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Can starting a blog be good for children?

It might seem like a strange question, especially with all the warnings about children and screen time that are constantly in the news, but can blogging actually be beneficial for children?

According to online safety charity WiredSafety, in 2017, there were over 6 million children around the world, regularly writing blogs and whilst there are a number of dangers revolving around children and the internet, there are also a number of benefits to blogging.

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Talking tantrums

Parents and childcarers – nannies, childminders, aupairs or nursery staff – are almost all familiar with the tantrums, but there can be differences of opinion on how to deal with them.

As a childcarer it’s difficult to bring up a sensitive subject. Tantrums are an entirely normal phase of development, coming from a child’s desire to show their independence and assert themselves or an inability to communicate, and intellectually parents know that but no-one likes to hear that their child has been ‘misbehaving’.

Parents may not share details of the behaviours with childcarers, perhaps feeling that it’s a reflection on their parenting skills, or perceived lack thereof. Children do often save their worst behaviour for their parents but it is not a sign of weakness to make others aware of facts.

It’s important that neither party shies away from discussing the issue. The best way to deal with tantrums is a consistent approach from everyone involved. That way a child quickly learns what the limits are and that having a paddy isn’t an effective way of getting what they want. Communicating also allows parents and childcarers to share tips and tricks. Parents may know what frustrates their child and be adept at handling it so sharing that information with their child’s carer is vital to help prevent tantrums. Childcarers may be able to offer strategies that have worked with other children or reassure parents that their child is indeed learning to deal with frustration and that the tantrums will soon decrease.

Toddlers especially need to make sense of the world. It’s reassuring for them to have a set of consistent rules and boundaries, consistent positive attention for good behaviour and a consistent response to a tantrum. It’s especially important that everyone is on the same page when it comes to safety. Communicating about expectations and accommodating each other’s practices where possible makes the transition as easy as possible for children and avoids unnecessary tantrums.

Children also need autonomy. Some adults are inclined to say ‘no’ to anything out of the ordinary, even when it’s perfectly possible to accommodate a request, and others will bend over backwards to comply. Obviously in group childcare settings it’s more difficult to deal with individual whims, and it doesn’t do any good to spoil children by giving in to them all the time, but by working together parents and carers can agree what will or won’t be accommodated.

Finally, while it’s important to communicate between adults it’s also important not to let what happens when you aren’t there affect your relationship with a child. Sharing information should help you understand and deal with tantrums, but it needs to be done sensitively and with respect.

Online Safety Tips for Nannies

Over the past few years, we’ve seen a significant rise in internet fraud, phishing scams and other ‘traps’ that aim to trick victims into handing over money, providing sensitive information or even putting themselves in physical danger.

To help you stay safe when applying for your next nanny job, we’ve put together our top online safety tips for nannies:

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How to Become a Childminder

Why Become a Childminder?

Becoming a childminder has been a popular career choice in recent years.  Many stay-at-home parents choose to become registered childminders because it gives them the flexibility of being able to work from home, during hours that suit, and still being able to look after their own children.

 

Some people believe that childminding is just a pocket-money job for stay at home parents, but this is not the case.  Childminders are professional childcare providers who have undergone a registration process, which ensures that they are suitable for caring for other peoples’ children.

 

Registration

 

  • In order to become a registered childminder, you will need to attend a pre-registration session at which you will receive all the information you’ll need, plus an application pack and information about the Early Years Foundation Stage.  To find out when and where the next pre-registration session will be, contact your local authority.  They will also be able to provide information on the availability of childminder start-up grants that may be available to you.  Like any new business, there is an initial investment.
  • If you decide to go ahead with your application to be a registered childminder, you will need to submit your application along with your registration fee.
  • Next, you will need to have a CRB check – Ofsted will advise you on how to go about this.  Additionally, anybody over the age of 16 who is regularly in your home will need to have a CRB check.  You will also need to be registered with the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA)
  • You will then be subject to an inspection by Ofsted, where you will need to prove that you meet the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage.
  • Before you are registered, you will have to attend a paediatric first aid course. Within 6 months of your registration, you will also be required to complete a childcare course.

 

Your Home

 

Contrary to what you might believe, you don’t need a big house and garden to be a childminder.  You don’t need to own your home either.  However, your home should be safe and suitable for children of all ages.  You will need to invest in safety gates in order to stop small children attempting to climb stairs unassisted, and you may need to get some cupboard locks for your kitchen cupboards.

