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Welcome to the My First Five Years Blog. Here you will find all sorts of information, ideas and activities that will help you to support your child.

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Looking for something new to listen to? Here are some of our favourite podcasts!

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!  

2 min read Read Now
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Could slowing down be the best way to support your toddler’s development?

Do you ever feel the pressure to make sure your toddler is learning quickly, or that you need to be getting them ready for the next room at nursery, starting preschool or maybe even school? It can be hard to resist the feeling that you need to find ways to get your toddler to develop more quickly. Is sooner always better or could slowing down be the best for your toddler (and for you)? 

Professor of Early Childhood Education, Alison Clark is known by many early years professionals for her work on listening to children – finding ways to get children’s views and understand their experiences from their perspectives.  

3 min read Read Now
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Poetry for your soul – and your mental health

Studies are showing what many written word-lovers have known for years – poetry is good for your mental health.[1] How can you use this knowledge to make your experience of parenting a little more positive?  

Poetry can feel like a very elitist or exclusive artform, and one which (if you’re not already a fan) is too scary to get into when you’re a busy adult: the equivalent of walking into a pub and finding the eyes of every regular boring into you.  

2 min read Read Now
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Nobody’s perfect – some ideas to help you ditch the parent guilt

Ever feel the pressure to be that parent who gets everything right, thrives in every aspect of life, and documents this on a perfectly-curated social media feed? Often this pressure comes from seeing other people’s feeds pop up in our moments of stress. The thing is, all that you’re seeing is their highlights reel.  

It’s rare for people to post pictures of their child screaming and launching their dinner onto the floor because broccoli is the root of all evil... but moments like this are probably happening behind the scenes of all the beautiful moments which are captured.  

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A favourite mug or evening podcast – harness the power of your daily rituals

Do you start the day with a cup of tea in your favourite mug? Need five minutes scrolling before you can relax in the evening (however tired you are)? These are things that you might not think about – until the day you can’t fit them in. Your small daily rituals are important for your wellbeing, so should still be a part of your life, without feeling like another pressure.  

Simple daily rituals can reduce your stress levels

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