What to Look for in a Pre-School

At some point, you are likely to send your child to a daycare, nursery school, creche or play school. This is a scary step for both parents and little ones but, for most, a necessary one. When you do take this big step, you obviously want to make sure that you are sending your child somewhere where they will be safe, happy and appropriately stimulated. 

Sadly, while there are some great schools out there, you also hear lots of terrifying horror stories, so it is important to check that the place that you are considering is up to scratch. To a large extent, your requirements will depend on your personal circumstances, eg. whether you work full time your child's personality, whether you are looking for a school that is more play focused or more academic etc.

Of course a visit (preferably during school time when you can observe) is mandatory before making a decision. Besides this, here are some of the things that you should consider:

First things first- is the school registered? How long has the school been running? Do they have a proven track record? Have all staff members completed first aid courses?

Do you like the staff members? Do they seem trustworthy? What did your instincts tell you when you visited the school? Did the children LOOK happy? Your gut feel is crucially important here. 

Do you know any other parents who have their kids at the school? If not, ask around and get their views on the school.
 
Do their hours suit your requirements? For example, if you are at home and have younger children, you may want a place that you can send your child a couple of times a week for a few hours. If you work, you will need somewhere that opens early enough and closes late enough to enable you to do pick ups and drop offs. (Remember that with younger children, drop off's can sometimes kill a good fifteen minutes).

Are the facilities clean, well looked after and appealing to little ones? Are there any safety hazards? Look at things from a child level when considering this one. Are small toys kept where younger children can access them?

How many children are there?  With very large classes your child might receive less attention and be more prone to catch bugs. Are smaller children kept separate from the older ones?

Who will be looking after your little one? What is the ratio of caregivers to children.
What is their daily schedule like? Do the teachers have the necessary qualifications? Look into the different methodologies out there, eg. Montessorri, Waldorf etc and consider what would best suit your child.

What are the fees like? Can you afford them? While good child care does come at a cost, pricier does not always equate to better. Consider whether there are extra costs, for example stationary, meals, excursions, extra-murals, inhouse health checks, special clothes for certain activities etc (these can all add up). Also, bear in mind that some schools expect you to send basics such as toilet paper, tissues, soap or plasters. Work out what all of these items will cost you before labelling one school as being cheaper than the other.

What is their philosophy with regards to raising a child? What is their approach to discipline and does this align to your own moral code?

What are their processes in a scenario that your child falls ill or gets injured? 

Are meals provided? Are any dietary restrictions catered for? Besides meals catered by the school, what is the approach when food is brought in by other learners for bakers days, birthdays etc? 

Is the area safe? Is security adequate? Are there cameras? What policies are in place in terms of who is allowed to fetch the child? Ironically, too much security is also a possibility in Johannesburg- the first school we sent Noodle to had boom gates and three fingerprint checkpoints before you could get near the children. While we were certain the children were safe, it did feel a bit like the little ones were in prison and they also didn't allow anyone but the parents to pick children up under any circumstances, which was a problem if we were in a fix for whatever reason. 

Is the school in a convenient area for you? If you have to drive there, how long will it take you to get there in traffic? Consider doing a test run before enrolling your child if getting to work on time is on your priority list. Is there  sufficient parking for parents?

What is the daily routine like? How much of time is spent indoors versus outdoors? What activities are there for the little ones? How much of parental involvement is required? For example, I love the school my son is at right now but I honestly do not know if I could keep up with all the extras parents need to do and send if I were working full time.

How does the school keep you updated with regards to your child's progress and daily events?

What is the nap time regime?

What is their approach with regards to nappies/ potty training/ toilet routines? Are the toilets clean? Do the children get enough assistance in the toilet? (This was another gripe that I had at a previous school- two year old's were expected to go to toilet alone unsupervised). What are the nappy change facilities like?

At the end of the day, you will know best what is best for your little one, but hopefully this list will help you to make an informed decision. 

36 Smart Show and Tell Ideas

With a grade R daughter who has to do show and tell weekly (yes... every single week) and a two year old who has to do it occasionally, I have been trying to think very hard about ideas for show and tell (because lets face it, while the little ones do the actual presentation, it is usually mommy who has to come up with the bright ideas). 

What constitutes show and tell differs a little for the two kids- Squish can pretty much take any object and tell his class about it. For Noodle, it has to be a demonstration of some sort (they have an entirely different day of the week when they have to take an object and talk about it).

So here are some ideas, in no particular order. These should be suitable for little ones between around two and seven. This may depend on their capabilities and specific school requirements, eg. they may require that is has to be a demonstration or it has to be something from nature. I have not included instructions for any of these as they should be simple enough to figure out but I will be happy to give instructions for any of these if needed.

1. For younger children, taking a favourite toy and talking about it or showing how it works is an easy option.

2. Also popular with the little ones is to take a pet to school. I would recommend checking with the teacher before doing this one and taking care of any logistical issues surrounding it (I would never be brave enough to let my kids opt for this one- there were some horror stories last year). 

3. Younger children can talk about their bodies and what the different parts of their bodies do. Demonstrate with a doll or teddy bear.

