense of self.
Imagine a father coaxing his five month old on the mechanics of walking. Or how about a Mum teaching vowel sounds to her 3 month old infant. You would say that they were wasting their time – right? Imagine these parents fearing that their children were “falling behind”. It’s obvious that these things are clearly outside of their developmental abilities.
“It’s the ponies that make the sky pink Mum”. Years ago one of my daughters invented this theory. When I asked her why she thought the sky sometimes turned pink, she pondered the question, and then, out of the blue informed me that “The ponies are to blame”. Ten years on, she still gazes at the sky and with a slight giggle says “Look…. the ponies are here Mum”.
The thought of returning to work after a few months (or years) at home with your wee one is daunting, right? Throw in worrying about your child starting daycare and it’s enough to guarantee some new grey hairs!
You’ve probably seen those Facebook posts doing the rounds, of 'reasons why my toddler had a tantrum' and had a giggle to yourself. We laugh because we can relate! Often it seems there’s no rhyme or reason behind the tantrum - from throwing themselves into a puddle because you dared ask them to put a raincoat on, to the full face of silent rage because you wouldn't let them play in the toilet water.
We all want what is best for our children, however somewhere along the line we have let our fear and anxieties take over. We fear that our children will ‘fall behind’, we push our children’s development from one milestone to the next, and we worry ourselves silly when we compare our children with others.
At New Shoots Children’s Centres we value the importance of food and nutrition and we appreciate the impact we have in establishing healthy eating habits, helping to shape your child’s attitude towards food, and setting them up for life. It is recognised now more than ever that the quality of food that children eat significantly contributes to growth and development and is vital for young bodies and minds.
Does your little one gravitate to certain types of toys? Are they particularly active even during quiet times? When you read them a book, do they pay more attention to the pictures or are they hanging off your every word?
Sunrise. The start of a new day. Except, the previous day hasn’t yet ended because you’re still pacing the hallway with your newborn, who has no regard for night and day. Your head is drooping and you’re desperate to lay it on the pillow, but the minute you attempt to sit down (let alone lie down) she screams. Or worse, wakes up.
Choosing an early childhood centre for your child can be a difficult task. New Zealand has some of the world's best early childhood education, but not all centres are up to the same standard. What makes a good centre? We've put together an extensive list of factors to consider when visiting prospective centres. We recommend visiting at least three centres before choosing the one that's right for you and your family.
Let’s face it, sometimes our children’s behaviour can send our blood pressure through the roof in a matter of seconds. Anyone who is a parent knows that our job can be exhausting, infuriating and just down right HARD. With no parenting manual accompanying the arrival of our new born baby, we really just do the best we can with what we know.
