School readiness – preparing your child for Reception Class

School readiness…its something you’ll probably hear quite a lot if you have a child who is preparing to start Reception Class in September, but what does it actually mean??

How can we, as parents, make sure that we are helping and not hindering when preparing our 4 year olds for big school?

Most of my Teaching career was spent teaching Reception, and so this is something I thought long and hard about when passing on information to Parents. What would I hope, as their Teacher, they could do already? What sort of things would I discuss in the Parents meetings for new starters? Where would my expectations be bearing in mind I don’t yet know the children or what level they are at?

Unlike parenting high school children, where you may find yourself embarking on a Tutor Hunt - Its not what you might expect….

The Benefits of Moodboards in Early Childhood Education

 There are many learning and teaching tools available to parents and educators, one of them being moodboards. A moodboard is an interactive, visual display (sometimes called a working wall)  that combines colours, textures, and images to support different lessons and learning objectives. Moodboards have become popular over the past few years because of their ability to improve engagement and comprehension, allowing young children to express ideas, emotions and concepts in a way that engages their senses and fosters creativity. Their versatile nature helps them address several developmental areas simultaneously, making them valuable assets in early childhood settings and classrooms.

 

How We Chose Our First Family Ski Holiday

 

Planning our first family ski holiday felt like an exciting yet slightly overwhelming task. With so many resorts, accommodation options, and travel logistics to think about, we quickly realised that choosing the perfect destination and digs would involve a lot of research and careful consideration. Here's how we made our decision and why we think it might turn out out to be the best holiday we've ever had...

When Arthur was still 2 yrs old - I spent almost my entire Christmas Eve sat on his bedroom floor trying to help him get to sleep as he was afraid of Father Xmas visiting our house!! I had a bit of time to kill, so I wrote this poem... I'm hoping that we don't have a repeat of  it this year, but I am absolutely certain I wont be the only one if so....

Christmas Eve Poem for Parents

'Twas the night before Xmas and all through the house, 

not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse....

10 Questions to ask when choosing a Primary School

Are you currently looking around Primary Schools for next September ready for your child to start in Reception class, or, Foundation stage 2? Are you wondering what questions you should ask when choosing a new school? What things you should be looking for when looking around a new school or classroom?

 I found it really hard to approach this task with my 'parent hat' on, rather than my 'Teacher hat'. As many of you will know, I am a Primary School Teacher who specialised in the Early Years (EYFS) and I am extremely passionate about active, free-flow, play based learning. 

I have compiled a list of questions to ask when trying to choose a primary school below, some of which I asked when looking around the schools...some that I wish I had asked! Anyway, here is the benefit of my hindsight, carefully set out for you to use when researching schools for yourself... and once you've chosen, you can pop back and read my post all about school readiness and how to help our children prepare for Reception class. 

Post Natal Depression - What you need to know about PND

The thing with PND (post - natal depression, post-partum depression or post pregnancy depression) is that it gets to you even when you think it shouldn’t. You can almost feel it creeping up on you, like an unwanted period when you’re trying to conceive, and yet you stay in utter denial that this is actually happening because...well, why should it?

 

Why should you feel depressed when you have absolutely no reason to be? Why should you feel depressed when you’ve got everything you ever wanted and you’re supposed to be so utterly, deliriously happy with life?

THAT’S the thing. PND doesn’t discriminate.

How to spot a rat infestation when viewing a house

We were caught out by a hidden rat infestation in our house which we only discovered after we had moved in. Since then, we have become experts at checking for, and also noticing signs of a rodent infestation in order to make sure we don't suffer any further rat damage and to ensure that the measures we have put in place to get rid of rats have been successful.

 

I often think back to the information that would have been helpful to us when we were viewing this house, and so if YOU are currently looking to buy a house or you have suspicions that you may be dealing with a rodent issue - here are some things to look out for...

How to get rid of a rat infestation

Have you recently discovered a rat infestation, or are worried that you may have an infestation? (Read here for how to spot a rat infestation)

  

Perhaps you would like to be ready and armed in case a rat infestation occurs?

After unknowingly buying a rat infested house, and spending a fortune on repairs due to rat damage - here are some of the tools and resources we would recommend trying to deter or get rid of rats...

How to set up effective classroom rules

Effective classroom rules will vary depending on the ages of the children involved. What works for a 15 year old will not always be appropriate for a 5 year old.

 


With this in mind, I am going to tell you a little bit about how I set up effective rules within my Reception class that were conducive to effective teaching and a calm classroom.

Where Do I Start When Overwhelmed with Housework?

Housework is endless – we all know this. What’s worse, though, is that the longer you put it off, the more overwhelming it can feel. Tackling a mountain of laundry, a dirty bathroom and a messy living room can seem like too much.

 

So, how do you get started with housework when it all feels too overwhelming? That’s exactly what we’ll cover in this post, so read on to find out.