February 2024 Parenta Early Years Magazine

Issue 111
FEBRUARY 2024
The importance
of children feeling
represented
Why hiring an
apprentice
makes sense
Kindness vs
people-pleasing
+ lots more
EYFS activities
inside!
This month…
Expressive
Arts & Design
Celebrating apprenticeship
achievements
Are You Maximising Every Business Opportunity?
Exclusive referral program - see inside for details
and score a £100 Amazon voucher!

6
34
20
Hello
Welcome to our family
Welcome to the February edition of Parenta magazine!
With the first, possibly the wettest, and certainly the longest month of the year under our belts, we can look forward to a
month of celebration and achievements - our focus for this month - and your magazine is just brimming with articles on
these topics!
Pam McFarlane explores the ‘value of values’, Gina Smith looks at the importance of children feeling represented, and
Stacey Kelly explores kindness versus people-pleasing. We also look at how we can encourage our children to celebrate
individuality. We have plenty to celebrate with National Apprenticeship Week upon us and have some great advice to help
you get involved, or if you are thinking about hiring an apprentice. Check out Priya Kanabar’s article on page 18 as she
explains why hiring an apprentice makes sense, regardless of how small your setting is!
Remember to register for our webinar on the 15th and join us, together with our early years experts as we gain insights,
share experiences, and celebrate achievements in childcare apprenticeships. You can register at www.parenta.com/
webinars and don’t forget you will earn a CPD certificate if you attend!
Don’t forget to share the magic of our magazine with your friends, colleagues, and parents alike. They can receive their own
copy in digital or printed format by signing up at www.parenta.com/magazine.
Allan
12
Regulars
10 Write for us
36 EYFS Activities: Expressive Arts & Design
News
4 Congratulations to our Parenta Learners
6 Improving the business of childcare: part 2
8 Childcare news and views
Advice
24
14 Apprenticeships - a path to a rewarding career
22 Lunar New Year
26 Being kind to everyone and celebrating our
individuality
30 Children’s Mental Health Week
Industry Experts
38
12 I think they have sensory needs what can I do?
Part 2.5 - provide and adopt
18 Why hiring an apprentice makes sense -
Yes, even for childminders!
20 Let’s get ready to play… wait, what now?
24 The value of values
28 The importance of children feeling represented
32 Musical medicine: How music helps pre-term
neonatal infants
38 Child development: Dance and movement - part 2
2 February 2024 | parenta.com
parenta.com | February 2024 3

What do our customers
say this month?
“Natalie gives me the support and confidence needed
for me to complete my course.”
Natasha Ayres
“I am always happy with the level of support I receive
from Parenta. Thank you for the continued support.”
Fledgelings
“My tutor Anita is a really helpful tutor, she always
tries to help me with everything, she is kind and an
amazing person, every time I struggle with anything
she is always there for me. Most importantly she
always encourages me to work harder so that I don’t
struggle with anything. Anita always makes me happy
with her friendly and kind personality. Also, I am really
happy that I got an assessor like her, thanks to Anita I
believe that I will be able to pass this course, so I am
thankful for her effort and patience in helping me.”
Rosendale
“I am always exceptionally pleased with the help and
advice I get from Parenta. A big thank you to the team!”
Brishing Barn Nursery
“I would like to express the spectacular service that I
received from Andreea during my revision sessions to
help me achieve my exam passes.”
Vickie Milton
“It’s absolutely amazing - I wouldn’t be where I am
today without the help of Natalie Doyle.”
Chloe Theobald
“Great services. All the material is structured and clear.
The tutor is amazing as well.”
Irina Abrosimova
“I joined Wivenhoe in November and Ayse has
been brilliant with booking in our learners for their
professional discussions and observations. When I
started here, I had some learners on around 2% and
by working so closely with you have managed to get
them on target for where they should be. They are so
much happier at work! They are feeling so much more
motivated and determined at Wivenhoe to finish their
courses. A factor of that is the style that you work and
how they feel your visits are practical.”
Abby Walton
Congratulations
to all our Parenta learners!
Massive CONGRATULATIONS to all our Parenta
learners who have completed their apprenticeships
and gained their qualifications!
4 February 2024 | parenta.com
parenta.com | February 2024 5

Improving the
business of
Dr. Allan Presland
childcare: part 2
Many years ago, my daughter was
attending the after-school club of a local
chain of nurseries. She had been there for
about 4 months before I realised that I’d
never received an invoice and therefore,
had never paid. The owner was not only
a client but also a friend of mine, whom
I bumped into often - and during our
regular chats, I asked multiple times if he
was sure he was correctly invoicing for all
the services he was providing. Of course,
he was adamant he was!
When I saw him over the next couple of
months, I asked the same type of question
and always got the same answer;
everything was being billed correctly. Of
course, a little while later, it became too
embarrassing to avoid paying any longer
so I met him and paid my dues – the
point is however, the owner had revenue
leakage and simply wasn’t aware of it.
As part of Parenta’s commitment to
supporting settings, we run surveys which
provide a series of questions that allow
providers to compare their performance
against the most successful settings. One
of the questions is about revenue leakage,
and 25% of respondents said they didn’t
know what this was.
In last month’s column, I talked about the
importance of lead generation and the
true value of a lead to you being worth
£50,000. But (and this is really important)
there is simply no point in continuing to fill
a bucket with water when it has a hole in
the bottom, no matter how small.
This analogy may sound frivolous, but
it’s the exact opposite. Having worked
with so many providers over the last 25
years, my suspicion is the vast majority
have some form of revenue leakage from
their business. Simply, they are either not
billing, or not billing correctly, and more
importantly, they are not receiving the
income due to them.
Nursery management software is an
absolute necessity to solve this problem,
but even then, I would urge all owners/
managers to pull every single invoice
for the last month and to check them all
thoroughly against hours/sessions used,
late payments and late collection fees, as
well as extras. Unfortunately, this is not a
job that can be passed to someone else –
you need to satisfy yourself that everything
is 100% correct.
If I’m wrong and you find everything to
be 100% correct, congratulations, you are
one of the few. If I’m right, fix the issue fast
and set a calendar reminder to repeat the
exercise in 6 months.
You may also want to grab a copy of
my book, “Improving the Business of
Childcare” which has many similar
hints and tips, available here on
www.amazon.co.uk here, or take
our quiz to see how successful your
setting is compared to others we work
with: https://scorecard.parenta.com/
parenta
Call 0800 002 9242 and quote ’Magazine’
6 February 2024 | parenta.com

