Advice from the experts
Parenting Hub

Cleverdon Preschool

Our engaging and inspired teachers take a zoom class each morning at a set time where they cover brain gym/movement, theme related topics, songs, sensory activities, science experiments, baking, stories and fun activities, which develop the preschool skills. Further activities and videos are loaded onto the google classroom for each class which the parents and children can access.

Toptots Head Office

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.

Toptots Head Office

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.

Organix

The wonder of weaning baby

Once they get to around six months old your baby will start needing solid foods alongside their milk, (which is why weaning is often known as ‘complementary feeding’) to help teach them how to move food round their mouth, chew and swallow.

Organix

HELLO WE’RE ORGANIX!

We’ve been cooking up scrummy, nutritious baby and toddler meals and snacks since 1992. It may seem like common sense to us today, but making sure little ones ate a varied diet, full of texture and taste from real fruit and veggies, was a much less talked about idea back then, when our healthy-eating campaigner Lizzie Vann founded Organix. After searching in vain for healthy organic baby and toddler food she decided to make her own and this was how Organix was born.

OneAid

Going Viral: Is It COVID-19 Or Something Else?

With COVID-19 following us into winter we are going to have many more other viruses to worry about. Viruses that cause the common cold and Influenza are going to peak over the next few months. Since many of these respiratory illnesses share common symptoms it can become confusing trying to figure out which virus is responsible for your symptoms and even cause you to panic unnecessarily every time you get a tickle in your throat thinking it’s Corona.

#CarseatFullstop

Breaking down the cost of car seats

Car seats are expensive. Better car seats are more expensive. The cost of car seats is a common debate, even though in the end it isn’t really relevant. The safest car seat for you is the best one you can afford that installs safely in your car and matches the weight, height and age needs of your child.

OneAid

COVID-19 In Children – What Do We Know?

As parents we worry a lot about our children’s health and most especially now, with this new coronavirus (SARS-Cov-2). With so much information currently available online about COVID-19 it can become difficult for us to sift through the real from the fake news. I hope to simplify things a little in this post and share some of the more convincing theories we have on COVID-19 in children.

Catrobatkidz

A Nutritional Guideline for Healthy Active Kids

Parents play a big part in shaping children’s eating habits. In a fast paced world where most parents have to juggle their time between work, play and home and are faced with all the latest food fads, it is no surprise that some parents may need some help understanding what healthy food for their little ones is. Getting children to eat what’s best for them can be a challenge, and giving in to their pestering for less-than-nutritious food can make it awfully confusing. Remember you are the parent and you do the shopping.

Parenting Hub

THE IMPORTANCE OF LEARNING AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE

The incentive for learning any additional language is distinctive to every household. However, in the South African context, given the vast social, cultural, historical and practical benefits, isiZulu is a great language to choose and learning it has many advantages and benefits.

Parenting Hub

1 Toy 10 ways to play

As lock down enters its second month most Moms and Dads are staring blankly in a daze thinking of another idea to entertain the busy toddler.

Parenting Hub

There is a Monster Under my Bed!

It is normal for children to be afraid of the dark at some stage or another. Preschoolers aren’t always able to distinguish between reality and fantasy. Couple this with very active imaginations and it becomes easy for them to believe monsters are under the bed or in the cupboards, waiting to pounce once the lights go out.

Parenting Hub

Keep fit during lockdown with your baby and stroller

According to doctors and professionals keeping fit is one of the most important things to do during lockdown. Exercise will strengthen your immune system, elevate your mood and get those endorphins flowing.

Good Night Baby

Weighted Blankets – the low down

The popularity of weighted blankest has increased in the last couple of years. However, these blankets have been around for quite some time, especially in the Occupational Therapy field.

Parenting Hub

Breaking Tragic News to Little Children

As parents, our greatest wish is to protect our children from anything that will cause them pain, be it physically or emotionally. But in reality, tragic things happen. That is life and unfortunately there is just no getting around it; it’s tough and it’s going to be hard. However, there is a way we can be there for our children when this does enter their lives. Every event that is considered “tragic” has to be dealt with as its own individual event, so the way one would break the news of a death of a loved one would be different to the way one would break the news of a person getting divorced. There are some things one must consider though when breaking sad news to children…

Catrobatkidz

Why Catrobatkidz?

