We have a shy child. She is the product of two parents who were both chronically shy as children and who are also both on the far end of the introvert scale. (Not that being an introvert automatically means you are shy, nor does being an extrovert make you immune to being shy.) But there she is, your fairly typical shy child, doing her best to make her way in the world.
Topics: Parenting, Behaviour, Primary School, Preschool, Prep, Toddlers
The term ‘fine motor’ refers to the use of the small muscles of the body. Any part of the body that uses small muscles, such as hands, wrists, fingers, feet, toes, lips, mouth and tongue, are covered by the term ‘fine motor’.
Topics: Primary School, Preschool, Prep, Toddlers
Is four too young to start school?
If your child’s birth month would make them one of the youngest in their class, would you wait a year and let them start Prep with greater maturity? Or would your sparky preschooler be bored and unchallenged by another year of Kindergarten?
Ever felt stressed out by your children’s homework assignments? Do you feel a responsibility for the work your child hands in?
Research from the UK suggests that parents who help their children with their homework may be having a negative effect on their children’s grades.
Topics: Parenting, High School, Primary School, Homework
When my eldest started school four years ago I was very excited, slightly anxious and often confused. Navigating school life was as much of a challenge for me as it was for my five-year-old, if not more so. My youngest completed Prep last year. It was so much easier the second time round ... but there were still a few surprises (mostly positive ones).
For parents embarking on this adventure for the first time, here is some 'insider knowledge' of what to expect in this exciting year ...
Topics: Parenting, Primary School, Prep
Think play dough is just for pre-schoolers?
I am always amazed at how much time older children and even adults will spend happily squidging and modelling if they get their hands on it.
I have used play dough to divert teenagers at youth groups, as an ice-breaker at grown-up parties and as a medium for imaginative play and learning.
Topics: High School, School Holidays, Primary School, Preschool, Prep, Toddlers, Craft
