Did you know that 20% of UK parents spend no time at all reading with their children? Or that just 50% of parents with young children read for just 1 hour each week?
Not only does reading to your children help to improve their academic performance, but more importantly it strengthens your bond, improves their imagination, helps children learn to read, teaches them about the world around them, and provides important morals to help make your child a nicer person.
Today is Blue Monday, supposedly one of the most depressing days of the year, based on the weather, debt, time since Christmas, lack of motivation and many other factors. Undoubtedly, we probably all feel a little low at this time of year for a whole host of reasons. But for those people that genuinely suffer with depression every single day Blue Monday is just another day to them.
Depression in adults is a condition we’re all familiar with. Most adults have at some point felt mildly depressed and a surprising proportion of the population has suffered from clinical depression, whether treated or not. Although there is still a huge stigma around saying that someone as an individual is or has been depressed, it’s no longer the hidden condition it once was. Depression in children and teenagers, on the other hand, is much less widely acknowledged but potentially very serious.
What on earth do children have to be depressed about?
We may cast our minds back to the halcyon days of our own childhood and wonder what there is to become stressed and depressed about but firstly childhood was never that simple and secondly today’s children are facing an infinitely more complex world with shifting social norms, advancing technology and mounting media pressure. In Hollywood everyone is popular, rich and happy, the guy always gets the girl and we all live happily ever after. This can set up dangerous expectations for real life and if children can gorge on this constructed reality, they can end up feeling like they’ll never be good enough. If we’re honest with ourselves we were all anxious about school and schoolwork, keeping up with our friends and living up to parental expectations and today’s children are no different, even though the challenges they face are. It becomes more complicated when children become adolescents because the maelstrom of hormones, which leads to tears, tantrums, rage and rebellion, can mask depression – it all gets put down simply to being a teenager. It’s especially important at this time to watch out for anything out of the ordinary which continues over a lengthy period as it may point to a deeper issue.
How can I spot depression?
Knowing what is normal for your child or charge is key, and that can only be achieved by keeping the lines of communication open. It’s difficult when your efforts are met with angry rejection but keep letting them know you’re listening and do genuinely listen to what they say even if it seems insignificant to you. A constant refusal to communicate may be a sign that something is troubling them, but they don’t know how to talk to you about it. In this case be guided by your instincts and you may need to seek professional help along with your child. Although it may feel like a betrayal at the time, a child will get over that faster than untreated depression.
Surely my child is too young to be depressed.
In fact, depression can hit children as young as 2 or 3 years old so there’s no such thing as too young. The number rises sharply in adolescence, with girls twice as likely to suffer as boys at this point. Rest assured, depression in very young children is likely to be the result of physical or emotional trauma and rarely manifests in healthy children with a secure attachment to their parents. Children who are at risk of depression, be it from chronic illness or emotional disturbances in their life, are likely to be offered additional help, perhaps in the form of play therapy or counselling.
That said, although depression in children is rare it’s important to remember that it does still exist and shouldn’t be discounted because of age.
How can I prevent depression?
There is no one way to prevent depression but setting an example of a healthy, realistic lifestyle is a good start. Plenty of exercise and fresh air along with a good diet will help keep the brain’s chemistry in balance and ensuring plenty of time for relaxation and play is vital for relieving stress. Good communication skills lay the foundation for open and honest exchanges about emotions and will safeguard your relationship throughout the difficult teenage years. It’s never too early to talk to children, be honest with them and accept them for who they are, encourage them to express their feelings and give age-appropriate explanations for what they see in the world around them.
Get into the habit of looking for the good in life. At the end of the day encourage children to focus on the good things that have happened and consider encouraging older children who don’t want to be tucked in any more to keep a positivity journal. The act of reflecting on what has gone well prevents a spiral of negativity and a journal can be a source of encouragement when times get tough.
For more information please visit www.youngminds.org.uk
Christmas is the perfect time to rekindle your child’s love of books and reading.
Children’s Christmas books are filled with happiness, wonder and strong morals. Reading is a simple, easy activity that can be enjoyed by children of all ages, no matter the weather.
Encourage them to learn by reading aloud or helping them to read along.
What are you waiting for? Pick up a book today and spark their imagination.
See below for our recommended top 5 festive children’s books!
