Signs your young child may be suffering from Anxiety
There are many reasons why children develop anxiety. From genetics to traumatic events, personality types that are prone to it […]
Baby’s physical milestones for every age
As parents, we naturally want to keep track of how our little ones are developing or if there are any
ins and outs of Positive Parenting
You may have heard the term ‘Positive Parenting’ thrown around lately. While it may seem like just another parenting trend,
9 signs you may have Postpartum depression
Also known as Postnatal depression, this condition can often be mistaken for something referred to as the ‘ Baby Blues ’. Both of
What to expect on D-Day
With nine months to prepare yourself for the day your little one arrives, it is still hard to wrap your
Teaching your young child manners
As parents, it is our job to ensure that our children grow up knowing and practising good manners. It is not always the easiest thing to instil – especially in young toddlers. From birth onwards, it is a child’s instinct to be somewhat selfish in order to self-preserve. Often, from one to two years old, you will find children playing alongside each other as opposed to with each other. It is our responsibility to encourage them to play with each other, share and have good manners. But how do we go about it? The experts say there are three main ways to instill manners from a young age.
Is your child’s temper tantrum normal?
Believe it or not, young toddlers use temper tantrums as a way to self-soothe. Temper tantrums are their bodies, and minds, way of dealing with stressful situations. Because a young child has not yet developed the ability to communicate or the means to create their own equilibrium like an adult, what comes out of these situations is a tantrum.
The Science behind vaccinations
We all hate putting our children through any pain, but when it comes to protecting them from some pretty scary diseases, it is the least we can do for them. Our children are constantly exposed to many different viruses, bacteria, and other microbes from the time they are born. Most are not harmful, some are beneficial, but a few can cause disease. The body’s immune system helps protect us against these harmful infections. When we are exposed to infection, the immune system triggers a series of responses to neutralise the microbes and limit their harmful effects.
About the TopTots Tom-e Comforter Doll
Our favourite Tom-e doll is now available as a comforter for your little one. This product is ideal for the
Toptots Slippers
Winter is coming and those little feet need to be kept warm. Our toddler slippers are made from cotton denim
Why is it important for your baby to be exposed to sound and language?
From the moment your baby is born, she starts to learn about her environment. She does this by using her senses. Hearing, seeing, smelling, touching and tasting, gets her senses working and this in turn, gets her brain learning.
What is Independence?
Independence is defined as freedom from the control, influence, support and aid of others. This is something that we all strive for, having the independence to live our lives free from being dependent on others. It is the knowledge that wherever we go and whoever we are with, we are capable and competent. We can trust our ability to make our own choices and plan our actions accordingly. The more successfully we negotiate challenges and succeed at tasks, the more self-confident we feel and the greater our self-esteem becomes.
Sensory Integration Difficulties
The number of children presenting with Sensory Integration Difficulties is increasing significantly. It is important that these difficulties are identified early and dealt with timeously as they have a large impact on a child’s functioning in the classroom, at home and in social settings.
Process Art and Early Childhood Development
Process art is all about the experience children have when they are creating. We encourage it at Toptots to enable the child to explore and be exposed to different mediums. Process art needs to be open ended and the child should be left alone to explore and create without any adult interference. Children learn through play and open-ended activities – this gives them the chance to explore and ask questions and see how things work. Process art is all about the actual process and not the end product.
Making and keeping memories
When you are pregnant or have a newborn everyone tells you that time passes by quickly so enjoy it!
Milestones – are they important?
I had a call from a concerned parent yesterday and I realised again how hard it is to bring up
Setting your child up for success
Being a parent of an eighteen-year-old that has just started university, I again realise how important it is for us
About the TopTots Healthy Plate, Healthy Me
An innovative way of encouraging young children to eat healthily This product is the brain child of Claire McHugh a
Encouraging Meaningful Play
Play time is so important for our children as a foundation for learning: Here are some tips to encourage meaningful
How does your baby develop a memory?
The development of a baby’s memory is also known as Object Permanence and basically means that the baby has developed
About the TopTots Roller Paints
Process art is all about the experience children have when they are creating. It is important to let your child
Help my Toddler is abusing me
In our Toptots classes, a question that frequently arises is that of how to stop young children from hitting either
The Benefits of Play
A commonly used phrase these days is: “Play is the work of children”. Some people may wonder how play can
Teaching a toddler how to cut
We are often asked by moms in our classes – “When do I start to teach my toddler to cut?”
How does a baby’s grasp develop?
Newborns keep their little hands in a tight fist most of the time when they are alert, opening them when
Why should I discipline my toddler?
Discipline is essential to the normal, healthy development of any child. Here are a few guidelines to guide your decisions
Will my child be left or right dominant?
Many years ago, people believed that it was important for all children to be right handed. They used to go
Why is it important to be a good role model?
As parents, we have been handed a truly remarkable creation with no instruction manual! As each day passes, we try
Group Games
Group activities are a great way of stimulating appropriate social skills. They provide opportunities for turn-taking, sharing, communicating and following
Why does Toptots have a parachute programme?
Many parents wonder why we persist with parachute activities in our classes when some children obviously don’t like it. I