 

You will need to have toys and books for the children but these needn’t cost the earth – excellent quality toys and books can be picked up second hand for very good prices at car boot sales, charity shops and in local classifieds.

 

An outside space is a bonus, and some parents may prefer their children to have the option of playing outside whilst with their childminder, but if you don’t have a garden there’s no need to worry.  The first priority of most parents is not the garden space of their children’s prospective childminder – their ability to lovingly care for their children is far more important.

New Year Resolutions for Parents and Childcare Professionals

How many New Year’s resolutions have you seen or heard from your family, friends and co-workers so far? How many of those were about weight, smoking, drinking, or travel? How many of those were about parenting or childcare? I’m guessing the latter was a significantly smaller number than the former.

This New Year, wouldn’t it be nice for us to make a New Year’s resolution that will not only benefit ourselves but our children and the rest of our family? That’s why we’ve put together a list of areas that we can all try to improve upon in the New Year when it comes to caring for our children.

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3 Simple Projects for Children at Christmas

Christmas time is never short of inspiration for parents, nannies and childminders alike for creative projects for the children to undertake.  Here are three simple projects to get you all started, which can be easily adapted to all age groups from about 2 years onwards (although little ones will certainly enjoy joining in if you can handle the mess!).

 

Salt Dough Christmas Decorations

Making salt dough decorations is incredibly cheap, fun and creative.  It’s a great project for children of all ages, although children under the age of 2 might be more interested in eating the dough rather than creating Christmas decorations!

 

To make salt dough, all you need is:

  • ½ cup salt
  • ½ cup water
  • 1 cup flour

 

Simply combine the dry ingredients in a bowl, and then slowly add the water as you mix.  The dough should eventually form a soft, pliable ball.  You can add more flour or water if the dough is too sticky, or too dry.

 

Then, you can make your decorations! Use pastry cutters to make shapes, or knead the dough into shapes by hand (you can use a little olive oil to moisturise the dough if needs be).  To harden the finished shapes, lay them on greaseproof paper on a plate and pop them in the microwave for two or three minutes. If you don’t have access to a microwave, they will harden after a couple of days air drying or you can put them in a very low oven (you may need to cover them with foil to stop them from browning).

 

Once they are hard and dry, they can be decorated with whatever the children wish! Glitter glue, paint, sequins and even spray paint! Finish up with a coat of clear varnish if you want them to keep until next year.

 

Advent Challenge

At Christmas time, with all of the hype and excitement over presents, food and pretty lights, it can be easy to forget about the spirit of the festivities – the spirit of giving.  A simple, ongoing project for Christmas time that teaches children about the true meaning of Christmas is the Advent Challenge.  The concept is simple – every day, do something to put somebody else first.  This could mean sharing a special toy with a sibling, choosing an item of clothing to donate to a shelter or charity shop, or taking on an extra chore around the house to ease the load of a parent or sibling. Make sure the giving is on the child’s terms, or it negates the whole point of finding joy in helping others.

Make a Family Christmas Memory Book

A lovely project for children at Christmas is making a ‘memory book’ about their family celebrations.  All families celebrate a little differently, and each family has their own little traditions that make their Christmas unique.  The book could be in chronological story form, with each page detailing a different part of the day, or it could be a more random collection of the things the children love most about their own individual family Christmases.

3 Simple Projects for Children at Christmas

Fun Elf on the Shelf Ideas!

How are you getting on with that mischievous little man (or woman) known as Elf on the Shelf. It can be difficult to think of new mischief for your elf to get up to, especially if this isn’t the first year he’s come to stay.

That’s why we’ve put together plenty of new Elf on the Shelf ideas to help delight children of all ages this Christmas!

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Helping Children Deal with Bereavement and Loss

Bereavement can occur without warning at any time of our lives and it’s important to understand how as a nanny, you can help the children in your care deal with the losses that they may face.

Loss can be exceptionally difficult for children to understand as they are not always able to process the emotions and thoughts that follow, which is why it’s important that children have a strong support network at times of great upset.

Bereavement can be the death of a loved one, a friend or a pet, it could also be the loss of someone close to them, which can often be a result of divorce or separation of a child’s parents.

To help you further help the children in your care deal with the losses they face, we’ve put together the following advice:

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How to Keep Kids Active in Winter

As temperatures plummet it understandable to want to retreat to the house where it’s warmer, but the bad weather shouldn’t be an excuse for children to swap playing outside for lounging in front of the TV.

That’s why we’ve put together some simple ideas to help keep your children active this winter:

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