Continue reading “Get into the Christmas spirit with our top 5 festive books for children”
Paediatric First Aid
As a nanny you will be looking after and caring for young children. This course is aimed specifically for first aid in relation to children and will include –
Bleeding Cuts and Grazes, Broken Bones
Shock, Anaphylactic, Electrical
Choking, Resuscitation
Allergic reaction, Head Injuries
Common Core Skills for a Nanny
This course is aimed at helping nannies develop and enhance their work experience and knowledge of working with children and their families and will include –
Communicating with children, young people, their parents and carers
Child and young person development
Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the child
Supporting transitions
Multi-agency working
Sharing information
And just like that, the summer holidays are over! For some, sending the children back to school couldn’t come any sooner. You’ve faced the high street, waited (patiently!) with your ticket to try on new school shoes, hair has been chopped and styled, new stationary has been bought (for them and you!) and your diary is ready to go… but what about the children. Are they ready? Are they excited and prepared?
It’s easy to assume the children are also ready to go back, see their friends and fit back into the school routine. But what about their emotional readiness? What about the children who are starting at nursery or school for the first time? The ones transitioning to primary or secondary school. Even the difference in classroom, teacher or timetable can be overwhelming for a child.
Transitions work best when a child is prepared. So what can we do to prepare a child for the September ‘back to school’ time in their lives?
Firstly, talk to them. Ask them how they are feeling. Don’t just put the emotions you are feeling into their minds. Really listen to their anxieties, worries and excitements. Break down each one and show them emotional support. Not just at the start of school, but continued throughout their first few weeks, and beyond if needed. Sometimes they won’t want to talk, and that’s ok! Just being there, listening and allowing them the opportunity to open up will give them reassurance.
Another thing you can do to get them involved is with the new term shopping! If they have a say in what bag, coat and shoes they will be wearing, then they are going to show a little more enthusiasm. For young children, finding a school bag with their favourite character on is going to help massively. For older children, it’s ‘fitting in’ with peers, so they will want a say in how they look.
One of the biggest anxieties about starting at a new school can be around friends, or not knowing anyone. To prepare children for this, I always advise trying to find other children also attending the same school (try local social media groups). Planning play-dates before school starts will give them someone they are familiar with. In the first few weeks of term, plan after school tea times together too. This will really help them build on friendships and relationships with other children, and as parents and nannies, also introduce you to other families from the school.
And lastly books! Reading is something that you can do together with your child. Books can help with no end of matters, and school readiness is one of them! Pop along to your local library, find some books about going to school and read them together. Change the words to fit in with the name of your child’s school, or teachers to personalise it, and just spend some time one to one discussing everything around school.
With everything, time helps. Enjoy this period in your child’s life, support them, reassure them and allow them the time to adjust to these new beginnings.
We cover all sorts of transitions that happen in a child’s life, including school readiness in our Early Years Care and Education Course. Please contact Little Ones Training and Education on 0207 112 8057 to find out more!
Most of us when referring to our own parents would describe them as strict or easy going but over recent years new parenting styles have begun to emerge and parenting has become a bit of a minefield and depending who you talk to you either feel you are doing a brilliant job or are the worst parent out there!
Here are the top 5 parenting techniques currently doing the rounds, which one are you?
Instinctive parenting
This style of parenting tends to follow how you where bought up, the things that you felt your own parents did well or badly influence your decisions on what you do. You feel what is right for your child and family rather than follow the pack and what the ‘experts’ say is the right thing to do. If, for example, you always went to Cornwall for a week at Easter and this was a happy memory of your childhood you are much more likely to carry on that tradition than consider doing something different.
Attachment parenting
Parents who support the theory of attachment parenting tend to be more emotionally involved with their offspring. They always make themselves emotionally available to their child and believe that this bond makes a child more secure, more compassionate and calmer. The child is often carried closely, and they are usually breastfed until they are much older than the average child. Attachment parenting usually involves home schooling, co sleeping and positive discipline.
Helicopter parenting
The phrase ‘helicopter parent’ was coined in 1990 by child development researchers Foster Cline and Jim Fay and was used to describe parents who constantly interfered with their children’s lives and development, they ‘protected’ them from hurting themselves by not allowing them to climb the slide on their own or run ahead or play out doors without an adult in constant supervision and as the child grew they would micro manage their homework or projects never allowing the child to fail or make a bad decision. Obviously, we all want to protect or children from harm, but this form of parenting tends to smoother the child’s independence and can backfire later in life when they are young adults and struggle to make decisions and are often still very reliant on their parents.