Childcare news
and views
New research reveals concern
regarding new childcare expansion
roll-out
In anticipation of the Government’s
forthcoming implementation of an
extension to free early education
entitlements starting in April 2024, recent
research by Coram Family and Childcare
reveals concerns among local authorities
in England regarding the availability
of adequate childcare spaces to meet
the expected demand. While 60% of
local authorities express confidence in
having enough places for the April 2024
expansion, only 27% are equally confident
about the expansion from September
2024 (15 free hours for nine-month-olds).
Furthermore, this confidence drops to just
12% for the September 2025 expansion (30
hours for nine-month-olds).
The findings of the report reveal the
obstacles perceived by local authorities in
effectively implementing the 30 hours of
free entitlements in 2025. A substantial
majority (88%) pinpoint the local childcare
workforce as a significant ‘barrier,’
underscoring the persistent difficulties in
recruiting and retaining staff. Additionally,
concerns about adequate provision for
children with special educational needs
and disabilities (SEND) are prominent,
with 64% of local authorities citing the
‘sufficiency of childcare places for children
with SEND’ and 55% expressing concerns
about the ‘funding to support children with
SEND’ as barriers to successful delivery.
Local authorities were also concerned
about how the roll-out of the 30-hour
expansion will impact the availability of
the universal 15-hour entitlement for three
and four-year-olds and disadvantaged
two-year-olds.
For three and four-year-old entitlements,
35% of local authorities expect that fewer
families will be able to take up their places
without any charge, and 34% expect fewer
places to be available for children with
SEND.
For the disadvantaged two-year-old
entitlements, nearly half of local authorities
expect there to be fewer available places
overall and a third that fewer families will
be able to take up their places without any
charge. 33% also expect fewer places to
be available for children with SEND, as the
30 hours expansion rolls out.
Ellen Broomé, Head of Coram Family and
Childcare, said: “The coming months
will be a crucial time in the sector as
we prepare for the implementation of
the government’s welcome extension of
childcare support. These new entitlements
have huge potential to support more
parents – particularly mothers – to return
to work and to boost outcomes for more
children.”
“Therefore, whilst it is encouraging
that three-fifths of local authorities feel
confident about the roll-out in April, we are
concerned there may be issues for families
further down the line in accessing the
childcare they need, as well as ongoing
challenges in the sector that could impact
the successful delivery of this extended
support in the coming year. These
issues – including the challenges around
recruitment and retention, and funding
rates – need to be addressed urgently,
and childcare providers fully supported to
manage this extension, so that every child
is able to access the high quality early
years education they are entitled to, and
all parents can make meaningful choices
about work and care.”
Purnima Tanuku OBE, Chief Executive
of National Day Nurseries Association
(NDNA) said: “These reports show what we
have feared and been warning of – that
childcare providers won’t be able to deliver
enough places for all children.”
“A significant number of local authorities
do not think they will have enough places
for the two-year-old expansion which
increases to the majority who don’t think
their local providers can deliver enough
nine-month-old places to meet demand.”
“The issue becomes even worse for
children with special educational needs
and disabilities who will most benefit from
early intervention. This is because many
nurseries do not feel they can fully meet
their needs and because funding is so
difficult to access locally. Some children
need one-to-one care but the current
early years staffing crisis adds to the
pressure on nurseries. Their staff need to
be adequately training and qualified to
support these children.”
“We know that many nurseries end up
funding and supporting children with
additional needs from their own pockets
especially while they are waiting for
funding and resources to be put in place.”
“But it’s vital that these children are fully
supported from an early age. Practitioners
are best placed to identify children who
need additional support. There is a crisis
across all ages for SEND funding but
getting that money and resources to our
youngest children can really help
reduce the amount needed in later life.”
“The situation has worsened since Covid,
with many more children now having
higher needs especially with social,
language and communication skills.
This childcare expansion could be a lifeline
for all children and families but only if the
early years sector is fully funded and their
staff supported with the skills they need to
deliver it.”
The full report from Coram Family and
Childcare can be found here: https://www.
familyandchildcaretrust.org/childcaresurvey-2024-early-release
Low MMR vaccine rates:
Government urges families to take
action
Measles is likely to spread rapidly
across more parts of the UK unless
more people take up the vaccine, a
senior health official has warned
Dame Jenny Harries, chief executive of
the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA),
says vaccination rates are “well below”
what is recommended by the World Health
Organization.
Pop-up clinics are being introduced to
get more children vaccinated as cases
continue to rise. More than 200 cases have
been confirmed in the West Midlands in
recent months, mostly in Birmingham.
Dame Jenny has expressed concern that,
without urgent action, we are likely to see
the measles virus “seeding and spreading
rapidly” in other cities and towns with low
vaccine uptake.
She told BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme:
“The focus this morning is on the West
Midlands, but I think the real issue is
we need a call to action right across the
country.”
The UKHSA has now declared the measles
outbreak a national incident, allowing it
to put more resources into tackling the
problem. In some areas of London, like
Hackney, nearly half of children have not
been fully vaccinated against it.
Dame Jenny said the UK had previously
established an elimination status for
measles, but vaccination rates had now
dropped.
“On average about only 85% of children
are arriving at school having had the two
MMR doses,” she said. NHS figures show
uptake of both MMR doses by the age
of five was considered very low in some
areas in 2022-23:
74% in London
83.7% in West Midlands
85.1% in the North West
WHO recommends two-dose vaccination
coverage of at least 95% of the population
because measles is highly infectious and
spreads easily.
But in cities like Liverpool, Manchester,
Birmingham and Nottingham only 75% of
five-year-olds are in that position.
“People have forgotten how miserable it is
to contract measles”, Dame Jenny said.
“I’m actually the generation that had
measles, and I can’t remember much from
my childhood, but I can remember it and it
is absolutely miserable,” she said.
Measles is one of the most infectious
diseases in humans. On average, in
communities with low protection, one
person will spread the virus to 15 others.
That makes it far more infectious
than Coronavirus, which has an R or
reproduction number of about 3.
Read the full story, as reported by the BBC
here.
8 February 2024 | parenta.com
parenta.com | February 2024 9

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Congratulations to Joanna Grace, our guest author
of the month! Her article, “Sensory Needs – What
Can I Do?” looks at the sensory landscapes that
surround us in our settings, and how best to think
about children with sensory needs. Well done
Joanna!
A massive thank you to all of our guest authors for
writing for us. You can find all of the past articles
from our guest authors on our website:
www.parenta.com/parentablog/guest-authors
Call 0800 002 9242 and quote ’Magazine’
10 February 2024 | parenta.com

Joanna Grace
I’m Jo Grace: a Sensory Engagement and Inclusion Specialist and Founder of The Sensory Projects. In this series of 10 articles, I am going
to share some of my passion for understanding the sensory world with you.
This article is a continuation of Joanna’s
last piece in the January edition of the
Parenta magazine, make sure to read it
first here!
Environment
In previous articles of this series, we
looked at how the environment around a
child can affect them at a sensory level. If
you are supporting a child who processes
sensory information differently, then
you are going to want to pay particular
attention to the sensory environment you
offer that child. It is worth a re-read of
those articles as you think about this. But
I think they have
sensory needs
what can I do?
Part 2.5 - provide and adopt
to further extend what was said in them,
you could consider whether this child
might need a little bit of their own space.
Something like a small tent, a stretchy
fabric seat swing that cocoons a child, or
even just a good old cardboard box to
hide in (cardboard is an excellent absorber
of sound so cardboard boxes can be
great little pause places for children
overwhelmed by the cacophony around
them). I am not suggesting segregating
this child from their peers, we want them
to be a part of things, but it is likely that
with the best will in the world, you are not
able to provide a sensory environment
that works for everyone all the time; they
may well be having to cope with certain
aspects of your setting.
Giving them a place where they can
get away from it all for a moment or so
and recharge their batteries is a way of
respecting and supporting the work they
do in being a part of the group. Have you
ever taken time out from a party to sit in a
toilet cubicle and re-group? It wasn’t that
you didn’t want to be at the party, it was
just you needed that moment to gather
yourself back together so that the whole
of you could be there. By providing small
bespoke sensory environments to children
who need them, you give them the chance
to gather themselves together and to be in
your setting as their whole selves.
Resources
Some children with sensory differences
need to fiddle with things, some bite on
things, others rock to and fro, and some
make loud noises or grind their teeth.
Sometimes what they do doesn’t hurt them
or harm others, in which case let them do
it. But sometimes they’re biting on things
that could be dangerous to them (or to
others) or they’re shouting when you need
the setting to be quiet. It is where there
are these mismatches between how they
are providing for their need and the world
around them, that it is worth investigating.
The more you understand about why they
are doing these things, the more able you
will be to provide resources for them. I will
give you some examples from my own
experiences to arouse your curiosity.
A little boy who was constantly biting
his clothing and the skin around his
fingers found the sensation of biting to be
calming. He was right to do this; we have
a hormone that is released when we bite
and chew that calms us. It was intended
in prehistoric times to keep us calm when
food had been found so that we would
eat our fill. His clothes and fingers were
suffering as a result. We found him some
jewellery and he happily switched to biting
that.
Another little boy was constantly biting his
fingers and we tried jewellery, but it didn’t
work. We realised that it wasn’t the calm
of biting he was seeking, it was the pain
of being bitten. We applied our curiosity to
wondering why and recognised that pain
is one way of becoming aware of your
own body. We offered him the chance to
play on a small trampette and noticed that
when he was on this, he didn’t look to bite
his fingers the way he did when he was
doing other activities. Jumping and feeling
your body rebound sends you strong
messages through your proprioceptive
and vestibular systems about where your
body is in space. We went on to support
this child with weighted shoulder wraps
during storytime and offered him vibrating
toys to hold whilst he engaged in free play
activities.
The two boys were biting but they were
fulfilling different sensory needs through
that biting. Doing the detective work of
being curious was critical to supporting
them.
I thought it might be helpful to your
curiosity if I listed some common sensory
resources I’ve offered children to support
them in meeting different sensory needs:
Ear defenders – for when children are
seeking comfort in response to being
distressed by sound. I’ve seen children do
this:
✨ By making noises themselves
(blocking out the distressing noise)
✨ By hurting themselves
(communicating their distress and
locating their bodies)
✨ By moving faster or jumping (finding
their bodies – knowing where you are
is reassuring and so counters being
unnerved)
✨ By putting their fingers in their ears
and squealing (again blocking out the
noise)
Weighted resources, or compression
wear clothing – I’ve often improvised the
latter out of stretchy material tied in loops
that can be worn around the shoulders or
looped around chair legs for feet to press
against. These all provide information to
children about where their bodies are in
space, and knowing where you are in
space can help you feel more secure.
Children with variances in their
proprioceptive and vestibular systems
often require additional assistance in
spatial orientation. This may become
apparent through their seemingly atypical
movements or a general sense of being a
bit disoriented or vague.
Wands (made of pencils) with colourful
or sparkly fronds taped to the top –
these have delighted many children with
visual processing differences. I noticed
that in the examples I’ve given above,
I began with distressed children, here I
begin with joyful children, and in noticing
the joy they get from visual stimulation,
simply offer them more. Not everything
about sensory differences has to be sad
and stressful. Autistic people see the
world in high definition, often people
with visual processing differences can
experience delight through their sensing
of visual stimuli. These twiddle wands
are a wonderful way of creating joy and
celebrating sensory differences.
In my next two articles, I’m going to
explore how sensory differences can affect
the way children eat. I imagine by now that
the families of the children in your settings
with sensory differences have come to
know and rely on you as they would a
friend. One of the most frightening ways
sensory differences can affect a child is
through their eating, so having a little
insight into this will continue to help you
to provide for those children and support
their families.
As you wait for those articles to come out
please feel free to connect with me on
social media to watch my current sensory
adventures unfurl, all the connection links
can be found on my website
www.TheSensoryProjects.co.uk
Scan here for
more resources
from Joanna:
12 February 2024 | parenta.com
parenta.com | February 2024 13