We often hear messages in the media that children aren’t getting enough physical activity. But what exactly does “being physically active” mean when you are an infant, toddler or pre-schooler? And is it important for their health now and in the future?

Parenting Hub

The Importance of Environmental Exposure to Developing Minds

As a pre-school child, I was always eager to be outside, “helping” my parents wherever I could. I would watch as my mum and dad used to potter in the garden for hours at a time. Always having plenty decisions to make. Where in the garden should they place the newly bought plants? How deep should my dad dig the hole? The list is endless. Looking back, I now realize the patience they had, allowing me to “help”, the accommodations they would make so I would feel like a big girl with responsibilities for our garden to look beautiful.

Child's Farm

Top tips for tots with eczema

Eczema can be incredibly uncomfortable for children and it’s upsetting for parents to see their child suffering with itching, cracked and bleeding skin. Parents may feel they have to stop their children playing and swimming outside because of high pollen counts and chlorine or even avoid having a bubble bath with their siblings for fear of irritation. It’s clear to see why so many parents are left feeling pretty desperate, but eczema doesn’t have to limit children any longer!

Parenting Hub

Living in lockdown

The kids are at home, and the family is following government advice: staying indoors and only venture outside when necessary.

Prima Baby

CHICCO POCKET SNACK BOOSTER SEAT

Weaning baby is such a great – and messy time. When baby is anatomically upright in posture, actively holding utensils and really enjoying their food, it makes sense to have the child part of the family mealtime.

Parenting Hub

LOVE LANGUAGE BETWEEN CHILDREN AND PARENTS

Having been a pre-school teacher for twenty-five years and a mother for eleven, I am convinced that in the end, communication and God’s love are the keys to a successful relationship with your children. The catch is – how do we successfully communicate this love to our children?

Prima Baby

CHICCO SIPPY CUPS RANGE

The range of Chicco Sippy Cups offer parents the reassurance that their oral and dental development is being looked after as baby starts drinking differently. All cups in the range help baby easily and naturally drink, respecting their abilities and age group.

Parenting Hub

How to boost baby’s development with appropriate toys

As parents we always want the best for our children and so we strive to do the right thing to ensure our children grow and develop into well rounded little humans. Experts say toys are one thing parents could use to improve brain development, but do we really know what kind toys to use for this purpose?

RediscoverDairy

Ideas for healthy lunchboxes

With every new generation of school going kids, comes the important topic of healthy school lunch boxes. What are some of the healthy things to include in the lunchbox? Why is it important for kids to eat healthy foods while they are at school? What are the best drinks for lunchboxes?

Prima Baby

CHICCO WEANING CUTLERY

The Chicco range of cutlery starts when your child first begins to accept a spoon. Beginning with the Silicone Spoon, perfectly suited to small mouths and delicate gums, to the older fork and spoon sets for when baby can start feeding themselves, gradually introducing metal child-sized cutlery for baby to eat just like the grown-ups.

Catrobatkidz

Low muscle tone (hypotonia) in Pre-Schoolers

Muscle tone is the amount of tension (or resistance to movement) in muscles when they are at rest. Our muscle tone helps us to hold our bodies upright when we are sitting and standing. Changes in muscle tone are what enable us to move. Since tone only describes a muscle when it is inactive or resting, it is quite possible for a child with low tone to still be very strong when they exert themselves and activate their muscles. There’s a big difference between muscle tone and muscle strength.

Baby's and Beyond

Caring for a child with Eczema

Allergic reactions are becoming more prevalent around the world, especially in more developed countries. This heightened sensitivity
may be due to increased exposure to harmful environmental factors, such as air pollution and cigarette smoke, as well as cleaner living environments with fewer micro-organisms and bacterial exposure

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