4. Do a demonstration of how to ice and decorate a cupcake or plain biscuit, make a sandwich,  milkshake or fruit salad.

5. Talk about the different seasons and take items of clothes for each season.

6. Younger children can take objects such as leaves, shells, pine cones or feathers and talk about it.

7. Make a kite. 

8. Make a bracelet or necklace.

9. Make a paper fan, paper flower or paper aeroplane.

10. Make a snowflake cut out. 

11. Put on a puppet show. 

12. Demonstrate how to plant a seedling. 

13. Do a song and dance. 

14. If the child has a hobby or sport that they take part in, they can talk about that and take the equipment that they use (eg. a ballet tutu and slippers or a tennis racket and tennis ball). 

15. Demonstrate something arty- a handprint picture or leaf animals on paper. 

16. Make a diorama (an ocean, a forest or a beach are easy ones). You may want to prepare individual components of this at home.

17. You can do the old school volcano with bicarbonate of soda and vinegar (I think we all did this one when we were younger).

18. Take objects that smell different and explain about your sense of smell.

19. Let the kids talk about a holiday or special trip they have been on (take pictures with).

20. Decorate an egg (boil it first or you are likely to have a mess on your hands). 

21. Take a toothbrush and toothpaste and demonstrate how to brush your teeth.

22. Make something out of Lego blocks. 

23. Take a toy car, truck, train etc and talk about different modes of transport. 

24. Take paints in primary colours and demonstrate how they change colour if you mix them.

25. Make a chain out of paper clips. 

26. Do a flower arrangement.

27. Talk about exercising and let the class join in with some simple exercises.

28. Write or draw on a banana with a toothpick and show how the writing shows up a few minutes later.

29. Take a favourite book and talk about it.

30. Take some 'trash' and talk about recycling.   

31. Take different food objects and talk about healthy and unhealthy food. 

32.  Take magnets and demonstrate picking up metallic objects.

33. Make a bookmark.

34. Make something out of play dough. 

35. Take various animal figurines and talk about those animals. 

36. Prepare a chart with various textures (eg. sandpaper, cottonwool etc) and talk about how each one feels.    

Please share your best show and tell ideas. Also, let me know about the ones that went horribly wrong.

Moments with Little Squish

The terrible two's have hit hard and they are trying. However, all the cute things that my son says at age twenty-four months more than make up for these inconveniences. 

Here are a few gems: 

(Squish is sitting on the potty. To his dismay, nothing comes out.)

Mommy! Help. My bum bum is not working!

Please can we go for a ride on the tuckshop? (tuk tuk)

I want to drive my Mambogini (he has a toy Lamborghini).

(Pretends to talk on phone).
Hellooooo. I are here. Where are you? What is your name?

Please buy me nice shoes like Mickey Mouse, not stinky shoes like Goofy. 

Please can I have a sweet? 
(I say no.)
Awww, pweeaase mommy. Just one tiny baby sweet?

My least favourite:

(Why do kids pick up only the annoying songs on the radio?)

Watch me whip, watch me nae nae.

The there is another super annoying song on the radio  'I've got bills, I've got to pay'. But he only sings this bit: My shoes, my shoooooooooooooooooeeeeeeees.
 
Second place for my favourite:

 Big sister often does impromptu 'shows' for us so he mimics this. For his grand entrance, he pops out from somewhere and says...
Welcome... To ... Me!!! 


My ultimate favourite:

Mommy! Missed you soooo, so much!
(He says this every time we were apart, even if we were apart for just a few seconds).

Six Ways to Put Your Toddler to Sleep

Since I stopped breastfeeding, I have had to find new ways to put my son to sleep. Luckily, I have been through the rigmarole of putting a toddler to sleep with my daughter, so I have some tricks up my sleeve.

If you are battling to get your little one to sleep, either for daytime naps or at night, here are some tricks that you can try. Some might work on some days and not others, some might not work at all- you need to see what works best for your little one.

A SOLID BEDTIME ROUTINE

Toddlers are creatures of habit, so sticking to a night time routine (eg. bath, brush teeth, pyjamas, bedtime story, shut lights) is essential.

Meet their needs before they have cause to wake up and moan about something. Give them any comfort objects they may need before they ask for them. Ask them if they need the bathroom or a last sip of water before bedtime and make sure that their bedrooms are comfortable. Scan the room with them for anything 'scary' if you have a toddler going through a frightened stage and reassure them that their bedrooms are a safe place. 

If they wake during the night, reassure them but be firm and do not create any incentives for them to stay awake or you will be reinforcing the habit.

A SLEEPY STORY

When putting a little one to sleep, I switch off the lights (or put on just a small night light) and then make up my own stories. The trick is to make them very repetitive and slightly monotonous, engaging enough for your little one not to stop you in your tracks, but boring enough for you to literally bore them to sleep, e.g. He saw a bear at the zoo and clapped his hands. Then he saw a monkey at the zoo and clapped his hands. Then he saw a lion at he zoo and clapped his hands. You get the point. At some point, the character in the story needs to get very sleepy and start yawning, eventually falling asleep.

Have you tried 'The Rabbit Who Wants to Fall Asleep'? If not, click on the hyperlink to find the Youtube video. My sleepy stories work on similar principles to this.