Apprenticeships
- a path to a rewarding career
Do you have an effective plan in place
for the recruitment, training and retention
of your staff, or does the thought of a
resignation letter landing on your desk fill
you with dread?
There are many challenges facing early
years leaders today, but the issue of
attracting staff into the industry and then
training them in a way that is useful and
relevant to real-life settings is problematic.
Sometimes potential staff are unqualified
and/or you don’t have the money to train
them from scratch - or you want to have
more of an input into their training.
Sometimes you are looking to upskill
existing staff, but you don’t want to lose
them as employees whilst they train.
Luckily, some solutions could be ideal
for your setting, and those solutions are
apprenticeships.
Apprenticeships? Aren’t
they old-fashioned?
Some people have an outdated view of
apprenticeships, thinking they are only
for the traditional trade industries such as
plumbers and carpenters, but nowadays,
the apprentice route to employment is a
well-trodden path and people can train in
thousands of industries as an apprentice,
learning on the job and earning whilst
they learn too. There are apprenticeships
to become qualified teachers, business
analysts, marketing managers,
hairdressers, and engineers too, and there
are entry levels from unqualified to degree
level.
And yes, early years apprenticeships are
available and well-funded too!
The Government have raised the profile
of apprenticeships in recent years as
industries struggled to find enough
workers leaving education with the skills
they need to fill the posts they needed.
Additional training was often required to
upskill staff, so routes to employment that
also included an educational part became
more attractive.
Step forward, the humble but powerful,
apprenticeship.
National Apprenticeship
Week
National Apprenticeship Week (NAW) takes
place from the 5th to the 11th of February
2024 and is a great opportunity for the
education and skills sectors to come
together to match people to jobs, as well
as celebrate and honour the achievements
of apprentices around the country. There
is no doubt that apprentices have a very
positive impact on businesses, local
communities, and the wider economy
and now is the time to recognise their
importance.
The theme for this year’s week is “Skills For
Life” (#SkillsForLife and #NAW2024) which
emphasises that apprenticeships are no
longer simply a way to get a ‘foot in the
door’. Many apprenticeships now offer
higher qualifications up to and including
degree and post-graduate qualifications,
so there really is something for everyone in
the apprenticeship scheme.
Many early years settings have a long
history of working with the Government,
local colleges and training providers to
offer apprenticeships at several levels
and have found them to be an invaluable
source of staff recruitment and training.
What is an apprenticeship?
The Government’s definition of an
apprenticeship is:
“A paid job where the employee learns
and gains valuable experiences. Alongside
on-the-job training, apprentices spend
at least 20%* of their working hours
completing classroom-based learning with
a college, university or training provider
which leads to a nationally recognised
qualification.” * This equates to an average
of 6 hours per week on a 30-hour week.
Apprenticeships are a way of providing
hands-on experience in a sector or role
of interest to the apprentice with a formal
assessment which leads to a nationally
recognised qualification. One of the best
parts, however, is that the person is
learning on the job and because it is a job,
they get paid a wage whilst learning. Since
many apprenticeships are designed with
the needs of the end employer in mind
too, many apprenticeships can lead on
to further employment at the end of the
training period.
How are apprenticeships
funded?
Many courses for young people (16-18)
are fully funded by the Government
which means that most employers don’t
pay anything and there are no course
fees to pay. Apprentices should be paid
minimum wage at least, but this can be
covered 100% by the Government if they
are aged 16-18. Most apprenticeships for
older people carry substantial Government
funding too.
There are also incentive schemes for
recruiting young people. Employers and
training providers could receive £1,000
each if they recruit an apprentice who is
either:
✏ Aged 16 to 18 years old
✏ Aged 19 to 25 years old and has an
education, health and care (EHC) plan
✏ Has been in the care of their local
authority
How can apprenticeships be
useful in early years?
Apprenticeships are a popular tried and
trusted way for early years settings to
help recruit and fund first-time job seekers
because they are accredited and mostly
fully funded. Apprentices here usually
start with a Level 2 or Level 3 Childcare
qualification.
However, there are also higher-level
apprenticeships and apprenticeships also
include things like:
✏ Early Years Educator
✏ Teacher
✏ Learning mentor (Teaching Assistant)
✏ Children, Young People & Families
Manager
Parenta specialises in training people in:
✏ Level 2 Childcare (EYP)
✏ Level 3 Childcare (EYE)
✏ Level 3 Team Leader
✏ Level 5 EYLP
Apprenticeships can also involve
specialisms in areas like music or working
with pupils with special educational needs
or challenging behaviour, helping them
to overcome barriers to learning and fulfil
their potential.
How can I find out more?
There is a lot of information on the NAW
website at nationalapprenticeshipweek.
co.uk. Alternatively, Parenta are experts
in recruiting and training apprentices for
the early years sector and you can contact
them on 0800 002 9242 or visit www.
parenta.com/recruit-an-apprentice/. There
are also a lot of articles and advice about
apprenticeships on the Parenta website at:
www.parenta.com/parentablog/childcareapprenticeships/
Celebrating National
Apprenticeship Week
We’ve also listed below some other ways
you could celebrate NAW in your setting:
✏ Reach out to local schools and
colleges to speak to them about
potential apprenticeship opportunities
– you could also offer work experience
for interested students
✏ Register your interest by signing up for
the monthly newsletter on the NAW
website
✏ Join one of the employment webinars
on the website
✏ Spread the word about NAW on your
social media channels
✏ Consider upskilling existing staff with
an apprenticeship – possibly a Level
5 EYLP
✏ Call Parenta on 0800 002 9242 for
more information
More information
✏ nationalapprenticeshipweek.co.uk
✏ www.parenta.com/
childcaretrainingcourses
Scan here for
more references
& information:
14 February 2024 | parenta.com
parenta.com | February 2024 15

