Today Tile Triggered Content

Taking part in the daily tasks of family life involves a certain amount of repetition and routine – and this helps your child build on the cognitive skills they need to remember the order of steps involved in familiar tasks. Here are some simple ways to get your child involved, and why you should keep in mind that it is good for their developing brain (and your mental load) for them to chip in where possible. 

Many of the tasks that we do to keep things moving or the house clean involve a sequence of actions or steps.  

There are so many opportunities to develop the language which is at the root of early reading skills throughout the day. 

In When Grandpa Gives You a Toolbox by Jamie L. B. Deenihan, illustrated by Lorraine Rocha, you will be taken on a creative journey to discover why being given a gift you didn’t ask for might actually be the start of something magical! This is a lovely picture book to share, especially if you want to talk to your child about how to handle being gifted items that were not on a wish list – or explore the idea of making your own toys instead of always buying new ones.  

The little boy at the centre of the story starts out being disappointed by a birthday gift of tools (when all he wanted was a dolls’ house) but goes on to discover just how powerful using a toolbox, and sharing time with a loved one in the process, can be.  

Your baby is beginning to understand themselves and realising that they can lead their own explorations on how to move and get around. This will be a time of mixed feelings for you since you want your baby to grow stronger and move with confidence, but you also want to keep them safe. Here are some ways to support your young climber as they begin to scale new heights.

Some days your toddler might not be ready to join in, or try something new. It can feel a little frustrating at times, especially when you know your toddler is able, or you think that they will enjoy it if they would just give it a go. Here are some simple phrases, and ways of thinking, that might make you both feel better in these situations. 

You know the feeling: you’ve arrived at the park or at soft play and you know your toddler will have a brilliant time – but they won’t leave your side. The more you try to convince them, the more they don’t want to leave you.  

While your baby is busy learning all about themselves and the world around them, take some time to think about you. Doodling might not be the first thing you think of, but it can be a really great way to unwind...

Pete the Cat is going about his day in his favourite white shoes, he just loves them. But Pete’s white shoes get dirty, they get really dirty, and when they do, they change colour. Thankfully, Pete has an incredibly positive attitude towards his shoes getting dirty and takes it all in his stride – pardon the pun! 

This is an uplifting book which is (almost) guaranteed to be loved by all who read it. Pete and his colour-changing shoes will soon have everyone joining in with the predictability of the text, “Goodness, NO!”  

Sometimes life becomes all-consuming and it can feel like it is flying past at a million miles an hour. If any of the following sound familiar, remember you're not alone. Take time to remind yourself of who you are beyond being a parent.

Do you find your to do list is always growing? Life with children is busy and there often isn’t time to pause and think about yourself and what makes you happy.  

If this resonates with you, don't worry – you aren’t alone. 

Your toddler’s language journey began before they were born, and you’ll have seen them progress from crying and babbling to saying first words. As they use more words in their speech, you might notice they miss some sounds out of words or say some things incorrectly.  

There is a lot of variation in when toddlers start to put sentences together to talk [1], and there are a variety of reasons for this.