Authoritative parenting
How many of us have said ‘because I say so’ or ‘my house, my rules’? Authoritative parenting is a parenting style characterized by high responsiveness and high demands. Authoritative parents are responsive to the child’s emotional needs while having high standards. They set limits and are very consistent in enforcing boundaries. However, research has shown that this form of parenting tends to produce the best all round child. Expectations are high for the child to achieve, behave, follow the rules but the child knows where they are and understands the boundaries. The parents are loving and nurturing and understand that the child needs to become independent whilst setting rules and expectations authoritative parents use reasoning and allow give-and-take discussions. Authoritative parenting should not be confused with Authoritarian parenting which tends to be more neglectful and colder.
Permissive parenting
Permissive parents tend to be very loving but do little to set boundaries or encourage discipline, they often have more of a ‘friendship’ with their children than a parent / child relationship and are dismissive of immature or irresponsible behaviour citing ‘children will be children’ rather than explain what appropriate behaviour might be. Permissive parents are often overindulgent towards their children, they are often inconsistent in their parenting style and are not adverse to resorting to bribery to get a child to do what is required of them. Expectations of achievement are often lower with permissive parenting which can lead to children under achieving as parents are happy to just let them get on with it and do as much or as little as they want to.
Nannyjob are always keen to discover great ideas to encourage child development and we are really impressed with these fantastic My Mood Stars. The idea was thought up by former Childminder Wendy Elizabeth White and in the early stages of development her keen needlework skills came in very handy! Each yellow star filled with cotton depicts an emotion. There is sad, happy, angry, scared, shy, silly, surprised and sleepy. We all know that the ability to express and control our emotions and to recognise them in others is an essential skill. However, for some children trying to communicate feelings can be difficult and frustrating.
Self-confident children in touch with their feelings find it easier to flourish in social situations. Indeed personal, social and emotional development and communication are key aspects of the Early Years Foundation Stage in the UK. Children who understand and can express and manage their own emotions, as well as those around them, are more likely to develop a positive sense of self and be assured and inquisitive learners and these Mood Stars are a great way to encourage conversation and expression with your little ones. For more information please visit.
www.mymoodstars.co.uk
Twitter – www.twitter.com/mymoodstars
Facebook – www.facebook.com/mymoodstars
Instagram – www.instagram.com/mymoodstars41
It is critically important that those who are involved in bringing up children, whether it’s the parent, nanny, teacher or other family members, influence children’s character in a positive way. Supporting children with solving simple problems, for example, building a toy, doing a jigsaw or getting dressed, by not rushing them and showing that you trust their abilities is an excellent way to build their character. Remember good character is taught and caught! If you would like to learn more about this take a look at these great courses bought to you in partnership with Little Ones Training and Education.https://www.littleoneslondon.co.uk/…/early-years-care-educa…
Get 10% Discount with us by using the code: nannyjob
Do you remember when you were young and the hours of fun that you had playing with a bowl of water, bubbles, pots and pans, a ball? Did you realise that you were learning?
Learning through play is one of the most important elements of a child’s development. Play encourages Language Skills, creativity, social skills, a sense of fun and the ability to enjoy time alone or as part of a group. Children often learn skills that they will use for the rest of their life and that will help them with the more academic learning they will have to undertake.
Here are some examples of how inexpensive and easily accessible playthings can help your young children learn: –
Anything physical like ball games, climbing in the park, running will all enhance and strengthen they body, help with co-ordination skills and encourage a lifelong enjoyment of keeping fit and healthy.
Board Games, Card Games, party games all help with learning to take turns, teamwork, ability to mix and socialise with others.
Building blocks, shape sorters and jigsaws help with fine motor skills, developing logic, recognising differing shapes and sizes and putting things into order, all brilliant skills when it comes to maths and science.
Singing, playing musical instruments and dancing all help with listening and hearing skills and help develop a sense of rhythm.
Play dough, drawing, painting, playing with dolls, dressing up, using empty boxes, sandpits, are great for imagination and creativity. For slightly older children writing basic stories alongside their pictures help with learning to express their feelings and language skills.
Playing with water is a great start to science and Maths, learning the difference between fluids and solids, measuring, different size containers.
What ever they do, it needs to be a fun and entertaining environment, not forced. Let children take the lead and do things their way. If the play area and equipment are safe there is no reason why they cannot find different and unusual ways of doing things and experiment. Remember children all develop at different rates and some children that can do a simple jigsaw may find it difficult to share and visa verse.
And finally, at the end of the day, when your little one is tired and exhausted from all that playing and using their imagination don’t forget to make reading time fun. Let them look at the pictures and tell the story they see.
Spending time playing either as a family or on their own need not be expensive or time consuming, a few minutes playing a card game, or kicking a football about can really help a child calm down, get them (and you) in a happy place and get on with the day. Never underestimate the benefits of having fun!