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Priya Kanabar
Why hiring an
apprentice makes
sense
Yes, even for childminders!
Given the growing demand for childcare
places, particularly with the increased
Government-funded hours, now presents
the perfect moment to explore the
advantages of bringing an apprentice on
board. The potential benefits of such a
partnership extend to both the apprentice
and the employer, making it a mutually
enriching experience. Let’s explore why
hiring an apprentice makes good sense.
The process of finding an apprentice
may seem like a very time-consuming
process, with a lot of time being dedicated
to training them. No one wants to be
bombarded with extra paperwork or to
hold someone’s hand whilst they are
studying, however, this does not have to
be the case at all.
If you pick a reputable recruiter and trainer,
for example, Parenta, you will receive
support for both you and your apprentice
right from the beginning. In addition to
finding out exactly what your setting’s
requirements are, they will have already
started the registration process and will
only send you the strongest candidates.
This cuts out half of the work; so, all you
need to do as the employer is conduct
the interview and make that all-important
decision. Many childcare professionals will
associate apprentices with no experience
and needing a whole lot of attention to
complete their childcare courses, but it is
up to the employer to only choose who
they consider suitable for the role.
The partnership between the training
provider, the learner and the employer is
really important. The apprentice will have
regular meetings and training with their
tutor and for this reason, the employer
must ensure their learner is supported,
given regular appraisals, and booked onto
any core training they need. Of course,
this means keeping them up-to-date with
legislation and supporting them in getting
to know their workplace inside out. Giving
them challenges and more responsibility
will give them the confidence they need
for inspection or simply to become a room
leader.
Another benefit of hiring an apprentice
is the lack of financial stress, as the
majority of apprenticeships are 95%
government-funded. Even though there
is usually a minimum number of set
hours, and off-the-job training to do, the
contracted days and times can be tailored
to individual setting’s needs. How you
teach them within your setting will be your
unique learning style, which becomes the
foundation of their future.
Highlights
Feeling empowered is one of the highlights
- watching an apprentice grow during their
first year, compile a portfolio of certificates,
from scratch, and gain invaluable (handson)
skills needed to work as an early years
practitioner.
Although it can be challenging knowing
that you, the employer, are responsible for
them, the challenging aspect is motivating.
Making an effort to demonstrate
professional role modelling, naturally sets
a high standard.
Support
The feeling of guiding someone in making
their first steps towards a qualification is
very rewarding, as is knowing you are part
of the reason they are competent. During
that process, providing endless support
and praise to ensure the apprentice does
not lack self-esteem is essential.
It helps to put yourself in their shoes;
taking yourself back to when you first
began training to work in the early years.
Mental health and stress can impact on
the ability to function, let alone work; for
this reason, supporting staff with regular
meetings is essential, especially if you
want to keep staff long term.
Training
Keeping your apprentices informed about
current legislation and providing crucial
refresher training serves as a helpful
reminder for the entire setting to review
their practices. Ensuring apprentices
are well-trained is crucial for meeting
high standards and avoiding any issues
during Ofsted inspections. While there
might be time pressures involved in
training, ultimately, it leads to increased
professionalism, which will be a positive
outcome for all.
There is a sense of pressure in training
someone that can only result in more
professionalism, a positive thing for sure.
Working in the early years requires a
range of personality traits, using creativity
in different ways and a diverse range
of teaching styles. This lesson is a very
special one an employer can teach an
apprentice - to reassure them that they do
not have to fit in, but rather float in their
own bubbles for all to admire.
There are so many benefits to hiring
an apprentice and they outweigh the
hardships!
Scan here for
more information
& resources
from Priya:
18 February 2024 | parenta.com
parenta.com | February 2024 19

Dr. Kathryn Peckham
In this article, taken from the course of the
same name at the Nurturing Childhoods
Academy, we are going to be reminding
ourselves of the deep-rooted importance
of play and how we can support all adults
in a child’s life to prioritise this invaluable
activity. But first let me ask, how can
something that seems like the simplest,
most natural thing in the world be so
fraught with issues? It all seems so easy
when you watch children at it!
Whether a child is looking up at you
dressed in fairy wings, wanting you to
chase them around the garden or to play
endless rounds of their current favourite
game, as an adult it can all seem a little
daunting. How do you emerge yourself in
Let’s get ready
to play… wait,
what now?
their world of make-believe? How do you
know what to do, to say and how to act?
More and more parents and practitioners
come to me concerned that they simply
don’t know how to play. Could this be a
sign of a more sedentary, technologyinfused
childhood or the impact of moving
away from extended families and no
longer being surrounded by nieces,
nephews and young cousins? Or is it that
as adults, we become too concerned with
how we are perceived by others and forget
the liberating freedoms of play?
Engaging in genuine play with children
is not only an immensely enjoyable
way to spend your time, but it also
carries tremendous benefits for a
child’s emotional, cognitive and social
development, building relationships
and establishing the attachments that
significantly contribute to their overall
well-being. However, in today’s fast-paced
world, parents and practitioners can
often find themselves juggling multiple
responsibilities and commitments.
Amongst the hustle and bustle of daily
life, it’s crucial to remind them of the
significance of spending quality time
playing. As you support all the adults in
a child’s life, let us remind ourselves why
we must all set aside dedicated time for
play. And as we embrace our inner child,
watch as we all flourish in the special
connections we share.
☑ Building strong bonds
Playing with children serves as
a powerful bonding experience,
providing an opportunity to connect
on an emotional level as you foster
trust and a sense of security. As you
play together you demonstrate to
children that they are valued and
loved, strengthening your relationship
as you build healthy attachments
and enhance their self-esteem and
confidence
☑ Promoting cognitive development
As you play, you naturally develop
children’s cognitive skills, engaging
their problem-solving, critical thinking
and decision-making abilities as
you explore the world around them.
Participating in activities that naturally
include creativity, spatial awareness,
or logical reasoning such as building
blocks, puzzles or imaginative play
stimulates their development in ways
more profound than any digital app
☑ Enhancing social skills
As you play together, you facilitate the
development of their social skills and
lay the groundwork for positive social
interactions. Through cooperative
play, children learn how to negotiate,
compromise, and take turns. Through
shared play experiences, they
develop empathy, compassion, and
an understanding of social cues, all
of which are vital for building and
maintaining relationships throughout
their lives
☑ Language and communication
development
Whether it’s engaging in pretend
play, storytelling or engaging in
conversation, play provides an
excellent platform for children
to develop and enhance their
language and communication
skills in meaningful ways. By
actively participating in their play,
you can support their vocabulary
development, sentence structure and
communication abilities
☑ Emotional regulation and stress
relief
Play also allows children to express
and process their emotions in safe
and healthy ways. Whether through
dramatic play or engaging in physical
activities, play helps children release
excess energy and reduces stress.
It also provides an outlet for them
to explore and understand complex
emotions, and to develop effective
emotional regulation strategies
We know that play is not simply about
fun but also an essential component of
children’s growth and well-being, fostering
their holistic development and allowing
them to experience the joy and wonder
of childhood. It is also the most significant
and deeply felt way we have of learning
- at any age. So, let us look at how we
support all adults to confidently embrace
the power of playtime.
Firstly, consider how motivating our
environments are. Do we feel excited and
interested to explore and play? Is there
a variety of engaging toys, art supplies,
books, and puzzles along with materials
that promote open-ended play such as
cardboard boxes or blankets for building,
dressing-up costumes and simple
household items? Is the space organised
and accessible so that activities of interest
can be easily chosen and tidied away
afterwards? Are these periodically rotated
to maintain novelty and keep everyone’s
interest piqued?
Without careful thought, structured
activities and screens can dominate
children’s time and we must prioritise nontech,
unstructured play as an essential
part of their development. The freedom to
play without specific rules or instructions
gives children the opportunity to follow
their interests and passions, fostering a
sense of autonomy and self-expression.
However, in today’s digital age, excessive
screen time may be hindering children’s
motivation to engage in more self-driven
forms of play, so look at how you infuse
their play with independent thinking,
decision-making and problem-solving
opportunities.
Children learn so much by example, so
show your enthusiasm as you follow their
imagination, demonstrating that play is
not just for children, but a great activity for
everyone. Strengthen your bond as you
actively participate and celebrate in their
play. Provide positive reinforcement and
praise for their creativity, their problemsolving
abilities and persistence. Take a
genuine interest in their playtime activities,
asking open-ended questions and
engaging in meaningful conversations as
you boost their confidence and motivation
to explore.
So whether you are a parent, practitioner
or family worker, join me at the Nurturing
Childhoods Academy where you can
access training, listen to talks and join a
community of practitioners, parents and
professionals working with children and
the families that nurture them.
Scan here for
more resources
from Kathryn:
20 February 2024 | parenta.com
parenta.com | February 2024 21

