Child Development

It may look like just a whole lot of scribbles to you, but drawing is an important part of your children's development. Find out about the importance of drawing for young children and the many benefits it offers.

So how do you know if you have a gifted child? We take a look at some of the characteristics of gifted children, the meaning of giftedness, whether we should recognise gifted children and what to do if you feel you child is gifted.

Everyone has an opinion when it comes to baby sleep, and sometimes it’s hard to establish myth from reality. With access to unlimited information via the internet, from coffee groups, friends and family, it’s inevitable that you’ll get a lot of conflicting advice. Here are some tips to help you dispel common myths around babies sleep habits.

Learning towers are great for boosting your toddler so they can stand up and interact safely at bench height, whether it’s ‘helping’ with dinner, baking or doing arts and crafts alongside you. However, the potential of learning towers extends far beyond the kitchen. They also have a positive effect on your toddler’s brain development.

What constitutes ‘disruptive’ behaviour in young kids is very subjective. However, by looking deeper at your child’s behaviour it will help you understand more about why they act in a certain way. Behaviour that can appear ‘naughty’ or ‘disruptive’ to you, is often just your child’s way of communicating an unmet need as they try to figure out their way in the world.

The term ‘fourth trimester’ is often used to describe the first 3 months of your baby’s life. A time of enormous transition that your baby must make from being inside the womb to exiting into the big wide world. Find out about the fourth trimester, what you can expect and how to cope and navigate your way through those first few monhts.

Is your newborn baby having sleeping problems? These newborn sleep secrets will help encourage better sleep during the newborn stage. From how long they should stay awake to starting a bed time routine, differentiating between night and day and letting them self settle.

Do your kids know their phonics alphabet? Learning to read and write is a major milestone, but you can help your preschooler learn the basics using the phonics alphabet.

Anywhere between the ages of 12 months and 18 months your toddler will be ready to transition from two naps to one nap each day. But how do you know when they’re ready to drop a nap? And if so, what then?

As well as physical growth spurts, your baby will also experience mental growth spurts or ‘leaps’. It’s easy to see when your baby has suddenly grown taller or put on weight, but not so easy to see what’s happening inside their brain. Find out more about mental leaps.

Over the years as our living space has decreased and our use of smart phones, tablets and television has increased, children are now often missing out on connections to nature. In our hectic world, children need experiences that were such a big part of their parents’ childhood. Check out these natural resource activities to try with your little ones.

Early childhood experiences impact and determine how the brain develops. Find out how we can help to stimulate our children’s early brain development and learning, and help them reach their full potential.

The benefits of preschool music lessons go way beyond the classroom. Preschool music lessons not only help to support kids language growth and motor skills development, but they also help to improve their memory and internalise rhythm. We take a look at the positive effects of music on children’s brain development, the importance of rhythm and the physical benefits of music too.

As a new parent you may be unsure about when you should start taking your baby to classes. Whether you should sign them up for baby sensory and development classes or similar classes designed specially with babies in mind. You may even have read articles that suggest that you should avoid over stimulating your baby and avoid enrolling in classes altogether. Hear what these parents have to say.

Try stepping back when your kids complain about feeling bored. This will empower them to think for themselves and learn to be resilient. It will also encourage them to find their own way out of the boredom, and the problem-solving process helps them feel good about themselves.

Separation anxiety is a normal phase of a child’s emotional development. Your normally placid and charming baby starts to become clingy and tearful, often from 6-10 months onwards. Find out more about separation anxiety and some practical ways to help your little one through this phase.

Does your little one experience regression from time to time and start acting younger than their age? It’s not uncommon for toddlers and young children to experience some sort of regression in their early years. We take a look at some of the causes of regression and what you can do to help.

The witching hour can start without warning and is often longer than an hour! The calm, quiet baby or toddler you once had turns into a crying inconsolable child in no time at all, usually around the same time every day. So what can you do?

Do you sometimes struggle to get your kids to listen and pay attention to what you’re saying? Do you often feel frustrated or resort to raising your voice? Do you think you’re starting to sound like a broken record? Here are 4 quick ways you can encourage your kids to listen to you and help you restore your sanity!

Believe it or not, lying in the early years is a normal part of childhood development involving independence, emotional regulation and putting things into perspective. So it’s not all bad! Find out more about pre-schoolers reasons for lying, dealing with lies, setting an example and continued lying.

Many things can cause young kids to become mad and start to scream and shout. However it’s important as parents and caregivers to teach toddlers and preschoolers how to manage their anger so that it doesn’t become self-destructive.

Are you guilty of bribing your kids or over-rewarding them? We take a look at the difference between bribes and rewards, the long term effects of both and instilling positive values.

Does your child often interrupt you? When you’re talking to someone else, on the phone or in the middle of something, it can be frustrating when your child constantly interrupts. Teaching them how to determine if something warrants an interruption and how to pay more attention to other people's needs as well as their own will help control the interruptions.

Much research has been carried out over the years on the importance of exposing young children to music. We look at some of the benefits and give you some suggestions for making music at home.