August at Raising Little Ones…
We have had a busy month this August at RLO with lots and lots of activities!
This month, we have continued the introduction to themed weeks and we are getting into a great routine with these! The staff have been using their creative and imaginative skills to create activities for your the little ones to enjoy. Keep reading to see what we have been up to!
As it is a start of a new school term we have had questions form parents on how to deal with tantrums. Keep scrolling if you would like some advice from our staff!
A collection of photos we have taken this month of the little ones!
What we have been up to this month…
The Gruffalo-
During the first week of the month, we had the theme of ‘The Gruffalo’! Since this is such a popular book, we had lots of resources available to us for the little ones to use. For example; we had the original book, ‘The Gruffalo’s Child’ for the over two’s and ‘Gruffalo, Where Are You?’ for the under two’s! We also had some story spoons that supported the book as it was read out. The little ones used these to tell the story themselves as it was being told, and also used them as spoons in the Gruffalo Paw Print making activity!
Weather-
We have had lots of nice sunny weather this month, so we have been exploring the different weather and how it can affect our play. We now have a weather board up in the room for the little ones to use and pick out their favourite type of weather! Sally organised and ran a great weather messy play activity for the little ones with different textures and types of weather for the little ones to experience! Have a look at our Instagram to see more messy play activities.
Families-
The children had a huge interest in families this week. We have really enjoyed this, as the little ones have embraced what we have been talking about and have been able to talk to us about their family. Discussing family can give a child a sense of belonging and a feeling of love. The little ones have since been playing ‘families’ with the baby and they have been taking on the different roles. Another activity we have been busy with is our RLO Family Tree, where the little ones have been able to paint their hand and add their hand as if it is a leaf on the tree!
“I used RLO to have some me-time and it was amazing! I could relax knowing my child was in safe hands and well looked after. It is rally handy knowing I can drop of my child for a few hours.”
Monthly Advice for Parents…
This month, we are getting some advice from each of our practitioners about tantrums! We hope this is helpful…
Becca’s Advice-
Let your little one express themselves and then attend to their needs rather than their wants. It’s your child’s way of telling you their feelings so show that you are listening and will be there to help them and listen to their emotions rather than thinking of their actions as demands.
My trick to calm them down is to ask them to blow the candles out on the cake. Hold up 10 fingers and ask them to blow really hard, flicker your fingers and say the breathe wasn’t strong enough. Eventually your child will start to calm down and may even laugh or blow harder to get those candles out.
As well as your child taken a deep breath, you should as well. Tantrums are hard to listen too, so once they have calmed down, make sure you both have a BIG cuddle and take a step away for yourself.
Orla’s Advice-
I would always suggest using a calm tone of voice and making it clear to the child you are acknowledging their feelings. Once the tome is right, this is a great time to gently start to communicate with your child.
Emma’s Advice-
When dealing with tantrums, in my opinion, the main thing to do, is to keep yourself calm and try not to get wound up with the child. Time is the essence and giving the child time to collect themselves before taking any further actions.
Laura’s Advice-
Tantrums can be quite a daunting behaviour to face, so being prepared for these can be quite helpful! One thing I would suggest, is if you have space at home, make a quiet space for your child. You can show your child that this is their space and their space only, by making this an inviting environment where you think your child will feel safe. In previous experience, I have found that a Teepee is a great resource for creating this kind of environment! You can fill this with pillows and possibly some warm fairy lights to make this a cosy place for your little one. Once you have created this safe place for your child to feel calm, allow them to familiarise themselves with it and encourage calming activities here. Then, when your little one faces having a tantrum, you both know this is a calming environment. You can direct your little one to this space and express that you would like to support them, but you would like them to take some time to calm themselves before working through the problem they are facing.
Katriona’s Advice-
My key advice would be to initially offer quiet time, in a calming or comforting space. Next, try to encourage communication, this can be verbally or physically!
To get away those tears, wipe them and tell your child we are “keeping the in your pocket for later”, this way if they get angry or upset again you can explain that the tears have been put away and they do not need to get upset.
Sally’s Advice-
With two little ones of my own, I’ve found that tantrums are your child’s way of saying “I need help!”. I find it useful to thing the following…
Are they hungry?
Are they tired?
Are they anxious/ distressed with the situation?
Often talking them away to a quiet safe space and allowing them to express their feelings/ ride out their tantrum, will allow them to calm down.
I love the Janet Lansbury’s podcast ‘Unruffled’ which gives excellent advice in respectful parenting. Here is one on tantrums: The Best Way to Deal with Intense Tantrums.