Lunar New Year
In the West, we celebrate New Year as the
clocks change from 11.59pm to midnight
on December 31st. But this is not the only
New Year that is celebrated around the
world, and in February, many people
celebrate the Lunar New Year, or as many
in Eastern cultures also know it, Chinese
New Year.
Unlike the Western New Year, which is set
on the same day every year, the date of
Lunar New Year changes as the phase of
the moon fluctuates. So, in 2024, Lunar
New Year occurs on February 10th, and
ends with the Lantern Festival on the 15th.
In some Asian cultures, such as China,
South and North Korea and Singapore, the
New Year, each year is also associated
with an animal from the zodiac. These
animals range from pigs to monkeys, but
this year, we are moving from the year of
the Rabbit to the year of the Dragon, or
more specifically, the Wood Dragon.
Surprisingly, if you were born in any of
the previous dragon years, then traditions
says that the coming year will be an
unlucky rather than a lucky one! The 12
animals of the Chinese zodiac are Rat,
Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse,
Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig.
This system for naming years has been in
common use for about the last 2000 years
but some say it goes back even further to
around 2637 BCE when it was reportedly
invented.
The lunar cycle lasts between 29 or 30
days and there are 12 cycles in each year,
although in order to keep up with the solar
calendar that the West uses, an extra
month is added every 2 to 3 years, much
like the addition of February 29th every 4
years in the solar calendar.
Lunar or Chinese New Year is a great
way to introduce the children to different
cultures and traditions from around the
world, so get ready to party and educate
the children at the same time. Look at
some of our ideas and bring some cheer
to those dreary, February days.
Chinese cookery and
food
Nothing introduces little ones to the
culture quicker than trying different foods
and you can expand their taste buds
and experiences at the same time. One
suggestion is to create a small ‘banquet’
of small dishes of different types of food.
Think about using plain or flavoured rice
such as egg fried rice, sweet and sour
chicken, spring rolls or toffee bananas. You
can find some good recipes on the BBC or
Twinkl website.
Red envelopes
You may have noticed that red is the
dominant colour in many Chinese
decorations around this time and that is
because it is considered very lucky. One
tradition is that children receive money in
red envelopes which represent luck and
prosperity, and you can make your own
envelopes easily with some red card or
paper. The children can decorate them
with signs or the sun, moon and stars, or
anything else they like. Be careful about
the money that you put in as the numbers
are important. In China, the number 8
is considered lucky, but the number 4 is
considered the opposite.
Zodiac animals
With so many different animals in the
Chinese zodiac, this a great opportunity
to think about the characteristics of each
different animal. You could use these
as the basis of different sessions for the
children including:

Pam McFarlane
Values
Work values are beliefs or principles
relating to your career or place of work.
They describe what you believe matters
regarding your career.
Values are not ‘fuddy-duddy’ concepts.
Values are trendy. Paul Brunson, a
relationship coach on Married at First
Sight, always gets contestants to explore
each other’s values. What values does
each one hold dear? What is important to
them? Do they align? If not, presumably
the marriage is doomed to failure and
more alarmingly for many, fewer followers
on social media.
Paul posted on X on November 28th,
2023, saying:
“One of the most important questions you
can answer is this: What are your values?
Now your values guide everything in this
life. Who’s the best romantic match, who’s
the best business partner, who are the
best friends? These are all based on your
values. But more important than the best
match, your values are your happiness.
So identify what your values are, prioritise
them, and most importantly feed them….
not only will you lead a fuller life, but you’ll
be much happier.”
It is the same with our work settings. It
is suggested that a third of our lives are
spent at work. On a weekly basis many of
us see our colleagues more then we see
our beloveds. If shared values are key to
successful relationships then the same
applies to our work relationships.
Before we talk about drawing up our
own set of values, we should look at core
values, their significance and their impact.
The value of
So, just what are core
values?
It is worthwhile carefully reading the
following excellent explanation given by
Workplace from en-gb.workplace.com.
They say ‘“company values are a set of
core beliefs held by an organisation. They
might involve principles that govern the
business, its philosophy, or how it expects
the people who work for it to act.“
“Values are overarching - they’re not about
a single situation but act as a guide to how
a company should approach everything it
does and its interactions. Values can help
define an organisation’s personality and
help it stand out from the crowd.“
“They can make a statement about where
a company stands and what it believes in.
They can give people focus and a greater
sense of purpose and engagement,
reinforcing a company’s broader goals
and feeding into everyday decisions and
work.“
values
“Crucially, values act as one of the building
blocks of organisational culture, giving a
consistent reference point, even in times of
change.”
What can core values do
for our setting?
Attract talent
We all know that recruitment within early
years has been exceptionally difficult over
the past few years. Having clear values
can make the difference in securing the
right person for the job.
Create a secure work environment
A set of considered values is the basis for
a setting’s code of conduct. Values provide
a guide for behaviour in professional,
social, physical and virtual interactions that
is clearly understood. Having values levels
the playing field and ensures fairness for
all. This helps people to feel secure.
Values also enable settings to identify and
deal with toxic behaviours promptly.
Conversely, managers can positively affirm
their staff for evidencing these values.
This helps staff members feel more
connected to the setting and to one
another and they are then able to develop
a sense of ownership to the setting.
Improved performance is often the result.
Enhance communications
Once values are embedded, all staff
members can interact with stakeholders
in a way that reflects the setting positively.
Bank staff members too, must understand
and adhere to the values of the setting. If
parents are aware of the setting’s values,
they also are encouraged to abide by
these in their interactions with staff. Our
values also trickle down to the children
in our care, making the setting a happy,
healthy place to be.
Formulating your own
set of values
As with establishing our workplace culture,
our workplace values are best chosen
when all staff are involved. There needs
to be a shared platform from which our
values are embedded into our setting’s
culture. A special staff meeting called to
focus on values is a very good way to start
generating ideas.
In creating your values, the following are
helpful to consider:
Be clear and concise
It is essential to keep your company values
clear so that they can be understood and
embraced by employees, regardless of
their level or position in the setting. Staff
members, from apprentices, to cooks,
practitioners, leaders and managers must
know what to expect and understand
what is important.
Keep them brief and memorable
Keep them brief – short and snappy is the
way to go! Values are then easy to recall
at any given moment.
Ensure they reflect your setting’s culture
and check that they accurately reflect your
mission, vision, beliefs, and objectives.
Adapt if needed
Settings grow and develop over time, so
reflect on your values from time to time,
making sure the values are still relevant
and effective. If not, make amendments
that suit your current reality.
What is important for
you? What matters?
The first step in creating our values is by
looking at what is important to us.
Do we value honesty? Integrity? Positivity?
Service? Kindness? Accountability? Unity?
Having a group discussion with all staff
members will bring common values to the
fore. Once these are aired, choose some
(five is a good number) that reflect your
setting’s uniqueness.
Some suggestions are:

