Information for parents
Being a parent is a great privilege, but we realise that parenting has its challenges. The AECYC management believes that ECD centres should be extensions of the home. Both parents and educators/ caregivers play an indispensable role in the life of the young child.
The notes for parent below focus on empowering parents and educators/ caregivers for the important task at hand: raising young children. There are no copyright on the information; in fact, we invite you to forward it to the parents and educators at your school. You are welcome to use it in a newsletter or via the School Communicator application. Please remember to add the specialist/ therapist’s contact details in your communication.
Feel free to contact the office if you have any queries.
Play is key to proper development Nature deficit disorder - reconnecting children with nature Holiday fun with your young child What is visual perception and how does this influence my child? The benefits of outdoor play Hand dominance When children steal and lie "Only children" Separation anxiety in the baby and toddler years Tender Touch Fussy Eaters Stimulate your child at home When your child goes to hospital Dealing with peer pressure Sibling Conflict Dyslexia Oral hygiene Bullying Healthy Eating for Toddlers Discipline effectively Become More Clever with Creative Mathematics Colouring-in activities: fine motor skills A new baby in the family Constipation. More Fibre, How? Immunisation The value of play Movement...why is it important for children? Why I bite my friends Breakfast for children When is my child ready to read? Tips when taking your child to the doctor Safety tips in public places Listening Skills Deal effectively with separation anxiety Emotional development in the baby years
| Play is key to proper development Liesel Brummer |
Research has shown that play is a phenomenon found amongst children all over the world. Children can play on their own, play next to other children or be engaged in play with other children. Furthermore, play can also be an interaction that takes place between the child and an adult. Play is a spontaneous interaction between people. It is thus amazing to see how much learning can occur during play activities.
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| Nature deficit disorder - reconnecting children with nature Elvira Burger |
One would have never imagined that people from sunny South Africa would suffer from Nature deficit disorder but sadly most of us with our over-scheduled, technology driven lives suffer from this new “epidemic of inactivity”.
The way most of us structure our lives, deprives our children from direct contact with nature and the experience of unstructured free play in the out-of-doors. Nature-deficit disorder is not a formal diagnosis, but a way to describe the psychological, physical and cognitive costs of human alienation from nature, particularly for children in their vulnerable developing years. The term was coined by Richard Louv in his book “Last Child in the Woods” that human beings, especially children, are spending less time outdoors. This modern lifestyle hurts our children, our families, our communities, and our environment.
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| Holiday fun with your young child Wietske Boon |
We all look forward to the holidays, but how do we keep those little ones busy?
It should not cost you a lot of money to have fun. You can use things from your house and garden to create new toys and games.
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| What is visual perception and how does this influence my child? Carla Grobler |
This is the ability of the brain to interpret and process what the eyes see.
This is the building blocks that a child needs for reading, writing and maths.
Visual perception and vision may influence each other but kids with poor vision don’t necessarily have poor visual perception and vice versa.
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| The benefits of outdoor play Wietske Boon |
Nature is a resourceful learning environment. Something we often take for granted and don’t use optimally. Outdoor play is beneficial for each area of child development: physical, cognitive, social and emotional.
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| Hand dominance Carla Grobler |
Hand preference usually starts to develop by the age of 3 years.
Hand dominance should be fully intact by the age of 5 years 6 months old. By now your child should use 1 hand, dominantly, for all of the tasks he performs.
If your child is still switching hands to perform tasks there might me an impairment with laterality and/or midline-crossing.
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| When children steal and lie Dr. Marisa van Niekerk |
Many children take things that don’t belong to them at some point. Here are a few common reasons and solutions.
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| "Only children" Dr. Marisa van Niekerk |
About 50 years ago only 10% of children under 18 years old represented the group of only children. If you mentioned the word “only child,” people’s first thoughts were of a spoilt brat, or socially incompetent (unfit).
Over the years a lot of books and articles (based on scientific studies, observations and personal experiences) were written about the only child. Although different perspectives still exist on whether it is good or bad to only have one child, the number of only children is climbing drastically.
Only children are the first- and lastborn children in their families. Although some people can only have one child, while others choose to only have one child, it is important that people know the benefits and drawbacks of having only one child.
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| Separation anxiety in the baby and toddler years Charmaine Jooste |
According to Sarah Abbot, director of Family Counselling Centre in Los Angeles, separation anxiety can strike any child at any given time even as sudden as overnight.
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| Tender Touch Elke |
Are our modern children being deprived of close personal touch?
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| Fussy Eaters Sr Ida Bester |
From one to three years, your child will make the big transition from infancy to childhood. During this phase it is very important to create a foundation of solid nutrition for healthy later years.
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| Stimulate your child at home Karyna le Roux |
Our active lifestyles keeps us busy and often we feel that we do not spend enough time with our children: we drop them off at school and in the evenings we might have to help older children with homework, we have to prepare dinner and a number of other things that needs to be done.
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| When your child goes to hospital Wietske Boon |
Going to hospital can be a very traumatic experience for any child.
