learning starts at home!
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Ever wondered how you can support your little one at home? Children learn best from their parents, siblings, and family members and there are so many ways you can help your child's development flourish and grow. Did you know? Children's brains grow the most in their first 5 years. Ensuring they have loving and meaningful relationships, a healthy diet, a wealth of experiences, exposing them to new and exciting language, and by providing fun and engaging interactions will all help to set them up to be confident, school ready little people with an excitement for learning.
Click here to find out some of things we look out for at 1-2 years
Check out this parent guide to things we watch out for with our 2-3 year olds.
.. and here's some info on expected milestones for 3-4 year olds too.
Poor oral hygiene can cause some big and very painful problems for children. Some people don't think they need to look after their baby teeth as they'll soon get their adult teeth, but this couldn't be further from the truth. As soon as their first teeth start popping through, it is so important to start caring for them properly. Not looking after their baby teeth can cause serious problems such as tooth decay and infections. For more information on caring for your child's teeth, check out this BBC Bitesize article for lots of information about when to start brushing, how to cope with resistance, fears of the dentist… Parents often have lots of burning questions about how to look after children's teeth.
Food glorious food!
Providing healthy and nutritious meals and snacks can sometimes be really tricky - especially with fussy little eaters! Offering a variety of choice and reintroducing things they've previously refused can be great ways to encourage a healthy and varied diet to your child. One of the biggest parent worries we hear at Little Oaks is how to ensure parents are providing a balanced and enjoyable diet to their children. The good news is there's loads of ideas, inspiration and recipes available to help! Here's a link to lots of really helpful information - from supporting with sensory needs and intolerances, new ideas for healthy snacks, and making food fun.
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How can I make easy, healthy snacks for my kids? - BBC Bitesize
How to have healthy eating habits as a family - BBC Bitesize
The importance of safe sleep for babies...
Our baby ladies take parts in lots of additional, baby specific training - including the importance of safe sleep. Safe sleep is incredibly important to ensure babies are protected from harm. The 5 Principals for safely sleeping babies are:
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Back to Sleep: Always place your baby on their back for all sleep times, including naps and overnight. This significantly reduces the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). ​
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Safe Sleep Environment: Use a firm, flat sleep surface, such as a safety-approved crib, bassinet, or portable play yard. Avoid soft surfaces like sofas or adult beds, which can increase the risk of suffocation. ​
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Room Sharing: Keep your baby's sleep area in the same room where you sleep for at least the first six months. This arrangement can reduce the risk of SIDS by up to 50%. However, avoid bed-sharing, as it can lead to accidental suffocation. ​
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Remove Soft Items: Keep the crib free of soft bedding, pillows, toys, and bumper pads. These items can pose suffocation hazards. ​
Let's Talk 🙃
....Communication in our under 5's
Click here to learn more about 'recasting' - a great technique for helping little ones learn how to use the right word without correcting them. Recasting models communication to your child, demonstrating the way to say things, expanding their vocabulary whilst building confidence.
Here's some brilliant hints and tips for supporting your child with their developing communication skills.
To learn more about helping your child build on their verbal and non verbal communication click the button here.
The pros and cons of dummies:
Read more about balancing comfort and communication development.