Being kind to everyone
and perceptions of the world. And
the world is a much more vibrant and
engaging place because of it.
and celebrating our
Think for a moment, what the world would
be like if everyone was more alike – if we
all liked the same things, and listened to
the same type of music, wore the same
clothes and ate the same foods. Would
that be a change for the better?
Wouldn’t it be nice if we could all feel
accepted by other people in the world and
by ourselves? Think about how the world
would be if there was no prejudice, and
tolerance and kindness were the traits
most often displayed by everyone.
Sometimes, it is the smallest things that
are the most important to promote in our
children and staff and being kind to others,
celebrating our individuality and being
kind to all beings is a great place to start.
February 17th is Random Acts of Kindness
Day, celebrated across the world by
people wanting to spread love and
positivity, and there is no better place to
start than educating our youngest citizens
about simple behaviour that anyone can
do - it costs nothing, and the impact of
which can be felt far and wide.
individuality
The benefits
According to the website www.
randomactsofkindness.org, being kind
to others has many benefits not only to
the recipient, but to ourselves too. People
who witness acts of kindness can also be
affected because science has shown that
even witnessing an act of kindness can
produce oxytocin, which some people refer
to as the ‘love hormone’. Oxytocin is an
important hormone in the body which can
help to:

The importance
of children feeling
Gina Smith
represented
How great is it that we are gradually
beginning to see more diversity on
television and in books? From celebrating
physical differences on “Strictly Come
Dancing” and on “CBeebies”, to
celebrating hidden differences such as
the series Pablo about an autistic boy,
the world is gradually opening up to the
importance of representation of everyone,
no matter what skin colour, physical or
hidden disability they have. There is still a
lot of work to be done though.
Imagine being a child in an early years
setting, and being very aware that you
look quite different to your peers. Perhaps
you have a different skin colour, very
different hair, or you have a physical
disability that stands out. Not only are
you different to the other children that
surround you, but when you look in books,
at posters or play with dolls or small world
toys, none of those people look like you
either. This is just going to make you even
more aware that you are different.
When a child feels they are different
to everyone else, they are likely to feel
insecure and become withdrawn. A lack of
representation can lead to children feeling
they are unimportant. No child should
grow up feeling they are less valuable
because of how they look. It takes a lot of
careful work to give a child the confidence
to want to celebrate their differences rather
than shy away from them. The root of this
inner confidence starts in the home, but
it is very likely that a child’s uniqueness
only stands out when they are surrounded
by lots of children from different homes.
For example, at home, a child may be
surrounded by loved ones with the same
skin colour as them, but when they get
to your setting they are the only one with
their skin colour.
As early years leaders, you have the
critically important job of making children
feel represented from the earliest age
before any chance of them feeling
undervalued or becoming negatively
aware of their differences sets in. This is
an incredibly important role that can make
a huge difference to a child’s self-esteem.
Just think – you get the chance to alter a
child’s view of themselves and to celebrate
everything about them, from the earliest
age. One way to do this is to make sure
they are represented across all resources
in your setting.
Here are some opportunities that you have
in an early years setting to make sure
everyone is represented:

Children’s Mental
Every year we celebrate Children’s Mental
Health Week in the UK and this year it runs
from the 5th to the 11th of February. This
dedicated week provides an opportune
time to raise awareness about the
mental health challenges individuals
may encounter and explore strategies to
overcome them.
All children deserve to have good mental
health but sadly, this is not the case for
many young people. In fact, according to
The Children’s Society, in a normal class
of 30 pupils, 5 are likely to have a mental
health issue. Fifty percent of all mental
health problems start by the age of 14,
and the Mental Health Foundation say that
seventy-five percent of children and young
people who experience mental health
problems are not getting the support they
need. Some examples of mental health
disorders that children can suffer from
include anxiety disorders, depression,
other mood disorders, eating disorders,
and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Without treatment, these mental health
conditions can prevent children from
reaching their full potential.
These statistics and facts should be a
wake-up call to all adults especially those
in the caring, education and healthcare
professions to see what else we can do to
support the mental health of our children
and young people.
Raising awareness and celebrating
Children’s Mental Health Week (CMHW) is
a great place to start so we’ve given you
some more information and ideas as to
how you can do this in your setting.
The first CMHW was launched in 2015
by the charity, Place2Be, and since then,
thousands of people across the UK have
worn a green ribbon and participated in
events and workshops across the country.
The theme this year is “My Voice Matters”
and the aim is to empower, equip and
give a voice to every child in the UK, and to
give them the tools they need to express
themselves.
Health Week
Everyone can take part in the week, and
it is never too early to begin talking to
children about their emotions and how
they feel. There are lots of downloadable
free resources on their website at www.
childrensmentalhealthweek.org.uk/
including assembly guides, worksheets,
top tips and more.
One of the goals is also to ensure that
no child or young person must face a
mental health problem alone so some of
the resources are also aimed at families,
parents and carers and there are some
informative videos including ones with
British Sign Language (BSL) interpretation.
How can you help
children express
themselves and find
their voice?
Many children and young people are
still learning to express themselves and
this can take years for some people as
they learn to navigate social norms, and
relationships and find their unique place in
the world. Pre-school children are unlikely
to have the words to express themselves
lucidly, but they will understand when they
feel good about things and when they
don’t. As early years practitioners, it is
part of our job to help them find words to
communicate effectively with those around
them, so they can learn to regulate their
emotions rather than be a slave to them
and mature into emotionally intelligent
beings.
Tips to help children
recognise and regulate
emotions:
1. Stay calm and manage your own
state – you cannot help someone
manage big emotions if you match
their stress, anger or anxiety. Stay
calm, use de-escalation techniques
and remain patient
2. Start early – you can talk to babies
about their emotions and begin
pointing out when characters in
stories and films are feeling sad,
happy, anxious or angry
3. Be present and connect – take the
time to connect with the child in
moments of high emotion: ensure
you are on their eye level and are
actively listening to them. Soothe and
reassure them to help them feel safe
4. Help children find words for emotions
– this is one of the most important
things to do. When children display
big emotions, help them by saying
things like; “I can see you are feeling
angry now”, or “People who are
feeling anxious can sometimes show
this by….”
5. Teach, don’t punish – if a child
makes a mistake in addition, we
don’t punish them; we teach them
the right concepts and strategies to
get to the right answer. Yet when we
look at emotions and behaviour, we
can sometimes forget our teaching
remit and think that if a child has
trouble managing their emotions,
we should somehow bring them
into line by introducing punishments
and sanctions. Remember, that all
behaviour is a form of communication,
and our role is to help the child learn
to communicate better!
6. Be a good role model – modelling the
behaviour and emotional intelligence
that you want to see from your
youngsters is a great way to get them
to pay attention and begin the journey
of self-regulation. Children learn by
watching and imitating and this is true
of emotional regulation too
7. Remember the long-term goals – be
prepared to help young children over
time. No one will get everything right
the first time, and not every time,
even adults can struggle with this. So,
be patient, offer praise and reward
progress
Things you can use
to help children talk
about emotions
There are many resources to help children
learn about emotions. Think about:

Frances Turnbull
Musical
medicine
How music helps pre-term
neonatal infants
listening to and creating music reduces
blood pressure, improves metabolism
and has even been suggested that this
is because music improves the immune
system.
A review of 13 studies (Yue et al., 2021)
considered over 1,000 infants in neonatal
intensive care. In an environment of
machines, tubes and medical equipment,
studies showed that music and singing
reduced the infant’s heart rate, respiratory
rate, oral feeding volume, stress level and
maternal anxiety. These are all predictors
of survival, so important areas that tell
doctors what interventions are necessary.
A further review of 25 studies (Haslbeck
et al., 2023) with over 1,500 infants did
not show increased oxygen saturation
or infant development but did appear to
reduce heart rates significantly. Heart rate
is linked to the stress hormones adrenaline
and cortisol (fight/flight responses), which
can lead to medical emergencies including
heart attack and stroke. This is why we are
encouraged to reduce our heart rate at all
ages.
more memorable, and the rhythm of
the words gives the feeling of call-andresponse
completion.
My Bonnie
My Bonnie lies over the ocean
My Bonnie lies over the sea
My Bonnie lies over the ocean
Oh, bring back my Bonnie to me
Bring back, oh bring back, oh
Bring back my Bonnie, to me, to me
Bring back, oh bring back, oh
Bring back my Bonnie to me
Oh, blow ye waves over the ocean
Oh, blow ye waves over the sea
Oh, blow ye waves over the ocean
And bring back my Bonnie to me
This well-known Scottish lullaby is written
in the rocking rhythm of 6/8 timing, like
other children’s songs and many sea
shanties. With the feeling of rocking on the
waves of the ocean, we think that rocking
is familiar to newborns because of their
experience, floating in amniotic fluid.
Cradle song
Lullaby and goodnight
With roses bestride
With lilies bedecked
‘Neath baby’s sweet bed
May thou sleep, may thou rest
May thy slumber be blessed
May thou sleep, may thou rest
May thy slumber be blessed
This classic lullaby is actually written in
3/4 waltz timing, a wonderful rhythm for a
slow and quiet dance.
Knowing that these types of songs are
used in intensive care to quiet and calm
babies in distress is useful. We can use
this knowledge with our own little ones,
bringing calm to their situation, whatever
it may be.
With this in mind, here are some lullabies
to get started with younger children
particularly:
Hush little baby
Hush, little baby, don’t say a word.
Mama’s gonna buy you a mockingbird
And if that mockingbird won’t sing,
Mama’s gonna buy you a diamond ring
Toora loora loora
Over in Killarney, many years ago
Me mother sang a song to me
In tones so sweet and low
Just a simple little ditty, in her good old
Irish way
And I’d give the world if she could sing
That song to me today
If that diamond ring turns brass
Mama’s gonna buy you a looking glass
If that looking glass gets broke
Mama’s gonna buy you a billy goat
Toora, loora, loora, Toora, loora, lai
Toora, loora, loora, hush now, don’t you cry
Toora, loora, loora, Toora, loora, lai
That’s an Irish lullaby
Scan here for
more resources
We started this year by looking at how
music can help to support children with
language delays. Looking a little closer,
there are several health conditions that
music can support, specifically through
singing.
This is particularly timely because of
the number of recent articles showing
how lockdown has impacted all of us,
particularly our children. As a result,
many different holistic and psychological
approaches are being recommended to
improve children’s outcomes.
Ironically, music has been shown to
support the development of several areas,
including physical and socio-emotional.
Sadly, it has also been one of the first
subjects to go in favour of more academic
subjects, including numeracy and literacy.
In response to this, we are going to
continue our enquiry into the ways that
we can use music and singing to support
health conditions in children. This month
we are going to look at how music can
support children right from the start: preterm
infants in neonatal care.
Music has an amazing effect on people.
It has been found to increase happiness
hormones, promote relaxation, help
people to learn and work more efficiently,
and even help people to get along better
together. Research during COVID-19
started looking more closely into why and
how this may occur.
Music therapists have been publishing
findings on the different effects that music
has had on small groups of people with
specific conditions for years, and the
common benefits have been on stress:
If that billy goat won’t pull
Mama’s gonna buy a you a cart and bull
If that cart and bull turn over
Mama’s gonna buy you a dog named
Rover
If that dog named Rover won’t bark
Mama’s gonna buy you a horse and cart
And if that horse and cart fall down
You’ll still be the sweetest little baby in
town
This lovely traditional song is full of
rhyming couplets, pleasing to the ear
because of the gentle rhythm. The
continuity of the storyline makes the lyrics
Oft in dreams I wander to that cot again
I feel her arms a-huggin me as when she
held me then
And I hear her voice a hummin’
To me as in days of yore
When she used to rock me fast asleep
Outside the cabin door
This traditional Irish lullaby is also written
in the 6/8 rocking rhythm, full of rhythm
and rhyme. The brain naturally looks for
pleasing sound patterns, and this will
be far more pleasing to the ear than
the medical beeps and noises of the
monitoring machines.
from Frances:
32 February 2024 | parenta.com
parenta.com | February 2024 33

Kindness
Stacey Kelly
vs peoplepleasing
Throughout life, kindness has always
been one of my core values: as a parent
and teacher, I’ve always emphasised
how important it is to be kind to others.
In addition, as time has passed by, I have
come to realise how important it is to
harness compassion and discernment
alongside kindness because, without
these additional attributes, we can run the
risk of becoming someone who struggles
to set boundaries and who falls into the
category of ‘people-pleasing’.
Kindness is an external process, centred
around how we make other people feel.
A smile to a stranger, offering to help
someone or giving compliments are
all examples of little acts of kindness
that are done to make someone else
feel good. However, compassion takes
kindness a step further because it is an
internal process that allows us to gain
understanding of a person or situation
- and this understanding then acts as
the motivator behind the kindness, help
or support we extend. Compassion is
more of a personal and inward journey
that connects people through shared
experiences - and the kindness it
generates comes from a deeper and more
meaningful place.
Both kindness and compassion are
beautiful attributes to have. However, over
the years, it has become apparent that
these two things can get out of balance
if we don’t pair them with discernment,
which is the ability to see things clearly
and make smart decisions based on what
is in front of us. The ability to embody
these three things simultaneously allows
us to empathise with others, and extend
kindness, when necessary, but to also set
boundaries and be true to ourselves in a
strong yet balanced way.
There is a very fine line between kindness
and people-pleasing and what we
teach children about kindness can be
the difference between the two. Peoplepleasing
stems from a place of fear and/or
a need for acceptance, whereas genuine
kindness stems from a place of altruism
and love. If we constantly enforce that
children need to be kind no matter what,
they learn that the approval of others is
linked to this attribute, which could lead to
them using kindness to get acceptance.
However, if we teach children to be true to
how they feel but to approach things with
compassion and understanding, they will
learn to be authentic, set boundaries and
extend kindness to people for the right
reasons.
The phrase ‘if you haven’t got anything
nice to say, don’t say anything at all’ is
powerful and teaches children to pick and
use their words wisely. This approach can
be linked to compassion and regardless
of our circumstances or the actions of
others, I believe it is one we should all live
by. I have also always asked myself three
things before I speak:

EYFS activities:
Expressive Arts
& Design
Expressive Arts and Design activities are integral to the EYFS curriculum, nurturing creativity, imagination, and
holistic development. Through activities such as art, dance, music and drama, children can explore, express
themselves and make sense of the world around them. These experiences also promote problem-solving, boost
confidence, enhance communication skills and foster social skills through collaboration and self-expression.
Easter bunny bean bag game – so much fun!
You will need:
• Cardboard
• Dark paint
• Paintbrush
• Scissors
• Pencil
• Pen
• Eraser
• Paper
• Orange and green felt
• Lentils
• Strong glue (child friendly)
• Funnel
Creating the bunny:
• Use a pencil to sketch a bunny design on a
piece of paper, ensuring it has a smile and
a round tummy
• Transfer the sketch onto a large piece of
cardboard
• Paint the outlined bunny on the cardboard
using a dark-coloured paint and a
paintbrush and leave to dry
• Use scissors to carefully cut out the mouth
and tummy holes on the painted cardboard
bunny
Making the carrot bean bags:
• Sketch a triangle (carrot) and a leafy top on
a piece of paper for the bean bags
• Trace two identical triangle carrots and one
leafy top onto felt for each bean bag
• Use the glue to attach the green felt piece
onto one orange triangle
• Now glue the other orange triangle on top
of the first, leaving the top part of the carrot
unglued
• Place a funnel inside the carrot and fill it
with lentils. Then, seal the carrot bean bag
shut with the glue. Ensure it’s completely
sealed to prevent the lentils leaking out.
Repeat for other bean bags
Playtime:
• Stand the cardboard bunny upright
• Encourage children to ‘feed the bunny’ and
gently toss the carrot bean bags towards
the bunny’s mouth and tummy holes
More on this activity and others can be
found here: https://www.pinkstripeysocks.
com/2014/04/diy-easter-bunny-bean-bag-toss.
html
Handmade Easter egg stamps – a favourite with the children!
You will need:
• Potatoes
• Knife or toothpick
• Assorted craft paints
• Paper plates
• Towel
• Craft paper
• Paintbrush
Prepare the potato (Adults):
• Cut the potato in half
• Press the open end of the potato onto a
towel to absorb moisture and ensure it’s
dry for carving
• Once the open end of the potato is dry,
carefully carve designs into it using a knife
or toothpick. Create lines, zigzags, circles,
or any shapes desired
• Dry the carved end of the potato on the
towel again to ensure it’s completely dry
Set up the paint station:
• Squirt different coloured paints onto paper
plates for easy access
Egg carton flower gift – perfect for Mother’s Day!
You will need:
• Acrylic paint
• Egg cartons (not foam)
• Paper straws
• Scissors
• Glue
• Paintbrush
• Paper plate
• Small pom-pom balls
Setting up:
• Cut four containers out of the egg carton
and trim around the edges for a round
petal shape
Painting the flower petals:
• Pour different coloured paints onto the
paper plate
• Encourage children to paint their flower
petals using the paintbrush
• Place the paper plates and the potato
stamps on the table for the children to
begin
Get stamping:
• Encourage children to dip the carved end
of the potato into the paint, ensuring
excess paint is removed before stamping.
Alternatively, use a paintbrush to apply
paint onto the potato stamps for more
precision
• Once the potato is painted, firmly press
it onto the craft paper to create the egg
design
• Repeat as many times as desired
• Rinse the potato under water to clean off
the paint when changing colours
More on this activity and others can be found
here: https://premeditatedleftovers.com/
naturally-frugal-mom/handmade-potatoeaster-egg-stamps-for-kids/
Finishing touches:
• Once the paint is dry, glue a paper straw
to the back of each painted egg carton to
form the stem
• Select a small pom-pom ball and glue it
to the middle of the painted egg carton to
represent the centre of the flower
• Let the assembled flowers dry completely
before handling them
More on this activity and others can be found
here: https://www.iheartartsncrafts.com/eggcarton-flowers-kids-craft/
• Let the painted petals dry completely
36 February 2024 | parenta.com

Child
development
Gina Bale
Dance and movement - part 2
This is a two-part article on
dance and movement with
information, simple guides,
and questions to help you
include this valuable activity
in your setting.
Dance and movement are ingrained in
our being and are how we express our
emotions ranging from how we walk to
simply swaying or tapping our toes to the
music. We all do it!
Let’s encourage our little ones to build their
confidence and resilience and support
their emotional well-being through a
fun creative activity. Best of all, you don’t
need to be a movement teacher or dance
specialist to provide your little ones with
a wonderful experience of dance and
movement to develop their creativity and
curiosity.
To help you incorporate dance as an
expressive art (‘Art’ model) in your setting,
or at home, for all ages here is a super fast
guide to help you encourage your children
to engage with dance and movement.
Educators’ guide
Dance as an ‘Art’ model is made up
of three strands. These strands are
composing, performing, and appreciating.
In simpler terms, make, do, and discuss.
As educators, it is important to take the
time to facilitate opportunities for the
children to experience these strands by
giving them the time and space they need,
to engage with movement and music as
they wish.
Strand 1: Composing (make)
Composing dance through imagination,
exploration (improvising), problemsolving,
decision-making, and creating a
movement vocabulary.
In practice:
Put on some music but ensure you are
giving them opportunities to hear all
genres of music ranging from classical
to contemporary. Observe and reflect on
your children’s responses as this will help
you provide them with child-led learning
opportunities and experiences.
Strand 2: Performing (do)
Performing allows the children to express
themselves and their emotions through
movement and dance in their unique way.
In practice:
Just let them move showing you, and each
other, their ideas of how to move with the
music. It may range from just swaying to
the music to a choreographic masterpiece.
Strand 3: Appreciating
(discuss)
Appreciating each other’s dance helps
the children to observe, reflect, compare,
contrast, and evaluate.
In practice:
Chat with your children about the music,
how it made them feel, and how their
movements express their feelings.
Encourage your children to repeat their
favourite moves for you and respond to
their creativity and self-expression. Their
creativity and self-expression give you an
insight into their thoughts and experiences.
When facilitating dance and movement
with your children, it is important to ensure
you are using a theme, or music that
engages them. Observing your children
will help you to consider movement aims
to extend their learning. It is important to
remember that whatever you set out to
achieve needs to be adaptable to allow
the children to lead the activity.
“For young children to have an individual
response it’s important you do not have a
set goal. Children need their contributions
to be noticed and valued so they build
confidence and resilience. Give children
enough space and time to experience
and explore.” GOV.UK Help for Early Years
Providers
Facilitating dance and
movement: The top 5 tips
1: Movement aims
What movements can you explore with
your children? What are they interested
in today, and how can you use that
information to extend their learning?
In practice:
If your children are dinosaur-obsessed
why not look at all the different dinosaurs
and talk about how they moved? Did they
run, hop, jump, roll, wriggle, shake, and
stomp?
2: Warm-up
Introduce the activity, and theme, while
warming up their bodies so they are ready
to move and have fun.
In practice:
Pop on some music and have fun
practising your different dinosaur moves.
Incorporate your movement aims in the
warm-up as this reinforces learning and
helps develop myelin in the brain.
3: Exploration
Encourage your children to discover new
ways of moving and problem-solving
as they explore solutions to movement
problems. Exploration extends their
movement vocabulary.
In practice:
Encourage your children to be different
species of dinosaurs and ask them to
show you how they moved. Pop on some
music and you can ask them if they think
this is the right music for their species of
dinosaur. If it isn’t, which species would
like it and how would they move? Add
obstacles ranging from, puddles to
tunnels, for them to move over, under, and
around. This encourages their exploration
of movement through problem-solving.
You could also have a selection of musical
instruments in the room that they could
incorporate into the activity. For example,
they could become a Cryolophosaurus
also known as the Elvisaurus and become
a rock star dancing on stage with their
guitar. Enjoy the fun of exploration and
creativity together. Remember if you are
having fun they will as well.
4: Composing
This is working together or solo to create
a sequence of movements that make a
dance. Encourage the children to consider
new combinations of movements that you
explored together.
In practice:
Exploration and composing will be sideby-side
for your little ones. As they are
exploring, they are composing. As they
create a sequence of movements, they
develop critical thinking skills, movement
memory, and vocabulary. Why not create
a ‘movement vocabulary’ poster of the
different moves their body, and dinosaurs,
can make?
5: Appreciation
Time to observe and reflect on each
other’s creations and the aims of the
session.
In practice:
Encourage your children to demonstrate
their creations as this helps them to feel
seen and valued. Give them feedback on
their movements, creativity, and musicality
as dance and movement can help children
build their confidence and resilience.
Words of advice
Have fun! Enjoy the music, the movements
and your children’s creativity as there is no
limit to their learning through imagination
and fun. And the bonus… just think of
all those opportunities to develop their
communication and language skills as
they explore movement. Discover more
next month!
Scan here for
more resources
from Gina:
38 February 2024 | parenta.com
parenta.com | February 2024 39

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