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| Dealing with peer pressure Wietske Boon |
Peer pressure usually occurs when a person is manipulated by others, especially friends, to do things he/she wouldn’t necessarily want to do. Peer pressure is sometimes so subtle, we are not even aware of it!
Peer pressure can be positive and negative. Friends can have a bad influence on a child, but good friends can also influence a child positively.
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| Sibling Conflict Wietske Boon |
Sibling conflict is a normal and unavoidable experience within every family. I can assure you, this happens in all families.
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| Dyslexia Ronita Engelbrecht |
According to The Dyslexia Awareness conference hosted by the Mail & Guardian in September 2013, there are 5 million people in South Africa with dyslexia. This means that one in ten South Africans has a literacy problem.
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| Oral hygiene Natasha van Oudtshoorn |
With my knowledge as an oral hygienist, it was my experience at home that made me realize things are not always as easy as the book says, therefore I'll give you a few guidelines and tips to help keep your baby's teeth healthy.
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| Bullying Wietske Boon |
Bullying is any verbal or physical behaviour that is aggressive of nature that harms or injures any other person.
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| Healthy Eating for Toddlers Ora-Mari Olwagen |
Children’s requirements for high-energy food are much greater than those of adults. Toddlers need about three times the amount of calories per kilogramme of bodyweight than that of an adult. Their stomachs are about one third the size of an adult stomach. A toddler’s diet should therefore include some foods high in fat and low in fibre.
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| Discipline effectively Wietske Boon |
There is, like many other things in life, no ‘one-size-fits-all’ discipline strategy. Every child is unique, every family’s dynamics are different and parents’ views are not all the same, all of which will determine the discipline style that will work effectively for a family.
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| Become More Clever with Creative Mathematics Nicolene du Preez |
Did you know that mathematics form part of problem solving? Did you also know that problem solving have a direct relation to creativity? Creativity is the process to identify a problem and then to solve it.
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| Colouring-in activities: fine motor skills Monique Harris |
How do fine motor skills influence colouring?
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| A new baby in the family Wietske Boon |
How to prepare the firstborn for a baby brother or sister.
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| Constipation. More Fibre, How? Ora-Mari Olwagen |
Constipation is a very common problem amongst young children. A lack of, or too much fiber can cause constipation.
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| Immunisation Sr Kristel Steyn-Battheu |
Immunisation is the best way to protect your child from many infectious diseases.
Vaccines are given from birth up until 12 years of age. As a parent you have the responsibility to protect your child by ensuring that you immunise.
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| The value of play Nicolene du Preez |
Years of research has confirmed the value of play. In early childhood, play helps children develop skills they cannot get in any other way.
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| Movement...why is it important for children? Monique Harris |
Children in today’s day and age spend most of their time in a sitting position. Children need more exercise and movements that are more intense than adults. This is necessary for the good development of the body’s big muscles as well as other skills like balance, using both sides of the body together in activities, crossing the midline and coordinating movement.
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| Why I bite my friends Wietske Boon |
Small children have not yet learned how to communicate their needs and emotions effectively, thus they might bite or pinch their friends to give them the message that they are not approving of the current situation. In most of these cases the child is feeling angry, frustrated, irritated or even overly excited. They have a feeling that needs to be expressed – now!
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| Breakfast for children Ora-Marí Olwagen |
Children who have breakfast, are more energetic, participate in more physical activities, have higher concentration levels and eat healthier in general. Breakfast boosts your child’s metabolism and it helps maintain a healthy bodyweight. Without the correct breakfast, children may be more irritated, restless and tired. Not only is it important to make sure your child has breakfast, but it is also important to make sure that the correct foods are eaten.
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| When is my child ready to read? Dr Lettie Horn |
This is a question often asked by parents.
The Gr R child is NOT SUPPOSED to read yet, but some children begin to show signs of interest.
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| Tips when taking your child to the doctor Wietske Boon |
Taking your child to the doctor is never easy. Here are a few tips to prepare them for a doctor’s visit.
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| Safety tips in public places Annelie Etsebeth |
It is advisable to teach your child a few safety tips before going to a shopping centre or any public place.
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| Listening Skills Alet de Jager |
With all the technology at our finger tips, children get a lot of visual stimulation and they need to rely less and less on their listening skills.
Poor listening skills influence a child's ability to learn a language and sounds. Therefore it also influences their reading and spelling abilities.
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| Deal effectively with separation anxiety Wietske Boon |
Many young children experience separation anxiety sometime in the toddler years. Although the cause of severe separation anxiety should be determined, there are a few tips to limit separation anxiety.
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| Emotional development in the baby years Nicolene du Preez |
Emotion is a complex condition which activates different nervous systems in the body, the intestine and feelings (Gouws and Louw 1979:73). The child’s emotions have an influence on his/her whole body from the inside out.
During the first year of the infant’s life it is important that a strong and close mother-child bond is formed. It is important for the child to experience a sense of safety, love and belonging. The emotional bond between the parent and the child is the first impulses sent to the brain to develop the architecture of lasting relationships.
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