January at Raising Little Ones
Welcome to our first RLO monthly update! Here, you will find details of each months activity highlights with information and photos! We will give updates about staff joining and leaving, we also have a blog section at the bottom of the page with advice, information and days in the life of staff and the little ones’.
As January is our official opening month, we would like to introduce you to our staff members! Click here to be directed to our ‘Meet the Team’ page where you can find photos and information about our staff members. This will be updated with any new members of staff throughout the year!
A collection of photos we have taken this month of the little ones!
What we have been up to this month…
Role Play-
This month, the little ones have been doing lots of role play. We have observed the little ones enjoy playing with the toy baby. As you can see in the photo, the little ones were working together and observing one another caring for the baby. Our practitioners have enjoyed supporting the children with their learning about how to look after a baby, for example, how to hold the baby in order to support their head and showing how to put a nappy and clothes on the baby.
Playing in the Garden-
During the month of January, we gained access to our little garden space in the field behind the building, this is a great space for the little people to feel safe as it is surrounded by fencing. On one of our visits to the garden, Claire lead a Gruffalo themed activity! As you can see in the second picture below, the little ones were stomping on the ground, as the Gruffalo does when he’s walking through the deep dark woods!
We are looking forward to developing the garden space over the next few months, we are hoping to make this a space where the little ones can explore and develop their skills!
Walks to the Duck Pond-
During the month, we took lots of walks to the duck pond in Inverleith park! We found that the little ones really enjoyed spending time here so we used this space as a place to go on our daily walk/ outdoor experience. Here at RLO, we try to ensure we get outside everyday, in order for the little ones to explore their surroundings and at the same time, get some exercise for those who walk and for the little ones who don’t yet walk, to get some fresh air!
Reading Books-
Finally, this month, we have been reading lots of books! We have a range of books for children of different ages. When reading books to the little ones, we have been ensuring we use different tones of voice when needed. This is important to do when reading books to children, as they can begin to recognise the different tones being used, which can help develop emotional intelligence. It is also much more engaging for the little ones when we explore the different characters and their feelings!
“Our two kids love going to Raising Little Ones. They get involved in a variety of activities, and they love going out to the park and garden. They always leave tired and happy at the end of their session. The staff really help to develop their cognitive and social skills. The online Learning Journal is updated regularly so we can see photos of what they’ve been up to during the day.”
Monthly Advice for Parents…
As January is our first month open, we would like to share some advice on transitions, as bringing your child to an environment like RLO for the first time can be a big change…
Transitions are the changes in your child’s life, from home, with their parents, into an early years setting where they will be cared for by practitioners who have a passion for childcare and supporting little ones with their development. Making this change in life can be very daunting and scary, for both parents and children. It is important to recognise there are many different ways people deal with change, so being aware of this can be helpful! It is also useful to understand different ways of supporting the transition, so here are a methods we, at RLO find useful while supporting transitions…
Transitional Objects/ Comforters-
Transitional Objects or comforters are often an object that is from home that a little one plays with a lot, or smells like home. These objects often have the image of being a soft, cuddly toy, but this is not always the case! Sometimes this can be an object that is hard and doesn’t seem to look very comforting. Some little ones will bring their comforter into the setting for a short period of time while they familiarise themselves with the setting and then may not want to bring it in anymore, and some little ones will always bring in their comforter, no matter how settled they are!
Comforting-
Some children just need to be comforted as they go through their transition. This is most likely to be needing a hug so that they feel safe as they go into their new setting. Some little ones just need a hug for the first five minutes until they find something they want to play with, and on the other hand, some children may just need a hug for a while until they settle.
Preparing your child-
If your little one is old enough to understand and talk to you, it can be a good idea to prepare your child before going through the transition. Having a conversation about the experience they are about to go through can be very supportive, as they will be able to process what you have said and understand that where they are going is a safe environment and it is only temporary as you will be coming back to pick them up!
Distraction-
The final method of support through transitions, is distraction. This is when your child is in the setting, and a practitioner or support worker, finds a toy or activity that they think will be engaging for your child. They will then attempt to distract them with the toy/ activity, in order for your child to get stuck in and begin to feel like they are comfortable in the setting as they are able to find something they enjoy doing.
