Today Tile Triggered Content

Inspiring your child to try drawing can be done in so many ways, but one we don't often think about is through reading! These three sweet books about line and shape will inspire lots of imagination next time you draw together.  

Being a parent means you have to get your information on the go, and we love the way podcasts allow us to get bite-sized chunks of learning, or laughing, into our day. We have our own podcast all about realistic parenting (more on that below), and have found three more favourite listens which help to lift us up on busy days. 

However you listen to podcasts – through Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube or other players – we hope there is something in this list that will make your day a bit better for having listened!  

Have you found yourself feeling anxious about the things your child might say in public? Perhaps you have experience of them blurting out their thoughts about other people’s appearance at the worst possible moment... This is almost inevitable but there are ways to feel confident in the way you respond.  

Children are inquisitive by nature, and learn through exploring, discussing and experiencing their world. They are also good at learning about what is familiar to them, and noticing differences, from a very young age – earlier than many people realise children are aware of physical differences between people.  

If your child is not yet going to nursery or a childminder you might be starting to think about them starting – or simply hearing friends talk about their experience and wondering what they’re talking about. We know that some of the terms used in childcare can be confusing, and many parents have asked us to explain the role of (and reason behind) having a ‘key person’ when they start attending a nursery or childminding setting. 

Mixed up in the transition from home to childcare is likely to be some level of anxiety, for parents and children. Often, when children start a childcare setting, they are building new relationships away from their family and closest caregivers, for the first time.  

Mindfulness approaches help us to focus on the moment and can help us to feel calmer, be more self-aware and choose how to respond to our thoughts and feelings.^[1] These techniques might be helpful for you, especially when life is busy, but have you ever thought of teaching your toddler some mindfulness techniques?  

Researchers are becoming increasingly interested in finding out more about how learning mindfulness techniques together can support both parents and children.  

When your toddler was a baby you might have tried some simple massage, maybe you even went to a baby massage group to hone your skills. You might not think about touch in quite the same way now, but it can be an important part of supporting emotional well-being, building your relationship and even helping your toddler pay attention.  

While there isn’t a lot of research about the relationship between touch and learning, the psychologist Lone Svinth identified studies that found an association between massage and visual attention. Researchers found that a short massage just before a task that involved focusing on a particular image was linked with greater attentiveness and quicker learning.[1]  

Our sense of smell is fascinating – it links to emotions, memories and preferences. Your toddler is beginning to show you the connections they are making.  

Our sense of smell is more specific than our other senses, and this could explain why we link smells with particular people, places or events.^[1]  

Higher-order language enables children to link thoughts and use their skills in language and thought in many areas of daily life. As your child progresses through life, their language abilities become increasingly important. They’ll meet lots of new people, be introduced to new ideas, and find themselves in different social situations. If they have increased opportunities to practise their higher-order language skills now, they will become better equipped to talk through their ideas, thoughts and feelings.  

Higher-order language includes skills such as: 

Humour is a type of communication, a form of play, and it creates bonds with others as early as in the first months of life.  

It probably wasn't long after your baby was born before they began to smile. They’ll have soon realised that smiles were met with more smiles, and that laughter was met with laughter; it's possible that your baby had fits of giggles, laughing uncontrollably at sounds and objects. These experiences supported the formation of neural connections in your baby's brain, and they began to learn that emotions can be reciprocated. 

Children often love to help, and they like to do lots of jobs that adults do. One of these things can be passing on messages to others. It gives them confidence when they are trusted to pass a message from one person to another, although there may be times when they won’t quite remember what they are passing on. Here are some tips to support them develop this skill. 

Use simple, clear language with words they know and understand