A CAR RIDE

No toddler can resist falling asleep after a long car ride. If all else fails, this is a good way to get them to sleep.

WHITE NOISE

Some background noise, eg. a fan or a hairdryer can be a good sleep aid. There are some great free white noise apps that you can download or you can buy (or create your own) white noise CD. Experiment and see what white noise works for your little one. Noodle still drops off after a few minutes of a hairdryer while Squish seems more partial to water trickling. 

A LULLABYE

Lullabyes work well but you are bound to get tired of singing them over and over. So get a recording of your little one's favourite lullabye or if only your voice works, record yourself singing it and then play it softly on a loop.

SOME SLEEPY POTIONS

Try some lavender essential oil or tissue oils or tissue oils designed for sleep. (Note: I have found that this one helps sometimes but other times not).

Goodbye Nahnah: The End of the Breastfeeding Journey

This poem really speaks to me at the moment- especially the last two paragraphs. After almost two years of breastfeeding, December 2015, just before Squish's second birthday, was when we decided it was finally time to swap the nursing bras for Wonderbras again. Two years seems like a logical time for weaning and felt right to me- I was finally able to have a meaningful two way discussion with my son about the topic by this age. Two years also happens to be the time period recommended for breastfeeding by both the World Health Organisation and the timeframe recommended according to my religion- if that is not a sign that this is a good time I am not sure what is!

The breastfeeding journey was a tough one for me (read more about my journey here). I must admit, the last few months of breastfeeding were a bit easier, but after two sleep deprived years, I knew it was time. 

We had previous failed attempts at weaning after about twelve months. La Leche League's recommended method for weaning is 'do not offer and do not refuse'. Let's just say that was an epic failure and I am fairly sure I would be feeding through the high school gates if we stuck to that mode of weaning. Previous (less subtle) weaning methods tried also included putting foul tasting substances on my breasts, from bitter aloe to balsamic vinegar ( both of which Squish just responded to with a bit of a funny face but then proceeded to suck off the offending substance nonchalantly) and wearing polo-necked tops (which literally got ripped open).

So when I tried weaning again this December, I was ready for a tough fight, which to my surprise never came. We waited until the holiday season, when A was on leave. Night time is when Squish tended to drink the most so we anticipated some sleepless nights. On night one, I did something that I never did before. I packed an overnight bag and Noodle and I spent the night at my mom's house (which is close enough for me to return on case of emergency). While Noodle and I had a night of Monopoly, Squish was home with daddy. I do not know what happened in my absence (though I suspect Squish was lulled to sleep by Youtube). I am told there were a few tears but that he only woke once or twice during the night and went back to sleep quite easily. 

The next morning, I returned, with large plasters across my breasts (and a dot or two of fake blood for theatric effect). When Squish saw it, I expected a fight but instead he said sweetly, 'sorry mommy' and gave me a big hug. He kept asking to look at it, but instead of trying to drink, he came to give me hugs and say sorry each time.

For the next few days, he did not try drinking at all, though he did ask to look at my plasters every hour or two. For a few days, he replaced his 'nahnah' with (oddly), copious amounts of grapes. Even now that the plasters are off, he still asks to have a look at his old comfort objects at least once a day. 

Nap times and bed time was tough for the first week or two as breastfeeding had always been our method of choice for getting him to drift easily to sleep. Slowly, we developed a new routine, which included the old elements, bath time, a shower and a bedtime story, but now we switched off the lights and had one extra bedtime story in the dark- each day we now have made up stories about a character, Bubbles, who is the star of all our stories. When Squish is ready to sleep, he covers his entire face with the duvet and then is asleep in a minute or two. I then move him to his cot, where he sometimes sleeps right through the night- something that never happened back when I was breastfeeding. 

What nobody told me is how painful the weaning process would be for me! See, the recommended method is slow weaning. To some extent, this was a slow weaning process as we had already eliminated all daytime feeds except before nap time. However, till now, Squish still fed several times each night and we stopped the night feeds abruptly, which is apparently not ideal for mom. I did not expect the assault on my breasts. To say that weaning was a (physically) painful experience for me is an understatement. I quickly developed all the symptoms of mastitis- very painful, engorged breasts, a slight fever and excruciating lumps caused by plugged ducts, made worse by me plugging my breasts up with plasters. While the pain level was almost comparable to being in labour, by this time I was away in the bushes for a few days so cabbage leaves and Nurofen was as advanced as pain alleviation treatment was going to get! I was leaking giant puddles of milk everywhere and had to change my clothes several times a day. Charming, I know. It took a few weeks before the pain slowly subsided but eventually it did.

It turns out that the weaning process was actually quite easy for Squish (which is what counts most for me). He has adapted very well to our new routine and, apart from asking to look at my breasts or holding on to them sometimes when he is upset, he has moved on. I will miss that giddy look of elation as he took the first sip at each feed, the feeling of closeness and the way his eyes would almost roll back in his head in ecstasy, but seeing my little boy growing up into an independent little person is equally rewarding. Now we start a new chapter, one without breastfeeding but with a whole new independent world to be explored.